Faculty/IT Partnering to Transform Learning

George Watson Leila LyonsJanet de Vry

University of Delaware

Agenda: IT/Faculty Partnership

Interactive Case Study (30 min)

What is PBL? (10)

UD Institutional Support (15)

Faculty Projects (10)

Wrap Up (10)

Case Study, Part 1

Midday at a mid-sized university, midway through the semester, we listen in on a conversation between President Fixitnow and Provost Nolira…

Fixitnow: “We’ve invested millions in technology. So why aren't more professors using it?”

Nolira:(stating proudly)

“They are! Almost 1/3 of our professors are already using WebCT this semester.”

Fixitnow: “But we’re a tech savvy university. Let’s move it from 1/3 to 2/3.”

Nolira:(with a slightly furrowed brow)

“Sure, we can work on that.”

Case Study, Part 1 (contd.)

Fixitnow: “And I don’t just want more of the same. Make sure that the instruction improves.”

Nolira:(turning so look of panic is not seen)

“OK, we’ll work on that too…

Case Study, Part 1 (contd.)

Fixitnow: “Good, don’t let me down. I’m working on a report to the Ed Affairs Committee for the Board next month. And I need a plan by then.”

Nolira:(walking away)

“I’ll get right on it.(additional remarks unintelligble)

Case Study, Part 1 (contd.)

Activity 1: Discuss the questions below in small groups.

1. If this scenario were to happen at your institution, how might the parameters of the conversation differ?

2. How might the Provost assess whether or not technology is being used effectively?

3. How might the Provost encourage faculty to transform the learning process?

4. At your institution, to whom would the Provost likely turn for assistance?

Case Study, Part 2

Nolira: Upper administration

Whinesabit: President of the faculty senate

Knowsmuch: Instructional technology director, responsible for distance learning

Wizard: Winner of last year’s excellence in teaching award

Grants: Typical faculty member

Gladsome: Learning center director

Activity 2: Match the statements in the handout with the following stakeholders.

Are there any stakeholders missing from this list?

Case Study, Part 3

Activity 1: Please keep the identified stakeholders in mind as you prepare answers to the following questions:

1. What are the important elements of a faculty development program in the use of instructional technology?

2. How can we create a support program that will encourage enthusiastic faculty participation?

3. How will we know if the training program was successful?

Education Reformand

Problem-Based Learning

Characteristics Neededin College Graduates

High level of communication skills

Ability to define problems, gather and evaluate information, develop solutions

Team skills -- ability to work with others

Ability to use all of the above to address problems in a complex real-world setting

Quality Assurance in Undergraduate Education (1994) Wingspread Conference, ECS, Boulder, CO

Recommendations from theBoyer Commission Report

Make research-based learning the standard.

Build inquiry-based learning throughout the four years.

Link communication skills and course work.

Use information technology effectively.

Cultivate a sense of community.

…the individuals learning the most in the teacher-centered classrooms are the teachers there. They have reserved for themselves the very conditions that promote learning:

What I know bestI have taught…

Page 35, Huba and Freed, Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses: Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning, 2000

actively seeking new information,integrating it with what is known,organizing it in a meaningful way, andexplaining it to others.

What isProblem-Based Learning?

PBL prepares students to think critically and analytically, and to find and use appropriate learning

resources.

PBL is an learning approach that challenges students to “learn to learn,” working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world problems.

“The principal idea behind PBL is that the starting point for learning should be a problem, a query, or a puzzle that the learner wishes to solve.”

Boud (1985)

What isProblem-Based Learning?

What are the CommonFeatures of PBL?

Learning is initiated by a problem.Problems are based on complex, real-world

situations.All information needed to solve problem is not

initially given.Students identify, find, and use appropriate

resources.Students work in permanent groups.

PBL: The Process

Students are presented with a problem. They organize ideas and previous knowledge.

Students pose questions, defining what they know and do not know.

Students assign responsibility for questions, discuss resources.

Students reconvene, explore newly learned information, refine questions.

Overview

Problem, Project, or Assignment

Group Discussion

Research

Group Discussion

Preparation of Group “Product”

Whole Class Discussion

Mini-lecture(as needed)

Assessment(when desired)

The Problem-BasedLearning Cycle

Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education

Created in 1997 to promote reform of undergraduate education through faculty development and course redesign.

Initially funded by NSF Institution-Wide Reform of Undergraduate Education

ITUE Fellows receive hands-on experience in employing active learning strategies (PBL) and effective use of technology in their classrooms.

ITUE – Faculty

• PBL training from practitioners

• Collegial environment

• Ongoing peer support

• Funding and recognitions through grants

• Provide faculty who ask, “How can I make learning more active?”

Elements Encourage both Pedagogy & Technology Adoption

• Administrative Vision

• Robust Technological Infrastructure

• Partnerships

• Faculty Development/Encouragement

• Institutional Support

• Support Staff

UD IT/Faculty Partnerships

• Institute for Transforming Undergraduate Education (ITUE)

• General Education Initiative

• Written and Oral Communications Task Force (WOC-TF)

ITUE Fellow describes use ofWebCT Communication Tools

Faculty member skilled in both PBL and WebCT

Led class through a problem on justice for the terrorists

Used online groups in class to address the problem

Audio clip

10 Goals

Goal #1 All students will attain effective skills in

•quantitative reasoning

• the use of information technology

•oral and written communication

Gen Ed Initiatives:Life, Pathways to Discovery, Capstone Experience

Task Force on Oral and Written Communication Skills

The mission of the Task Force on Writing

• formulate a plan with specific action steps

• to ensure that undergraduates at UD obtain and improve

• critical communication skills during their courses of study

The Synergy of Partnerships

Active LearningInstructionalTechnology

“Faculty friendly”

Collaborative workspace

• Similarities between PRESENT and PBL classrooms

• Flexible furniture• Flexible equipment

IT Support

• Half of IT support staff have masters degrees in education

• Wide range of skills—programming, digital media specialist, graphics, Course Management Systems expertise.

• Instructional designer

• Form support teams for faculty projects with Librarians and Center for Teaching Effectiveness staff

PRESENT programs

• Collaborative winter and summer teaching, learning and technology institutes

• Year long training program• One-on-one consultations and collaborations• Projects to implement faculty teaching/learning

goals• Showcase and publicize faculty projects

Faculty Encouragement

Showcase Faculty Work

Institutional Support: Elements of grant proposal

Course Redesign Projects

• Biology

• Education

• Consumer Studies

• Plant and Soil Science

• Psychology

• ITUE – small projects

ITUE Technology Assistance Grants

• Grants staff and student time to apply active learning to a specific course

• Awarded to ITUE fellows

• 2 examples:– Harry Shipman and E-labs for Physics– John Deiner and Online Newspaper for

Political Science

Departmental Support

Chemical Engineering

IT Support Lessons Learned

• To change the curriculum, need to change how faculty perceive teaching and learning

• Infuse the campus culture with a variety of ways for faculty to learn about pedagogy and to reinforce that learning

• Partnerships with faculty can help with faculty readiness

• At UD the ITUE is a major contributor

Institutional Support

• Examples of additional elements of institutional support?

Faculty Perspective on Partnership

• Complementary strengths

• Ongoing technical support

• Ideas into reality

Partnership Success

Early in the use of WebCT at UD,the adoption rate of WebCT by ITUE

faculty double that of full faculty

PBL/IT projects

• John Deiner in Political Science

• Charlene Hamilton in Nutrition and Dietetics

• Harry Shipman in Physics

Online Newsletter for Politics of Developing Nations

•Students learn by doing

•Study contemporary economic, political and social issues in Third World

•Take on collaborative roles and produce a newsletter

•Research on the web and publish on the web

demo audio clip

Nutrition and Dietetics Internship

Simulates a real world interview:

Student makes choices and receives feedback based on those choices

demo

E-labs in Physics

demo

Other IT/Faculty collaborations

• PBL Clearinghouse

• WebCT discussion group training co-taught by faculty and IT in PBL format

• Pilot of wireless carts for PBL classroom

• Joint WebCT/ITUE weeklong institute

PBL Clearinghouse

An online database of PBL articles and problems.All material is peer-reviewed by PBL practitioners for

content and pedagogy.All problems are supported by learning objectives and

resources, teaching and assessment notes.Holdings are searchable by author, discipline, keywords, or

full text.Fully electronic submission, review, and publication cycle.Controlled access by free user subscription, students

excluded.

www.udel.edu/pblc

Other IT/Faculty collaborations

• PBL Clearinghouse

• WebCT discussion group training co-taught by faculty and IT in PBL format

• Pilot of wireless carts for PBL classroom

• Joint WebCT/ITUE weeklong institute

Collaborative workspace

Flexible furniture in PBL classroom

Why partner to transform learning?

• What do ITUE faculty bring to transforming education?

• What do IT professionals bring?

• What other campus groups are important?

• What elements of the UD experience could you adapt to your own campus?

Wrap Up