MERLOT and

The Dance of Collaboration

Collaborative Projects in the NSDL: Institutionalized Collaboration

Gerard L. Hanley

Executive Director

MERLOT

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Dancing for Fun and Success

• MERLOT as a case study• Choosing Your Partners

– Types of Collaboration

• Choosing the Dance– Levels of Participation

• Taking Lessons – Making Collaboration Work

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Overview of MERLOT

MERLOT’S Vision

Be a premier online community where faculty, staff, and students from around the world share teaching-learning materials and pedagogy.

MERLOT’s Goal and Strategy in NSDLTo improve the effectiveness of teaching &

learning by expanding the quantity and quality of peer-reviewed online learning materials that can be easily incorporated into faculty designed courses.

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Collaboration To Change the World

Aggregation of Collaborators 21 Systems and Institutions 5 NSF grants & subcontracts In-Kind Contributions Conference Fees

CSU Management

Forces

Lever

Fulcrum

Together we can leverage change

MERLOT

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Choosing Your Partner

• MERLOT has different types of partners– Higher Education Institutions

– Discipline-based Professional Societies• Ex: American Association for Physics Teachers

– Digital Libraries• Ex: EDNA Online, SMETE.org

– Academic Organizations• Ex: NLII, NMC

– Corporations• Ex: McGraw-Hill, MacroMedia

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Choosing Your Dance With Each Type of Partner

• Levels of Commitment and Integration of Operations– Partners: Collaborate on MERLOT initiatives and

provide financial support– Affiliates: Advocate for MERLOT using in-kind

contributions– Sponsors: Pay for a presence in MERLOT to build

goodwill and brand recognition. • Purposes of Collaboration: Your Strategic Priorities

– Peer Review– Collection Development & Services– Professional Development– Enabling Technologies

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MERLOT’s Higher Ed Partners

Sustaining Partners• California State University

• EduSource.canada

System Partners:• California Community Colleges

• Illinois Board of Higher Education

• Louisiana Board of Regents

• Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

• South Dakota Board of Regents• State University of New York• Tennessee Board of Regents • Troy State University

• University of Michigan• University of North Carolina• University System of Georgia• University of Wisconsin System• Virginia Community College System• WICHE, Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications

Campus Partners:• Coastal Carolina University• Cornell University• Ohio University• St. Petersburg College• Seton Hall University

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Institutionalizing Collaboration With Participation Agreement

MERLOT Commitments• Management of

Collaboration – Technology– Professional

Development– Peer Review Process– Meetings and

Communications• Training• Participation in Leadership• Participation in Initiatives• MERLOT Reserve

Institution Commitments• Annual fee• In-kind support for administrative and faculty participation• Integration of MERLOT into existing academic technology initiatives

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MERLOT’s Organizational Partners and Affiliates

Digital Library Services

Education.au Limited

SMETE.org

American Assoc of Physics Teachers

Federated Search

NEEDS (Engineering)

HEAL (Heal Science)

CAUSE (Statistics)

Peer Review

Professional Development

New Media Consortium

NLII/EDUCAUSEProfessional Development

Enabling Technologies

IMS (Affiliate) Standards

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Institutionalizing Collaboration With MOU

• Both organizations sign MOU– Who are the organizations– Shared Values, Missions, Constituents– Goals of MOU– Commitments to manage collaboration– Develop work plan within 3 months– Intellectual Property and Confidentiality– Warranties, Liabilities, Indemnification– Rights of Parties– Contacts

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Corporate Alliances: What’s It Worth to Them?

• Focus: Professional development to produce improved readiness of customers and marketing

• Type of Collaboration: Sponsorship of the MERLOT International Conference

• MERLOT’s Corporate Participation– McGraw Hill - Desire-2-Learn– O’Reilly Publishers - MacroMedia– Academic Systems - Silicon Chalk

• Formalize Commitments with Participation Agreement (Costs and Benefits)

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Why Institutionalize Collaboration?

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”• Formal agreements helps you

– Follow through on intentions

– Manage the work of collaboration

– Be accountable for your commitments

– Develop exit strategies

– Focus on your core competencies

• Formal agreements are work, not just talk

Interested in collaborating with MERLOT? Contact:Gerry Hanley ghanley@merlot.orgBrandon Muramatsu mura@merlot.org

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?