Not quite damascus a seasoned instructor's virtual journey

NOT QUITE DAMASCUS

COHERE 2012

Panteli Tritchew

October 18, 2012

A Seasoned Instructor’s Virtual Journey

TODAY’S AGENDA

Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 2

JOURNEY GENESIS RESISTANCE INDIVIDUAL FACULTY LEVEL—WHY

START NOW? DEPARTMENT LEVEL ISSUES ARISING FACULTY LEVEL ISSUES ARISING INSTITUTION LEVEL ISSUES ARISING EXODUS


GOALS FOR THE NEXT 40 MINUTES

? ? ? ? ?

“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”

Chinese proverb


CMNS 1140Introduction to Professional CommunicationStudents will learn how to analyze context and audience, determine purpose, message content, visual design and media in order to create written workplace messages that can be received, understood, used and retrieved with speed and accuracy. Kwantlen Calendar

• Technical Writing, Governance, Policy and Procedures, Stakeholder Communications

• Kwantlen Polytechnic University (1993-

• BCIT (1991-1993)

• SAIT (1988-1991)

• University of Waterloo, MA English, 1981

http://www.kwantlen.ca/calendar/2012-13/courses/cmns/index.html

GENESIS


Started teaching (as TA) in September, 1979

No online teaching

Until

May , 2012

Yes, that’s 33 years!


• No institutional incentive or pressure

• No divisional (School of Business) incentive or pressure

• No departmental or peer incentive or pressure

• Comfort level with f2f teaching material

• Fear of losing connection with students

• Workload and technology concerns

WHY DID I RESIST ONLINE TEACHING ?

Faculty LevelResistance

Department Level

FACULTY Level

Institutional Level

CLARIFICATION

“No incentive ” does not mean “no support.”


RESISTANCE Static FrictionStatic frictional forces from the interlocking of the irregularities of two surfaces will increase to prevent any relative motion up until some limit where motion occurs.

It is that threshold of motion which is characterized by the coefficient of static friction.

The coefficient of static friction is typically larger than the coefficient of kinetic friction.

Georgia State University Physics

TRANSLATIONIt’s easier to keep something in motion than to start it moving while it’s at rest.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/frict2.html


IndividualFacultyLevel


Faculty or School

Institution

Department

STATIC


WIFE

So why start now?


1. Why do faculty engage in online teaching? Catalysts? Prompts? Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivators?

BREAKOUT ONE

1. Why do faculty engage in online teaching? Catalysts? Prompts? Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivators?

What are some questions that arose for us during Breakout One?


DepartmentLevel


• Confirm personal leave (75%) with School of Business and 25% workload (two sections) for 2011/2012 academic year

• Contact department chair to request (first-time) online teaching assignment

• Confirm online assignment with chair

• Contact colleagues with an SOS

• Go “on alert” for Moodle training sessions

FIRST STEPS ON MY JOURNEY


GREAT DEPARTMENT SUPPORT• Applied Communications Department Chair,

Bob Basil, goes to bat with School of Business

• Department colleagues who teach/have taught online give me “guest access” to their Moodle courses

• Pamela Ip, Applied Communications colleague provides one-on-one mentoring session, plus stand-by support


QUESTIONS ARISING—DEPARTMENT LEVEL How should official course outlines

accommodate or recognize online sections of a particular course?

Shouldn’t their be some different outcomes? Should a department aim for a percentage of

its course offerings (i.e., of the same course) to be online? Is there a Golden Mean?

Should there be a specific departmental strategy for online education?


Department support was superb, but is it enough to overcome resistance?

Support ≠ incentive, or does it?

What questions arise when we consider the role of a department in promoting effective online/blended learning?

BREAKOUT TWO


FACULTY(School of Business)

Level


• Second largest business school in Western Canada

• Over 150 business faculty• 3,500 full-time students, and 9,000 total

students annually • 16 available programs/credentials

KWANTLEN'S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Kwantlen School of Business

http://www.kwantlen.ca/business/programs.html




CURRENT POLICY ON ONLINE EDUCATION

KWANTLEN'S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

CURRENT PRACTICE ON ONLINE EDUCATION At least the same number of face-to-face sections

offered as online sections for any particular course.


QUESTIONS ARISING– FACULTY LEVEL What are the roles of the faculties in

promoting/supporting online/blended learning?

What is the role of the dean? Is it adequate to leave the

promotion/support at the individual faculty member or departmental level?


What questions arise for us when we consider the role of faculties in promoting effective online/blended learning?

BREAKOUT THREE


INSTITUTIONAL Level


Kwantlen Polytechnic Collective Agreement with Kwantlen Faculty Association

e) The employer will provide the necessary technological and Human Resource Services for employees assigned to develop and deliver the program and courses.

f) The employer will provide the necessary and appropriate training in the use of relevant educational technology for employees assigned to deliver distributed learning programs and courses.

g) Employees delivering distributed learning programs/courses shall not be required to provide technical support to students taking distributed learning courses.

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT - ARTICLE 12.09 DISTRIBUTED LEARNING

http://www.kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/Collective_Agreement_April_1__2010-March_31__20127629.pdf


ARTICLE 12.09 DISTRIBUTED LEARNING

h) Employees shall not be required to deliver distributed learning programs/courses from their home. Employees delivering or developing distributed learning courses shall be provided with office space and the appropriate technology to support them in their work.

i) Where an employee has been assigned an online course and agrees to the employer’s request to teach all or part of that course from home, the employer shall provide the appropriate technology and pay for the reasonable and approved costs of delivering those courses from home.

j) No regular employee will be laid off as a direct result of the introduction of distributed learning.


Collective agreement is silent on the issues of faculty qualifications and faculty course evaluations pertaining to online/blended learning.

What questions arise for us when we consider the impact of the collective agreement in terms of effective online/blended learning?

BREAKOUT FOUR


INSTITUTIONAL LevelTAKE TWO!


SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTTECHNICAL SUPPORT• Moodle site automatically generated by Learning

Technology based on course timetable• Faculty can request Moodle site on development

area any time throughout the year prior to going “live”. • Technical support for instructors and students is

provided by Information and Educational Technology (IET) Service Desk.

Kwantlen Moodle for Faculty webpage

http://www.kwantlen.ca/online-learning/Moodle_for_Faculty.html



SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTTRAINING• Faculty are added to Moodle Learning Community, a

site with training tips, tutorials, demos, and a discussion forum .• Moodle Training workshops are scheduled through

the Centre for Academic Growth.• Customized Moodle training for departments.• Drop-in sessions and customized workshops. • One-on-one support through IET Service Desk.Kwantlen Moodle for Faculty webpage




SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTTRAINING• Moodle administration and training is

provided by Kwantlen's Learning Technology team.• Special thanks to Meg Goodine, Manager

Learning Technology for her relentless patience with my questions last semester!

HELP


What questions arise for us when we consider the role of Information and Educational Technology and Education and Learner Support units in terms of not only supporting, but also promoting online/blended learning.

BREAKOUT FIVE


INSTITUTIONAL Level

TAKE THREE!


ROLE OF SENATE

KWANTLENCOURSE OUTLINE

MANUAL

A publication of the Senate Subcommittee on Course Curriculum

• 58 pages• “Outcomes” appears

28 times• “Online” appears

once, under Calendar Description.• “This course may be

offered online.”

Kwantlen Course Outline Manual

http://kwantlen.ca/__shared/assets/comanual11185.pdf


What questions arise when we consider the role of Senate in terms of supporting and promoting online/blended learning?

BREAKOUT SIX


INSTITUTIONAL LevelTAKE FOUR!


KWANTLEN’S MISSION AND MANDATE

Kwantlen Mission and Mandate

1.5 pages, 12 paragraphs

• Access, Scholarship, Community, Mentorship, Stewardship

• “Learning” = 5 matches

• “Online” = no match

• “Technology” = no match

http://www.kwantlen.ca/mission/mission-mandate.html


.

KWANTLEN VISION STATEMENT

20 Commitments

#20 TechnologyKwantlen commits to the innovative, creative, and considered use of technology to enhance teaching, learning, and the day-to-day environment of students, faculty, and staff.

Kwantlen Vision Statement

http://www.kwantlen.ca/calendar/2012-13/introduction/vision.html


Dr. Alan Davis, President and Vice-Chancellor

Annual Goals for September 2012 to June 2013

2. Academic Plan: with the Provost, ensure that the process for the Academic Plan is well underway to address the goals of the Strategic Plan and includes:

c. A strategy for the development of Teaching and Learning, including the use of technology Dr. Alan Davis Blog, posted September 15, 2012

KWANTLEN STRATEGIC PLANNING September 1, 2012: new president

http://blogs.kwantlen.ca/president/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/alan-davis-goals-sept-3-2012.pdf


What questions arise when we consider the role of Senior Administration in terms of supporting and promoting online/blended learning?

Alignment with mission, mandate, vision and strategy?

BREAKOUT SIX


EXODUS Final Thoughts on My Virtual Journey

• Some technology frustrations, but manageable

• Rethinking and re-conceptualizing the course will improve future classes

• Felt tremendously supported by departmental colleagues, IET and Learning Technology

• Good to get the classroom adrenaline going again

• Overall, enjoyed the challenge and the learning curve

NOT QUITE A PAULINE CONVERSIONNo feeling of making a School of Business or

Institutional level contribution to a “bigger picture”


EXODUS Final Thoughts on My Virtual Journey


WILL I DO IT AGAIN?


YUP!

Not quite damascus a seasoned instructor's virtual journey

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