Transcript Teaching & Learning at Virginia Tech, 2020: Some Thoughts about Planning John T.

Teaching & Learning at
Virginia Tech, 2020:
Some Thoughts about Planning
John T. Harwood
Associate Vice Provost, Information Technology Services
Penn State
University Park, PA 16802
January 14, 2011
Penn State and VT: Siblings
 We are kindred spirits – large R1s w/significant research
portfolios as well as significant teaching mission
 Penn State is larger (~95K students, 6K faculty, and 15K
staff) @ 24 campuses ranging from 700 students to 42K
students
 Highest tuition of any public University (~$13K for instate students and double for out-of-state in 2009-10)
 Both face a challenging fiscal climate (aka “hard times
ahead”) that should spur innovation (Math Emporium
2.0?)
 Both face increased competition from other “providers”
Goals for Today
 Ponder the current landscape of higher education
 Identify key issues, concerns, and options at VT
 Consider how to move forward – not whether to
move – at VT by addressing such questions as:
 How is “learning” planned for at VT?
 How can VT better leverage CIDR, IDDL, et al. to create
“partnerships for learning”?
 How can VT rethink “learning spaces” and computer labs
and gather evidence of learning?
 How can VT support faculty in new models and modes of
teaching?
Goals for Today
 To document my visionary skills, consider my
“history and future of the Web” in 30 seconds
Warning: scenarios are subject to change without
notice. Ten years ago who was thinking about
Google (IPO in 2004), YouTube (founded 2005), or
Facebook (founded in~2003)?
2020 seems a long way off, so why worry??
1994 and What I Was Teaching
A History & Future of the Web
 More about Gopher in 1994?
 Why do faculty talk about the rate of
change?
New Competitors Want to Dine
TODAY on Hokies & Nittany Lions
Outta State U
Salish Kootenai College (MT)
Lesley College (MA)
Mukogawa Ft. Wright Institute (Japan)
Winona State University (MN)
Trajal Hospitality & Tourism College (Japan)
Walden University (MN)
Univ. of Alaska S.E. (AK)
Univ. of Idaho (ID)
Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
Eastern Oregon Univ. (OR)
Oregon Inst. of Tech. (OR)
Lewis & Clark College (OR)
Portland State Univ. (OR)
Univ. of Portland (OR)
Western Seminary (OR)
George Fox Univ. (OR)
Oregon State Univ. (OR)
Linfield College (OR)
Western Oregon Univ. (OR)
ITT Technical Inst. (IN)
Vincennes Univ. (IN)
Johns Hopkins Univ. (MD)
Chapman Univ. (CA)
Pacific Oaks College (CA)
Center of Innovation in Education (CA)
Pepperdine Univ. (CA)
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Sem. (CA)
Golden Gate Univ. (CA)
Apollo College (AZ)
Univ. of Phoenix (AZ)
Southern Illinois Univ. (IL)
Old Dominion Univ. (VA)
Embry Riddle Aero. Univ. (FL)
Nova Southeastern Univ. (FL)
Tulane University (LA)
Webster University (MO)
Columbia College (MO)
Park College (MO)
Kigezi Int’l School of Medicine (Uganda)
Source: University Business
Going to College in Virginia,
2020: What are My Choices?
 Consider the state of Washington in 2005
 Question: What will the map of Virginia higher
education look like with this kind of
representation?
 Question: “Where” do I find a “state”
university in 2020? Where does VT play in this
mix?
Outta State U
Salish Kootenai College (MT)
Lesley College (MA)
Mukogawa Ft. Wright Institute (Japan)
Winona State University (MN)
Trajal Hospitality & Tourism College (Japan)
Walden University (MN)
Univ. of Alaska S.E. (AK)
Univ. of Idaho (ID)
Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
Eastern Oregon Univ. (OR)
Oregon Inst. of Tech. (OR)
Lewis & Clark College (OR)
Portland State Univ. (OR)
Univ. of Portland (OR)
Western Seminary (OR)
George Fox Univ. (OR)
Oregon State Univ. (OR)
Linfield College (OR)
Western Oregon Univ. (OR)
ITT Technical Inst. (IN)
Vincennes Univ. (IN)
Johns Hopkins Univ. (MD)
Chapman Univ. (CA)
Pacific Oaks College (CA)
Center of Innovation in Education (CA)
Pepperdine Univ. (CA)
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Sem. (CA)
Golden Gate Univ. (CA)
Apollo College (AZ)
Univ. of Phoenix (AZ)
Southern Illinois Univ. (IL)
Old Dominion Univ. (VA)
Embry Riddle Aero. Univ. (FL)
Nova Southeastern Univ. (FL)
Tulane University (LA)
Webster University (MO)
Columbia College (MO)
Park College (MO)
Kigezi Int’l School of Medicine (Uganda)
Source: University Business
“The future (of VT) ain’t what it used to be”
Yogi Berra
 Proliferation / consolidation of
e-learning
 Mission deflation or creep
 Greater differentiation
 “Brand” at risk
 Top 25 VT courses could be
taught by Megawatt U, which
has an articulation agreement
with VT and is cheaper for
students
 Campus experience as a
differentiator, but how to
quantify the value?
 Just-in-time re-tooling of
courses and curricula
 Mass customization will be a
student expectation (learning
styles on steroids)
 Open University-type teams vs.
independent contractors as
course developers
 So how many competitors will
VT have in 2020?
Lessons Learned about Learning
1.0 @ PSU
Learning 1.0 at PSU
 Old Main and two wise CIOs have invested heavily in
learning – and we have results to show for it
 ANGEL (course management system)
 Computing labs, classrooms, and “learning spaces”
 E-Library services + new “Knowledge Commons”
 Course redesign efforts (Pew, NCAT, Sloan) have led
us to self-fund and go hybrid, so we need a repository
 Infrastructure (wireless, Shib, “friction reducers”)
 World Campus (75,000 enrollments this year; focus on
adult learners) = $18M+ in revenue for colleges
 High-stakes Testing Center and other innovations
What Penn State Students Expect
 An increasing emphasis on relevance
 An increasing effort to personalize learning
 More active engagement with course
content, peers, and faculty
 More effective feedback on learning
 No increase in effort!
 Besides, “wired” is cool (wireless, gadgets,
e-everything)
How One Redesign Spawned 30
Stat 200 (NCAT), 1999-2001
Biology 110 (Mellon Foundation), 2000
Spanish 1-3 (Textbook publisher), 2002
So why not fund the redesigns ourselves
— the PSU “Blended Learning Initiative”
 ~30 undergraduate courses
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Stat 200, Then and Now
 Traditional design = 3 lectures and 1
“recitation” section
 New model (2001) = 1-2 lectures + “readiness
assessment tests” (RATS) and online activities
 Newer model (2007) = 2 lectures and 2 “labs”
 Newest model (2009) is completely online
 Same course, same standards, similar results
Stat 200, Then and Now
 Stat 200 continues to innovate
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Efficient use of ANGEL quizzes
High-stakes testing = more time for teaching
“Clickers” provide additional feedback
Huge classes seem small
 Stat 200 now has an online version – same
results
 Cost savings remain about $150K per year
(reduction in # of TA’s)
The Landscape for Learning at
VT: Ten Questions
Ten Questions about the VT
Landscape for Learning
 Who is in control if the drivers of change are external, not
internal to VT?
 Are social media, consumer devices, and “constant
connectivity” more important than backpacks and books?
 What will textbooks be in 2020? Will any be printed? Will we
need a “book” store?
 Will Wikipedia, Youtube, and Google kill the university
library?
 If online universities are so successful, do we still need
campuses?
 If VT students can succeed in online classes, do we need
classrooms?
Some Questions (cont)
 Where in the curriculum will all VT undergraduates
acquire the IT skills and attitudes they will need as
employees and citizens?
 How should VT assess its success in identifying and
measuring those skills?
 What are the best models for helping faculty
incorporate discipline-appropriate “best practices” in
teaching and learning?
 Which of the many possible innovations make most
sense in 2011-14? And how will we sustain them?
Issues and Policies for Today and 2020
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Sustaining quality, mission, and market position
Finance and economics (the business case)
Faculty development and governance issues
Intellectual property, licensing, and Not-Invented-Here
Equity and access issues
Student services
Avoid PARALYSIS THROUGH ANALYSIS – good policies can
be developed and implemented
 In the words of Bob Heterick: seek Access, Quality, and
Cost
Magnetics Lab, 1894 – not a computer in sight!
The View from 5,000
Feet
We Know Too Little About
 Curricular and instructional design questions
 Optimal pedagogies for different disciplines
 Best fit between kinds of students and kinds of
technology
 Optimal class size for on-line classes and right
rhythm for hybrid courses
 Metrics for assessing outcomes
 Smarter ways to promote engagement, socialization,
and mentoring of faculty AND students
 Impact of Learning 2.0 on faculty development,
rewards, and careers
 Accreditation and institutional quality
Summary
 The “map” of higher education is changing rapidly
 There is no single “right way” to do learning 2.0 – we
struggled for centuries with 1.0!
 VT will be its own best lab for producing “best practices”
 Now is the right time to move forward – don’t wait for the
technology to become perfect
 Support your faculty, support your faculty, support your
faculty
 Ditto for students
 Focus on producing evidence-based arguments about
learning
 Embrace your partners in higher education
A Word from JoePa about Learning:
Keep on Plugging Away!
 Our football coach is our biggest support
of our University Library