This presentation will provide an overview of how SPSU became engaged in the Technical College System of Georgia articulation agreement, logistical details of the implementation of the agreement, as well as the technology choices made to support blended delivery. As we implement the articulation agreement, we are working to preserve the unique nature of our degree programs, and our partnership with technical college institutions allows us to provide access to our programs throughout Georgia. Due to the hands on and lab based nature of our engineering technology programs, we are exploring ways to incorporate lab activities by the use of low residency lab activities, as well as the creation of remote lab locations. The Technical College System of Georgia has a long history of using video conferencing technology for program delivery to remote locations, and Southern Polytechnic was active in the Georgia Statewide Academic and Medical System (GSAMS) program back in the 1990s. SPSU's vision calls for SPSU to be the best in the world at finding creative, practical, and sustainable solutions to real-world problems and improving the quality of life for people around the globe. One of the ways SPSU can address unmet student interest and employer demands for SPSU-style applied education is by increasing the options for study for students at a distance, or who are unable to commit to a full-time residential program for study. The use of online, blended (also known as hybrid), asynchronous, and low residency programs will allow us to allow these students to reach degree completion regardless if they started as SPSU students, or if they come to us with prior academic credit. Developing the administrative, human resources, technical, and student service infrastructure that will meet this demand is a challenge. As we move forward, building a sustainable, and scalable solution is critical to our success.
During the spring of 2011, we had volunteers from two courses offered by our Industrial Engineering Technology department participate in class sessions at a remote conference location on campus. When major issues with the technology occurred we brought the students back to the primary classroom until the issues were resolved. Throughout the semester we collected feedback regarding the experience of learning at the remote site, as well as their sense of connection with the class. This experience allowed us to improve the system's design and delivery methods during the semester. During this process we learned valuable lessons that will be applied during course delivery at Technical College System of Georgia location during the fall of 2011. At the time of this presentation we will be able to share our experiences with the first full class delivery via this method, as well as updates regarding our plans to further expand and support our articulation agreement. As part of agreement with the Technical College System of Georgia we are building a bridge that allows students to participate in our blended programs in order to help meet the demand for graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines. We have been offering online degree programs since 1998, and we are committed to using asynchronous online learning technology to supplement both on-campus and virtual meetings (via video conferencing systems and desktop video conferencing). It is our belief that a mix of these technology provides new capabilities to reach students in our applied degree programs. Currently we offer the B.A.S. degree in Information Technology, Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain Logistics, and Business Management. We are currently expanding our program offerings to include Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technology. With this partnership with the TCSG, we are exploring and establishing the relationships and resources necessary to facilitate the lab and remote session activities, but our ideas and plans will be shared in this session.
