Building a Multifaceted Unit to Support Efforts for Online and Blended Learning

Presenter(s)
David Stone (Southern Polytechnic State University, US)
Session Information
November 10, 2011 - 11:25am
Track: 
Faculty and Professional Development and Support
Areas of Special Interest: 
Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Universities and Four Year Institutions
Audience Level: 
Intermediate
Session Type: 
Information Session
Location: 
Oceanic 7
Session Duration: 
35 Minutes
7
Abstract

This presentation provides a review of how one university developed an organization that incorporates online learning, instructional design, and faculty growth and development and is closely aligned with university goals to meet university goals and student demand for increased online and blended learning opportunities.

Files
Supplemental File 1: 
Extended Abstract

Institutions that are working towards offering more online and blended offerings to support student learning must support the work of faculty to make this change in instructional design and delivery. Often these kinds of efforts are supported through fragmented efforts throughout a university and are not part of a focused, academically driven, planning process that is aligned with the academic affairs goals of the university. Through the use of a faculty committee, administrative buy-in from both the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Chief Information Officer, a new organization was created that incorporates the development and support functions for faculty a wide range of areas, not just in the areas of technology. Included in this organization are three units: Instructional Design, Educational Support and Online Learning, and Faculty Growth and Development. This organization reports to the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and activities are closely aligned with goals within Academic Affairs goals, as well as University and University System goals. By incorporating instructional design, online/blended learning, and faculty development activities into one organization there are multiple opportunities for close collaboration on major learning efforts and overall faculty support activities. Major initiatives are supported via this organization and include activities in the areas of lecture capture, faculty advising training, ongoing support for a teaching academy for distance learning, as well as the design and assessment of learning environments both online and on-campus. As a unit, this organization works to reduce the barriers that limit the ability to offer online and blended courses. One of the activities of this organization includes a distance learning task force that works through the operational issues that exist at a campus level and helps inform online and blended learning efforts at the institution. Through this organization a university distance learning strategic plan has been developed that outlines the plans for eliminating the differences between on-campus and online instruction. This presentation provides an overview of how the organization was formed, organizational activities, the lessons learned, as well as plans for the future. This model of support has been instrumental in the development of a distance learning strategic plan that incorporates both online and blended learning activities and that calls for the application of these technologies to both online and on-campus environments. The strength of this model is the collaboration between units as well as support at the level of senior leadership in these efforts.

Lead Presenter

David Edwin Stone has provided leadership in the use of technology in instruction at Southern Polytechnic State University since 2001.

David is the Director of Educational Support and Online Learning at SPSU in which capacity he provides provides vision, leadership, expertise and creativity in the support of distance learning and educational technology at Southern Polytechnic State University.

Notes: 

SPSU Online Learning:
http://www.spsu.edu/onlinelearning/

SPSU and Technical College System of Geortgia Articulation Agreement:
http://www.spsu.edu/tcsg

SPSU Center for Teaching Excellence
http:/www.spsu.edu/cte

SPSU Instrucitonal Design Unit
http://www.spsu.edu/instructionaldesign