NLII Strategic Directions

1. NLII Strategic Directions Based on strategic planning meeting, August 25-26,2004 September, 2004

2. EDUCAUSE has the opportunity to establish a unique niche in teaching and learning • EDUCAUSE has an opportunity to establish a new, energized brand around the strategic use of IT to ensure student success • Now that a national learning infrastructure has been established in higher education, the NLII can redirect its focus to other significant issues that align with the current environment • Placing learning and the learner at the heart of EDUCAUSE’s work on transforming teaching and learning will differentiate the NLII from other organizations, strengthen our focus and provide a valuable service to members • Successful learning requires an understanding of the learner as well as the integration of pedagogy and technology. As a result, the NLII will expand its intended audiences beyond IT professionals • A value proposition predicated on awareness, enablement and integration will drive additional interest in the NLII

3. The planning team’s SWOT analysis revealed an increasingly crowded market and identified focus, continuity and follow-through as keys to the NLII’s future success

4. As we explored potential foci for the NLII, using strategic institutional issues as the key differentiator, we found most are already populated by recognized organizations

5. The planning team’s recommendation is that the NLII differentiate itself through a focus on learners and successful learning • The planning team agreed that a focus on learners and learning should become the NLII’s primary differentiator • The NLII’s focus should be linked to issues that are an institutional imperative; although phrased differently, all institutions have learners, positive learning outcomes and successful learning among their strategic goals • There are few organizations that make learners and learning the primary focus, particularly when including an IT component • Several of the NLII’s current activities could be redirected to make learners and learning the pivot point • Learners and learning provide us with a positive focus that draws attention from staff, faculty, administrators, boards and legislators • Focusing on learners and successful learning is viable in times of enrollment growth as well as in times of enrollment decline (predicted for 2010)

6. There is a strong rationale for shifting our emphasis from the infrastructure to the learner and successful learning • Understanding learners is the first step to using IT to improve learning • Increasingly, students are “native” to technology; their lives have been shaped by IT • Non-traditional students—many who are technology “immigrants”—increasingly find IT a fundamental part of their environment • The use of IT should be predicated on learner needs rather than IT capabilities • IT is poorly integrated into teaching and learning • The focus should not be on IT but on what it enables. “Its not about IT but through IT”; learners do things through IT. We need to mirror a similar shift to outcomes (learner impact) rather than inputs (IT) • A one-size fits all approach to technology is ineffective; if learner needs drive our approach learning is more likely to be successful

7. College Learners University A focus on learners and successful learning means different things to different people • What the new focus does not imply is: • The NLII (or EDUCAUSE) will seek to recruit student members • That the NLII creates a student chapter • Large numbers of students will attend the annual meeting • A student becomes part of the Planning Committee • We promote student interests without regard to faculty and administrators • What the new focus does imply is: • The NLII will support institutions in their efforts to understand learners and ensure successful learning; the NLII will interface with institutions NLII NLII

8. Our goal is to help institutions integrate the components necessary to ensure successful learning Learning principles and practices Understanding learners Strategic use of information technology Organizational structure Learners Change management Professional development Assessment

9. A focus on learners and learning requires the NLII to move beyond its current constituents to include others, particularly those in academic areas • The efforts of college and university personnel are related to welfare of students and their learning • Today the NLII reaches some influencers (e.g., CIO, IT support) but has little connection to academic affairs and many administrators • Focusing on learners and learning can stimulate an interest from all groups in transforming teaching and learning with technology President Dean of students Policy makers Provost TAs Deans Disciplinary associations Faculty Department chairs Instructional technologists Adjunct faculty CIO IT support Students Teaching & learning centers Libraries Spheres of influence

10. Inputs (i.e., IT) IT focus Learning infrastructure Individual innovators Early adopters CIO and IT staff Outcomes (i.e., successful learning) IT and instructional technology Strategic improvement of teaching and learning Institutional transformation Institutional decision makers CIO/IT, academic affairs, others The planning team envisioned a number of shifts as the NLII continues its evolution

11. With the new emphasis, the NLII will be more focused; related activities would be distributed throughout EDUCAUSE or linked through other organizations Faculty development Tools (CMS, learning objects, mobility) EDUCAUSE professional development Learners and Successful Learning Instructional technologist professional development Other groups (e.g., IMS, MERLOT, EDUCAUSE Emerging Tech committee) Emerging technology (e.g.,games) Integration of technology into T&L Learning principles and practices NLII

12. The envisioned activities address needs at multiple levels within the institution(items in bold are NLII exclusives) NB: Exclusive materials move into the public domain after 18 months; tools remain NLII exclusives

13. Collaboration and coordination are key elements of the strategy; the NLII will collaborate with other organizations to reach common goals (Specific details will be developed; these are examples not commitments)

14. The new value proposition addresses a fundamental priority for institutions—learning—and will appeal to a broader constituency • Awareness • Generate greater awareness of learner characteristics, successful learning and the strategic use of information technology among institutional leaders • Deepen the understanding of how IT can be used to enable successful learning • Enablement • Provide professional development for multiple audiences, enabling them to be more effective • Enable practitioners to develop successful learning strategies for their institution through the use of NLII tools and techniques • Enable more effective conversations between the IT community and the academic community • Integration • Provide guidance to institutions on how to integrate the many tools, techniques and processes needed to ensure successful learning The NLII’s new value proposition is:

15. The membership model will integrate more diverse products and services; the pricing model will allow more institutions to participate

16. 1994 National Learning Infrastructure Initiative The Internet, learners and learning are global Our value goes well beyond infrastructure 2004 The NLII name can be updated to reflect the new direction • Put EDUCAUSE in the name, like ECAR (EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research) • Putting students or learners in the name confuses our focus and customer base with student affiars • Consider: 2005 EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative

17. NLII EDUCAUSE Net@EDU ECAR The NLII is interconnected with the other EDUCAUSE strategic initiatives and contributes to EDUCAUSE content programming expertise

18. Once implemented, this approach will bring a number of benefits to members, to EDUCAUSE and to higher education

19. Appendices

20. Appendix 1: Explanation of activities

21. Appendix 1: Explanation of activities (cont’d)

22. Appendix 2: Strategic planning team members We would like to thank the strategic planning team members for their time, insight and commitment • Joel Hartman, chair, University of Central Florida • Ron Bleed, Maricopa Community College • Gary Brown, Washington State University • Jacqueline Brown, University of Washington • Tom Carey, University of Waterloo • Kathy Christoph, University of Wisconsin • Paul Hagner, University of Hartford • Clifford Lynch, CNI • Susan Metros, Ohio State University • Anne Moore, Virginia Tech