Changing “Normal”: Challenges in Creating an Institutional eLearning Culture

1. Changing “Normal”:Challenges in Creating an Institutional eLearning Culture Scott McAlpine Dean of Arts and Science Joanne Stiles Academic Technologies Coordinator Grande Prairie Regional College

2. Outline • Innovation Process Model • History of DE/eLearning at GPRC • Institutionalizing eLearning at GPRC

3. Grande Prairie Regional College • Founded in 1966 • Approximately 1500 FTE • Mixture of University Transfer, Certificate & Diploma, and Academic Upgrading programs • Regional Mandate within the Alberta Peace Country

4. 3 Categories of eLearning Institutions • 1. Neophyte • Limited experience • Many one-of’s • On the side of the desk of some faculty and staff • Limited institutional support • 2. Transitional • 3. Integrated • Regarded as part of core business • Supported • Established Processes and Procedures

5. Innovation: A Project Management Model • Idea Generation • Idea Filtering • Financial Filtering (+/- 40%) • Final Assessment • Prototype/Alpha Test • Start-Up/Production • Evaluation

6. Focus by Stage • Idea Generation • Alignment to Mission/Mandate/Goals • Idea Filtering • Adding Value, Market, Supply • Financial Filtering • Plus or Minus 40% (Rough Viability) • Final Assessment • Business Plan/Proposal • Prototype/Alpha Test • Initial Pilot Projects • Start-Up/Production • Full Implementation • Evaluation • Review and Alignment

7. Purposes of Steps • Add Information • Reduce Risk • Minimize Costs • Align to Strategic Purposes

9. Strategic Decision Point • Cross-over of Risk and Resources • Requires clarity of purpose and leadership • Past that point, increasingly left to administration, managers, implementers • Ideal is for information to be greater than risk

10. Constructive When the Intervention has the potential to add value to the project Most typical is bringing new information at Idea or Alpha stage Also occurs at later stages (i.e. a better process for implementation) Destructive When the Intervention will almost inevitably decrease value in the project Most typical is questioning the entire concept / project immediately before implementation Also occurs at earlier stages (i.e. “We tried that before and it didn’t work” at idea stage) Constructive and Destructive Intervention

11. History of Distance Education at GPRC • From early 1970s • Certificate & Diploma Programs • Non-credit & Interest Courses • Delivered by • Traveling & regionally-based instructors • Correspondence • 1982’s Big Innovation – Teleconferencing with Videotaped Lectures & Course Packages • Local program administrators in regional communities • Steady but Small. • Occasionally Fading to Invisibility

12. Online & Videoconference Instruction • Two major distance technologies adopted by GPRC – both mid 1990s • Reliant entirely on individual initiative • “Make It So” Model • Ad hoc development by individuals – typically outside of regular contract • Backfilling to provide supports – often inadequate • Not built into core business of institution.

13. Videoconference • LEE Funding – in part through Alberta North • Started with a bang and then limped – never disappeared but didn’t grow • Issues • Inadequate support plans – especially far end • Astronomical costs – especially for bridging services • Quality not yet of a reasonable or reliable standard • Faculty resistance and lack of administrative support

14. Online • Office Administration • External Server • Collaborative Efforts within Alberta North • Built in Authorware by a single instructor & hosted off-campus – encountered the burn-out factor • Success story in some respects • Complete program • Long-running & regularly updated • Under-resourced with erratic quality – therefore under-enrolled

15. Collaborative Efforts • Alberta North • Valuable source of capital funds • Source of students & supports for students • Resource drain (staff time) and not well-publicized • eCampusAlberta • Potential recognized • Some individual courses mounted • Not incorporated into an overall plan and has been under-resourced

16. Advantages Innovation Occurs at the Margins Inherently Flexible Everyone has a Voice Responsive to the Market Self-Contained Non-Bureaucratic Accessibility Mandate Disadvantages eLearning Innovation needs adaptation for the margins. Risk Adverse Everyone has a Voice Don’t Know the Market Isolated Informal Power Stuctures Accessibility Mandate Considerations for Small Organizations

17. GPRC Situation at the Strategic Decision Point

19. Risk Factors • Wasted Resources • Turn-off Factor • Reputation with Funding Consequences • Reputation with Community • Internal Competition • Declining Enrolment

20. How to Ensure Failure • Endless Discussion – Needs Assessments, Philosophy….. • High Level Commitments without Process or Resources • If there is a dollar, chase it….If there is a technology use it. • Facilitate and Reward Renegades/Mavericks • Pilots that aren’t actual pilots or don’t happen • Continued belief in “Profit” from eLearning • Belief that eLearning is new and the old rules don’t apply. • Inadequate resources • Lack of role definition Failure to Follow a Defined and Accepted Process

21. Process for Getting it Right • High Level Buy-In to Purpose and Process • Clear Answer to the WHY and WHAT Questions • Appropriate Tasking & Resources • Structured Rewards and Expectations • Build it into Contract and Job Description? • Empower adopters with resources and support • Ignore the Laggards and Luddites • Evaluate & Learn from Mistakes • Normalize It and Institutionalize It.

22. Why are We Doing this Anyhow? • Students have changed – • Multiple demands on their time • The way they get information • Remember, It’s only technology if you are born after it. (Mardere Birkill – Portage College) • Competitive Environment • Other Alberta institutions • Private sector players • Need for Flexibility with Looming Faculty Crisis

23. What Is GPRC Actually Doing? • Common Policy & Goals • Senior Administration • Advisory Committee of Stakeholders • Program Leaders Team • Resources • Common Platforms • Blackboard • Videoconference • Elluminate • Instructional Design Centre • QA Standards • Design & Training Resources • RFP Process to Access Limited Resources • Budgeting Process

24. Key Missing Pieces • Priority Process • Strategic Directions • Allocation of Limited Resources • Evaluation Process

25. Conclusion • The intersection of risk and costs is essential • Backward movement (to Idea) risks renegades and rebels • Forward movement (past Alpha) requires institutional buy-in and normalization • Pace of change requires continual adaptation • Critical roles need definition (content vs. design) – • Fear of adding to job of instructors, IP issues, more evaluation, and institutional control needs to be overcome