Recommendation 4: Indiana University should assume a position of worldwide leadership in the use of information technology to facilitate and enhance teaching and learning.
Action 11. The Teaching and Learning Technology Lab and the Center for Teaching & Learning should be expanded, and new services developed where needed, to offer a standard level teaching support services for all faculty at IUB, IUPUI, and the regional campuses.
Action 20. UITS and other units, including classroom and technology support providers, should develop plans to adapt the Leveraged Support Model to the support of instructional technology, student technology, and Web development in general.
Broadening the reach of instructional technology support for faculty across campuses is the expansion of the Teaching and Learning Technology Lab (TLTL, IUB) and the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL, IUPUI). Staffs in both organizations will be augmented with two new FTEs and additional hourly positions. The TLTL facility will be expanded to accommodate growth and demand. To provide services on the regional campuses, it is proposed that one position per campus be funded by this initiative and another position will be funded by the campuses. Implementation plans developed by IUB, IUPUI, and the regional campuses have been completed. Faculty support centers for teaching and learning with technology will therefore be created or expanded on each campus during the Spring 2000 semester.
This initiative is particularly important to the University because the standard level of baseline support to faculty will be broadened and they will have more opportunity to explore the applications of IT. Professional staff resources that are being added will assist faculty in the design and development of instructional materials and courseware, expand the support for faculty using Oncourse, provide consulting for the development of instructional Web sites and use of media on the Web, and permit the expansion of development opportunities for faculty such as workshops, roundtables and other forums. Overall, faculty access to technology tools, professional technical staff, and instructional design consultants will be augmented significantly, and the capacity of Indiana University to meet faculty needs will be substantially enhanced.
Action 12. To support course tools development and initiatives in distributed education, UITS (through its Advanced Information Technology Laboratory) should evaluate Web-based and other network-based learning environments and offer faculty a comprehensive set of options to easily create, edit, revise and maintain online course material.
Action 18. UITS should ensure an available and reliable infrastructure of networks, servers, storage, and applications for the support of online courses and other new learning experiences.
Action 19. UITS should initiate changes to university information systems that improve the quality of instruction, service to students, or manageability of the distributed education program itself.
The focus of Actions 12, 18, and 19 in 1999 was the implementation of the Oncourse production environment and associated support services as one of the University's mission-critical central information systems. Oncourse is an online application that automatically and dynamically creates Web sites for courses, faculty, and students, and permits the integration of various Web-based teaching and learning resources. The process for extracting faculty, student, and course information from University systems has been fully automated, eliminating a manual merge process.
Oncourse presents students with learning tools in a single, consistent Web interface. For faculty, Oncourse offers a framework for building teaching environments that can include multimedia content and a range of online tools, without requiring users to know programming or HTML. Oncourse is a component in the University's strategic plan to create a Web-based teaching and learning environment, particularly in support of distributed education, and is available to all members of the IU community. In full production by July, Oncourse was used in more than 600 courses at IUPUI and 190 courses at IUB in the Fall semester. By this time a manager had been appointed in UITS for online learning technologies, among whose responsibilities is coordinating the Oncourse production environment and services for all campuses. A Teaching and Learning Applications Steering Committee, to include broad faculty representation, is being formed to provide oversight for the development of Oncourse and to consider strategic issues and to prioritize enhancements.
Supporting the Oncourse system required new servers, new data exchange and change management procedures, extended hours of operation for support services, and secure authentication. User interface improvements include a new front page that affords easier access to each campus, the ability to view previous semesters, a chat archive, the ability for faculty to log course statistics, an online suggestion form, and an increase in file storage space. The new page also allows for system status notifications during troubleshooting procedures. In progress is the addition of an online testing feature. The planned elimination of colliding usernames across campuses early in Spring 2000 will allow better authentication for Oncourse on the regional campuses.
A new troubleshooting process was implemented with the Support Center and Network Operations Center to provide immediate response to customer calls at any time of the day or night. It is being tested at IUPUI and may serve as the model for initial 7x24 support for several applications. Extensive effort is being invested in developing University-wide support resources for Oncourse and other teaching and learning applications such as WebCT and Front Page.
Action 13. The University should offer, on a selective basis, intensive help in developing instructional material—for delivery to IU students, for eventual offering as a marketable IU product, or both.
Action 14. The University should provide overall guidelines and direct support to help facilitate relationships with publishers for the commercial development and marketing of technology-based instructional materials.
Partnership agreements have been signed with Pearson Education (the second largest publisher in the world), Archipelago (a technology publisher), and Harcourt. Another agreement is in development with Western Governors University. These agreements cover the marketing of courses that IU faculty develop. They also provide Indiana University with seed money for the development of other courses, endeavors that will strengthen IU's distributed education program and enhance the University's profile.
Such agreements represent a philosophical change in the relationships among faculty authors, the University, and publishers, as well as a shift away from IU's focus on print publications. Issues of content and distribution rights will come under discussion, and could in the future have an impact on promotion and tenure decisions (see Action 6).
Implementation of these Actions, along with Action 7, provides an opportunity for UITS to launch University-wide support for instructional materials development, including front-end services to faculty, back-end requirements for Web technical services, database management, media development, and other applications development services. (See also Action 26.)
Action 15. UITS should evaluate the opportunities to partner with faculty in the sciences to experiment with simulation-based laboratory courses, and should be alert to other possible partnerships for the enhancement of instruction through simulation and visualization.
UITS, principally through the Advanced Visualization Laboratory (AVL), has worked to develop a wide range of simulation-based laboratory courses. The following illustrate a number of these:
UITS has established a strong partnership with the IUB Department of Geology to support outreach to Indiana schools. Geology's Virtual Seismology Laboratory includes software and network links between participating schools and national seismographic instruments, allowing students to monitor and analyze earthquake data in near real time. UITS is helping to support the software and the training of high school teachers in its use.
Action 17. UITS, with the new Associate Vice President for Distributed Education, should help coordinate initiatives in distributed education, by helping departments and schools implement new programs, without duplicating existing services. UITS should continue to assist programs of distributed education, helping to identify supported and supportable technologies that can satisfy their complex requirements.
The implementation of this Action is the joint responsibility of the Office of Distributed Education (ODE) and the Teaching and Learning Information Technology (TLIT) Division of UITS. In January, Erv Boschmann was appointed to lead the ODE to which the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) also reports. A Distributed Education Strategic Plan is close to completion and is being developed under the guidance of Erv Boschmann through a University-wide distributed education advisory committee.
The ODE is making arrangements to assist schools and departments in their efforts to develop new courses and programs. Such assistance is provided on a cost-recovery basis in the form of experts (programmers, instructional consultants, editors, marketing, and assessment) and financial advances for faculty release time. Negotiations are under way for a Masters program in Speech Language Pathology through the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences and a course, R366/566, "Therapeutic Interventions with the Elderly" in HPER. The Associate of Arts degree, offered through the School of Continuing Studies, is currently available at a distance, and within a year will be available totally online as well.
UITS supports distributed education through its infrastructure and services, which are being expanded in several areas. The Support Center hours will be extended into the late evening and weekend hours and the Knowledge Base will be broadened to include pedagogical and technological support related to teaching and learning. A coordinated suite of services for multimedia development, storage and distribution is being developed through units in several divisions of UITS. These services include needs analysis and instructional design (in cooperation with the centers for teaching and learning), application development and programming, data management and Web technical services, media production, streaming media distribution, usability testing, and assessment. Consideration for the broad distribution of instructional content, including streaming media, is also included in UITS Telecommunications strategies.
Action 21. Beginning immediately, all planning and renovation of classrooms and other teaching spaces should evaluate and incorporate information technology needs. The costs of information technology identified in prior planning efforts as well as future efforts, should be fully base funded to provide for acquiring and installing equipment, as well as for maintenance, repair, life-cycle replacement, and support.
Action 22. UITS, in partnership with the appropriate campus offices and committees, should continue to provide leadership in campus planning for classroom technology, leadership in classroom technology design, and coordination of classroom technology use.
Implementation of these Actions will become one of the highest priorities for UITS in 2000. UITS is working closely with Instructional Support Services, the University Architect's Office, and other units to coordinate implementation of these Actions on all IU campuses. Guiding the renovation of existing classrooms and the design of new ones is a set of classroom model descriptions developed by the Bloomington Classroom Committee for use at IUB and adopted by IUPUI and the regional campuses. The technology mixtures for four classroom types were determined through a faculty survey sponsored by the Committee. The classrooms initially identified for enhancement were determined through Registrar usage data and consulting with faculty and users. The following describes the status of these Actions as of early 2000.
Phase I: IUB (implemented)
Eight classrooms were renovated in Summer and lighting and control systems upgraded in another. Fixed equipment was received for 10 new Type IV classrooms. Work has begun on five rooms and cables installed in eight additional classrooms to accommodate future technology installations. Telephones and security systems were installed in six new technology classrooms.
Circulating equipment stores were augmented with new video/data projectors and several laptop computers. Life-cycle replacement activities included replacing Windows and Macintosh computers in five Type IV classrooms. Through Physical Plant accounts funds were received for technology in 23 classrooms and maintenance budgets were established.
Phase I: IUPUI (implemented)
Two new Type II classrooms were completed in the School of Nursing in 1999. Other classroom renovations in the School included new flooring, marker boards, and lighting. Work is underway in the main IUPUI Lecture Hall Building. Permanent wall-mounted technology monitors and VCRs were installed in 15 Type II classrooms. Old, proprietary classroom automation systems were replaced with new Crestron Controllers. Circulating equipment stores were augmented. LCD panels were replaced with LCD projectors.
Phase II: IUB (planned)
Planned improvements include renovating two classrooms, installing technology in eight to 10 additional classrooms, and upgrading seven hybrid rooms to Type IV classrooms. During the planning cycle. The number of advanced technology classrooms with fixed equipment (Type IV) is expected to grow from the current 25 rooms to 65 by 2004.
Portable projectors and laptops will be purchased based on life-cycle schedules and user demand. An inventory system will be developed to track the most needed equipment and parts. Maintenance and upgrade schedules for technology classrooms will be developed. The need for additional full-time support staff will be assessed as the number of technology classrooms grows.
Phase II: IUPUI (planned)
Planned improvements include environmental upgrades to the Lecture Hall Building and creation of an informal learning prototype there and in the Education/Social Work Building. The focus at IUPUI will be on the transition from heavy dependence on portable technology (Types II and III) to fixed installations in renovated classrooms. The number of Type IV classrooms is projected to grow from three to 30 by 2004.
Circulating and spare equipment stores will be improved by upgrading Macintosh computers to G3s, upgrading Windows computers, and purchasing LCD projectors and laptops for faculty checkout. A maintenance and repair workspace will be created along with an inventory system. Short-term life-cycle replacement plans call for upgrading IT equipment in three Lecture Hall classrooms and replacing CRT projectors with LCD projectors.
Phase II: Regional Campuses (planned)
Site visits were made to each campus to select classrooms for early renovation. A meeting was held with the CIOs of each campus to review the site-visit report and discuss the short-term and strategic planning requirements. The CIOs have submitted five-year plans following the model developed at IUB and IUPUI. Implementation will proceed on the regional campuses during the Spring 2000 semester. In close cooperation with the University Architect's Office, plans are being drawn up for University-wide consultation and support for the design and development of technology classrooms, the design of systems in those rooms, and for providing up-to-date information through a new, comprehensive classroom resource Web site.
Action 24. The core campuses should collaborate to create an interdepartmental advisory group that will provide advice and guidance on assessment and planning for assessment.
Work on this action has been focused in the CTL at IUPUI and the TLTL at IUB. Assessment tools have been examined and the Flashlight Instrument offered by the AAHE is being considered for a University-wide license. An advisory committee convened to develop the Distributed Education Strategic Plan is also determining assessment strategies. Once this Plan is complete, ODE and TLIT will work together to establish an assessment review committee.
Action 25. Faculty who participate in university-funded programs which support innovative applications of technology in teaching and learning should have access to the expertise and support resources needed to carry out an assessment of their project.
The Ameritech Fellows Program, discussed under Action 26, is designed to advance and disseminate best practices in teaching and learning with technology. An assessment process is effectively built into this Program which is expected to serve as a model for other programs in this area. Fellows will serve as mentors to others in their disciplines through offering workshops or departmental consultations in coordination with the campus teaching and learning centers. Additionally, Fellows' findings and expertise will be collected and made available to colleagues throughout IU and beyond to encourage scholarly publication on teaching and learning with technology. The UITS online Knowledge Base of IT-related questions and answers will be expanded to include best practices in teaching and learning with technology, advice, guidance, reflections, and examples drawn from the Fellows' experiences. Further, a final report for each funded project will be filed with OVPIT.
As mentioned under Action 24, planning is also under way to expand the Flashlight initiative to provide assessment tools for faculty use. Support will be provided through the CTL, TLTL, and the regional campus centers.
Action 26. A program of applied research in teaching and learning with technology should be considered as a means of identifying faculty and student needs, and identifying opportunities for improving teaching and learning. Applications of information technology in teaching and learning were the focus of the first all-IU Teaching and Learning with Technology conference at IUPUI in November. The event drew nearly 200 faculty from all campuses and showcased 26 faculty projects through a competitive poster session. The conference also featured addresses by Sir John S. Daniel of the Open University and leading educator William Graves as well as a panel and poster sessions. IU faculty applications of IT in teaching and learning were also promoted through a special insert in the IU Home Pages in November that featured projects and perspectives of faculty representing all campuses.
The Ameritech Fellows Program will support faculty demonstration projects in the effective integration of information technology for use on campus and in distance education. Where appropriate, applicants are encouraged to involve the teaching and learning centers on the IU campuses in their proposals or the preparation of them. These centers include CTL at Indianapolis, TLTL at Bloomington, and the Internet and Multimedia Research and Development (IMRD) team in the School of Continuing Studies. The involvement of faculty development programs in schools and units is also encouraged. This will ensure that faculty have access to resources to assist in the design, implementation, and evaluation of their projects.
The appointment of an Associate Vice President for Distributed Education in January was a major step in enhancing activities in this area at IU. The Distributed Education Strategic Plan will stimulate pedagogic and technological experimentation and evaluation across IU. (See Action 17.)
III. Institutional Commitment | Table of Contents | V. Research
January 2000
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