Redefining community
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Transcript of Redefining community
REDEFINING COMMUNITY: FROM BLENDED COURSES TO BLENDED CULTURES
Presented By:Thalia MacMillan, Rebecca Bonanno, Sarah Hertz, Cathy Leaker, Amanda Sisselman, Christopher Whann, and Susan Tratner
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
I. Blending and Its Discontents: Literature Overview and Multimedia Representation
II. Background of ESC and Institution Specific Blending Challenges
III. Our Project: Blend In with the Blendies! IV. Early Challenges and ResolutionsV. Going forward to Phase II
BLENDING IN A NUTSHELL
Successful hybridity—however that may be defined—requires bringing the two dissimilar parts together so that they
work in concert and may produce a third result
Sands, 2002
THE NUTSHELL’S THREE LAYERS
Introducing technology into the classroom presents opportunities – and obstacles to overcome. The introduction of any new
technology – no matter how transparent or easy to use – requires changed behaviors. In
education, the challenges can be grouped into three key areas: cultural, process, and
academic. Any of these can hinder achieving return on investment and the ability to leverage
– and scale – blended learning technologies.
Greenberg, 2012
IN OTHER WORDS……
EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE: WHO ARE WE?
4 year comprehensive college in SUNY system
Distributed throughout New York State
Serves 19,000 + students per year
o 41.4% at Center for Distance Learning (mostly online)
o 11.4% at Metropolitan Center (mostly f2f)
AGE OF OUR STUDENTS
Under 25 25-29 30-39 40-49 50+0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
16.2
12.6
26.7 25.6
1916.8
20
31.7
22
9.5
MetroCDL
% PART TIME ENROLLMENT
Fall 2010 Spring 2011
53.8 55.360.8
64.6
Metro CDL
SERVING “NONTRADITIONAL” STUDENTS
Traditional 4 year residential
At least one nontraditional characteristic
27%
73%
Profile of All US Un-dergraduates, NCES
2002
Non Traditional Characteristics According to
NCES
Age 25 or older (38% in 2007)
Entry to college delayed by at least one year following high school
Having dependents A single parent Employed full time Financially independent Attend part time No high school diploma
INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY ROOTED IN ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Learning occurs as new conditions require new responses, as new experiences excite new
reactions. We learn when situations challenge competence, test purposes,
question values.
From ESC Bulletin, 1971
NEW INNOVATIONS – NEW IDEAS
Creating a blended culture at ESC New response – new reactions Finding creative ways for students to
complete courses
The Open SUNY initiative
ESC’S “NEW RESPONSE, NEW REACTIONS”: TWO DRIVERS OF RESPONSE AND INNOVATION
The Mentoring Paradigm:
Regional Centers and FTF
Studies
The Instructional Design
Paradigm:
Center for Distance
Learning and Online Courses
….WITH SHARED VALUES AND A COMMON PURPOSE
learning-centered
interactive
dynamic
constructivist
adaptive“Ideally adult students do not
take a course, they steer a course”
(Ball and Lai, 2004)
OUR MISSION: TOWARD A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR BLENDED LEARNING
Blended Courses
Blended Community of
Practice
Culture
Processes
Academic
Culture
Strategies:Surface AssumptionsMaintain SensitivityCultivate Learning Community
CDL: HOW WE SEE OURSELVES
CDL: HOW THE CENTERS SEE US
REGIONAL CENTERS: HOW WE SEE OURSELVES
CENTERS: HOW CDL SEES US
MAINTAIN SENSITIVITY: “MOVE SLOWLY AND STAY IN FRONT!”
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
The Pressure Cooker Effect
Local Conditions Local Practices
EMPHASIZE COMMUNITY BUILDING
Planned Extracurricular Events
Nurture Blended Identity/Presence
Model Cross Center Collaboration
PROCESSES
Strategies:Take Redesign SeriouslyResolve Administrative Glitches Early and OftenSupport Critical Dialogue
TAKE REDESIGN SERIOUSLY: BEYOND THE ADD N’ STIR STRATEGY
Time
Support for skill development
Incremental implementation
RESOLVE “ADMINISTRATIVE” GLITCHES EARLY AND OFTEN
Whose course is it? Who lists the course? What review processes are in play? Are there intellectual property issues? Is there a platform for this?
SUPPORT CRITICAL DIALOGUE/PRACTICE
Challenge the paradigms (even when the paradigm Is sitting across from you!)
Acknowledge problemsPay attention to theory
ACADEMICS
Strategies:Cross DisciplinaryFlexibility within ParametersFocus on Integration
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
1. Introduction to Human Services (CHS)2. Disabled in America (CHS)3. Survey of Social Science Research Methods
(CHS)4. Corporate Finance (BME)5. Emerging Markets (BME)6. Cultural Anthropology (Cultural Studies)
TOWARDS A WORKING DEFINITION: FLEXIBILITY WITHIN PARAMETERS
60/40 Split
Sharing Best Practices
Making Blended Academic Goals and Strategies Transparent
FOCUS ON INTEGRATION
What are my objectives? What do I want to achieve with this blend?
What is the best sequence of learning activities?
How much effort should be given to each activity (reading, reflection, learning activities)?
How do we assess progress in the material?
WHAT’S NEXT?
1. Implementation: Metro/CDL Pretzel Pilot (January, 2013)
2. Expanded Blended Community of Practice
3. Common Processes for CDL and regional Centers?
4. Increased offerings5. Variations in synchronous delivery (i.e.,
Skype, Elluminate)
THINGS TO PONDER
As we go forward – some things to ponder: What are our long term institutional
objectives? What do we want to achieve with this blend?
How do we ensure this initiative strengthens online, ftf and blended modes?
How do we assess progress in the project? How can we support students becoming
agents of their own blend?
OUR GOAL: GENERATING THE THIRD RESULT….
Not this…… THIS!
ANY QUESTIONS?