KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY’S PURPLE BALLOON PROJECT:

THE ONLINE INITIATIVE

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY:

THE RED BALLOON CONTEST

DARPA RANDOMLY PLACED 10 BRIGHT RED WEATHER BALLOONS 30-0 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AT 10 PLACES SOMEWHERE IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES

$40,000 PRIZE

WINNING TEAM: M.I.T.

LEARNED ABOUT THE CONTEST ON TUESDAY, ANNOUNCED THE TEAM STRATEGY ON THURSDAY, CONTEST BEGAN ON SATURDAY

DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY:

THE RED BALLOON CONTEST

8 HOURS

52 MINUTES

DARPA’S RED BALLOON CONTEST IS AN ANALOGY FOR THE WAY THAT WE MIGHT WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO RE-IMAGINE

THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

GEORGE MAHAFFEY’S LAUNCHING OF THE RED BALLOON PROJECT AS A HIGHER EDUCATION INITIATIVE

A GAME CHANGING VALUE PROPOSITION AND ITS PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS:

THE KANSAS WESLEYAN PURPLE BALLOON PROJECT

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS TO ENABLE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS TO EXPLORE CREATIVE INNOVATIONS TO DEFINE AND/OR SUPPORT THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE SUPPORTED BY

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, OPEN INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING (E.G. IMPROVED COURSE DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES, NEW LEARNING

PARTNERSHIPS, NEW ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIES AND NEW DELIVERY STRATEGIES).

A GAME CHANGING VALUE PROPOSITION AND ITS PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS:

THE KANSAS WESLEYAN PURPLE BALLOON PROJECT

WHAT IF I WAS TO ASK YOU TO:

DEFINE A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM FREE OF CREDIT HOUR RESTRICTIONS.

CREATE AN ONLINE DEGREE PROGRAM THAT HAS SUPERIOR LEARNING OUTCOMES TO ONE WITH A TRADITIONAL INSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY.

ON THE PLAINS OF HESITATION, BLEACH THE BONES OF COUNTLESS MILLIONS WHO AT THE

DAWN OF VICTORY, SAT DOWN TO WAIT…..AND WAITING, DIED.

-GEORGE W. CECIL, 1923

WHICH BRINGS US TO HOW PURPLE BALLOON, AS A PHILOSOPHY, WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ONLINE INITIATIVES.

I WILL GIVE YOU THE BROAD PARAMETERS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND A BROADLY DEFINED ROADMAP TO GET THERE……

INTENT/RATIONALE FOR THE PURSUIT OF THE ONLINE INITIATIVE AT KWU.

CURRENT STATUS OF THE ONLINE OFFERINGS ON CAMPUS.

TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR A ROBUST SET OF ONLINE OFFERINGS.

I WILL GIVE YOU THE BROAD PARAMETERS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND A BROADLY DEFINED ROADMAP TO GET THERE……

ROLL-OUT DATES AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

LEAD-OFF PROGRAMS, LIBERAL STUDIES AND ELECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

POTENTIAL FOR A SUMMER SESSION, ACCELERATED OFFERINGS AND INTERSESSION

WHAT PURPLE BALLOON WILL ENABLE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS TO DO:

CREATE A DISTINCTIVE AND INNOVATIVE COURSE DELIVERY PROCESS

CREATE A NEW AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAM THAT IS DISTINCTLY KANSAS WESLEYAN

EXPLORE NEW WAYS TO CREATE AND DELIVER THE “PRODUCT”

WHAT PURPLE BALLOON WILL ENABLE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS TO DO:

CREATE NEW MECHANISMS TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROCESS AND THE PRODUCT

THINK WAY, WAY, WAY OUTSIDE THE BOX IN A BUSINESS THAT IS THE DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF “THE BOX”

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS