North Shore Community College Pyramid Project

Pyramid Overview

Pyramid Project Foundational Values

• Technology, engineering and organization• Demonstration Project for Commonwealth of

Massachusetts/BHE/ITD– Documentation, Project timelines and lessons

learned

• Course Redesign, Academic Transformation, Portal • Web site organization• Massachusetts E-learning Initiative – Lead by former

NSCC Interim president Dr. Laurence Reeves

Major Driving Forces

• Leadership & Consensus Building– Sponsorship of President – Dr. Wayne Burton– Teamwork of CFO & CIO toward common goal – Marketing and communications– Stakeholder involvement

• E-Learning• Web based services – (self service model)• Portal – communication and relationship

building

Evolving Culture & Opportunities

• Anxiety about systems & change• Portal technology and Web integration are

changing the NSCC culture– E-learning– Faculty and student services– Expectations of students

• Portal and Web services – Well received with simple interface– High impact– Efficiencies

Strategic Planning

• Collaboration and Partnerships

• IT strategic plan

• Academic Technology Tactical Plan

Academic Technology Tactical Plan

• Vision – to discover the confluence between existing and emerging technologies with pedagogically sound principles

• Purpose – to augment learning and teaching with technology to achieve a student-centered curriculum

Perspective

Paul FrydrychChief Academic

Officer and Dean of Academic Affairs

ATTP - The Three C’s

• Collaborative Roundtable: meetings with academic, IS, and student support representatives

• Consensus: polling participants on priority tactical objectives and projects

• Confirmation: presenting findings through the collegiate governance structure

Driving Principle

“How could we achieve anytime/anywhere services, reduce back office work and also ensure that our end users would be able to use the technology in the easiest fashion possible”

Portal Model

Admin Apps

Process/Wkflow

Infrastructure `

People

Typical IS Model

Web Admin Apps

Email

Instruct Apps

Admin Apps

Portal Benefits• Web-based – Anywhere & Anytime Access• Dynamic updates based on events in

administrative system• Reduced back-office support• Customized content based on the “user”• One username and password• Single sign-on seamless user interface • Ubiquitous access to a wide range of services• Scalable • Alumni relationships

NSCC Systems

• Portal software Campus Pipeline (3.x on NT ) • SCT Banner 5.x• Novell GroupWise• Course Management System• SCT Web products for student and faculty • Touchnet payment gateway• Smartforce CBT • 24 x 7 online tutoring (Smarthinking)

Available Student ServicesServices and Functionality• Web Services:

• Registration, payment, FA• Transcripts, grades, schedules

• Email, Calendar & Groups• Dynamic Accounts & Self-

activation • Targeted Announcements• Course Resource Areas for Every

Class:• Threaded discussion• Class chat• Class links

• Single Sign-On:• Learning Management System • CBT tutorials & online tutoring• Web services

“This technology is the best thing the college has ever done”Student Trustee 2001 Laurette Mordi

Available Faculty Services

Services and Functionality• Web Services:

• Advising information• Entering grades, schedules, class

lists

• Email & Calendar• Dynamic Accounts & Self-activation • Targeted Announcements• Course Resource Areas for every

class:• Threaded discussion• Class chat• Editable area for class links• Automatic email distribution lists

• Single Sign-On:• Learning Management System • CBT tutorials & online tutoring• Web services

"Current technology,

particularly Campus Pipeline, makes up-to-date information about students in our classes instantly available--as close as the computer terminal whether in our office or at home."  -

Professor Lori Azzara

Portal Statistics

• Live with integration-Fall 2000

• 42% students web registered-Spring 2001– 80% web registered-Fall 2001 – 83% web registered Spring 2002

• 9500+ activated student accounts

• 620+ students enrolled in on-line courses

Portal Statistics

Portal Statistics

Timeline

EffectivenessEasy to Use!• Fixed inefficient registration process • Improved support for faculty

– Email, distribution lists, message board– Supports online courses

• Made us utilize the system capabilities• Fostered cultural shift to self-service

– Schedule and Class Rosters not mailed– Advising, Degree Audit, Grades

• Provides consistent interface to all systems• Improved support for on-line courses

Reasons for Success

• Collected data to support vision• Executive Management support

– Implemented to make a difference

• Design criteria established • Team based implementation• Pilots: Phased in with training & support• Attractive to all constituents• Continued the momentum

Efficiencies and ROI

Issues Considered:• Strategy for supporting business operations

– Investment costs and cost reduction

• Scalability and enhanced effectiveness• Strategic value and value generation• Indicators and outcomes

– “Are you attracting users, interacting with users, transacting with users, retaining users, and growing with users”

(Camille Farhat – GE company)

ROI - HW/SW & Personnel Costs

• Campus Pipeline servers $30,000• Oracle Appl. Server – NT $ 8,000• SCT Web (Faculty & Student) $60,000• Touchnet Payment & E-check $59,000• IS Resources Estimated $180,000• Training for IS Staff $ 6,000• Pipeline Software $90,000• LMS Server & SW $15,000• CBT Server and Software $ 43,000 Total Cost $ 491,000NSCC Costs after Grants $ 382,000

ROI FactsIn March 2003 all portal costs will be recouped

How? • Reduced back office support • Reduced mailings through self-service & email• Web services – always expanding• In-house support for online courses• In-house support for 24x7 services• Project completed with no additional IS staff – In

fact the staff was reduced by 1

Pedagogical Renewal through Technology

• Basic Pedagogical Questions:

– Why?

– Who?

– How?

– What?

Why?

• To discover the effective intersections between learning and technology

• To invigorate innovation and experimentation

• To foster student-centered learning

• To design seamless integrations of technology in teaching and learning

Who - Students

• Mature students

• Juggling multiple responsibilities

• Demand for flexibility and convenience

• Increasing student expectations for technology integration

Perspective: Student Comments

• “I am a very busy mom and I also work part time, so I need flexibility.”

• “Time is important. I started college late in life, and I want to make sure that I spend my time wisely.”

• “Child care can be an obstacle for me. With Web-supported elements I can be home more often.”

• “I like the independence of working on my own.”

Who? – Faculty

• Pioneers

• Later adopters

• Support mechanisms: – Infrastructure and Instructional Technology

Specialists– Helpdesk (8am – 8pm)– 24x7 systems support

Perspective

Tina LemoiInstructional

Technology Specialist

How?

• Academic Technology Tactical Plan– Tactical objectives– Projects– Owners

• Technology across the Curriculum– Faculty run– Juried proposals– Stipends and released time

Perspective

Terri WhitneyProfessor,

English Department

What?

• Pedagogical Renewal

– Blending the dynamic teaching and learning process with technology

– Augmenting a student-centered curriculum

– Harnessing advances in educational technology

CAT Courses

• Classroom and Technology

– Integrated technology enhancements

– Web-supported teaching

Perspective

Sandra CarrikerProfessor,

Computer Science Department

Perspective

Maureen Nardella

Professor, Occupational Therapy

Department

Online & Web Supported Courses

Perspective

Jeff Slater

Professor, Business

Department

Support Services

• Instructional technology specialists

• Online computer lab assistants

• Help Desk

• Dedicated online tutors

• Smarthinking

• CBT’s Smartforce

Perspective

Sharyn SweeneyStudent Support

Center

Pyramid Project

URL:

http://pyramid.nscc.mass.edu

$ $ $ $ $

Contact Information• Presentation URL: http://pyramid.nscc.mass.edu\bw.zip

• Janice Forsstrom – Dean of Administration/Chief Fiscal Officer

jforsstr@nscc.mass.edu

• Phillip Sbaratta – Asst. Dean of Academic Technology & Distance Learning

psbaratt@nscc.mass.edu

• Gary Ham – Collegis/Eduprise Chief Information Officer gham@nscc.mass.edu