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?