The Liberal Arts Online • Rebecca Frost Davis, Ph.D. • Program Officer for the Humanities • National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education • [email protected]
Nov 17, 2014
The Liberal Arts Online• Rebecca Frost Davis, Ph.D.• Program Officer for the Humanities• National Institute for Technology in Liberal
Education• [email protected]
Higher Education Critique
National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education
http://www.nitle.org
Liberal Arts Online• Educational Models
– Liberal education– Distance education– Online education
• Lessons Learned from Previous Experiments – Shared Academics– Global Education
• Current Technologies and Strategies
Definitions of Liberal Arts Colleges• “What’s So Liberal about Higher Ed?”
Jo Ellen Parker, Academic Commons– the study of the liberal arts and sciences– pedagogical methodology: active
learning, faculty/student collaboration, independent inquiry, and critical thinking
– preparation for democratic citizenship and civic engagement, including skills central to effective citizenship
– a specific institutional type — the small, residential, privately governed, bachelor’s granting college
Distance Education“Distance education or distance learning, is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom.”
--Wikipedia definition for distance education
Online Learning• Distance Education
– University of Phoenix: more than 430,000 students
– Open University (UK): more than 250,000 students
• Attractions– Expanded reach (non-traditional
students)– Cost-savings– Efficiency
Unbundling
Figure 1 from Patricia Neely & Jan Tucker. “Unbundling faculty roles in online distance education programs.” The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 11.2 (2010).
A Way to Fix Education?• "College, except for the parties,
needs to be less place-based”—Bill Gates
• Gates & Hewlett Foundations Focus on Online Learning (NY Times)
• No Significant Difference• Hybrid courses
Engaging Students?
--Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR) 2009 Study of Undergraduates
90% of Students use Social Networking Sites
Does Technology Engage Our Students?• National Survey of Student Engagem
ent (NSSE)– Pu-Shih Daniel Chen et al. “Engaging
online learners: The impact of Web-based learning technology on college student engagement.” Computers and Education 54 (2010) 1222-1232)
– positive relation between technology and student engagement• the level of academic challenge• active and collaborative learning• student-faculty interaction• a supportive campus environment
• Liberal arts colleges not using technology
Citizenship in a Networked World• Web 2.0 and Participatory Culture• Future of Learning Institutions in a Di
gital Age, Cathy Davidson and David Goldberg, 2009
CASE STUDIESShared Academics and Global Education
Shared Academics• Sunoikisis, Virtual Department of
Classical Studies– Intercampus Team Taught Courses– Program Evaluation and Model Design,
PIs: Susan Frost, Emory University & Deborah Olsen, Virginia Tech
– Evaluation Report and How to guide available at:
– http://www.colleges.org/techcenter/Archives/reports.html
Sunoikisis Evaluation Conclusions• Furthers a core goal of liberal
education• Successful collaboration of
formerly competitive colleges• Unbundling of instructional
components to pool instructional resources
Sunoikisis Lessons Learned• Hybrid model: include asynchronous
interaction• Need for collaboration lead• Models for academic credit
– Sunoikisis: Each campus offers course– CGMA: GIS in Mediterranean
Archaeology• DePauw University, Millsaps College, Rhodes
College, The College of Wooster• Rotating teaching responsibilities and course
offering
Sunoikisis Challenges• Challenges
– Poor student engagement with faculty and students on other campuses
– Need to adapt teaching & learning to virtual classroom
– Technology infrastructure– Inadequate recognition for faculty work
Global EducationSmall Liberal Arts Colleges• Residential, Local• Close Personal
Interaction • Face-to-Face Focus• Traditional study
abroad with complete immersion in another culture
Globally Networked World• Always connected• Access to global
resources & information
• High-speed digital networks
• High-definition video
Pitzer College and global study• Collaborative coursework with South
Africa– Based on study abroad relationships
• Synchronous class sessions• Intercampus collaborative projects
Distance & Time
Challenges• Logistics
– Room scheduling– IT support after hours
• Intercultural understanding– Value of grades
TECHNOLOGY TODAYNew Opportunities
New Strategies• High-Definition Videoconferencing, S
hared Academics and the Liberal Arts College, Eric Jansson, NITLE
Telepresence EvolutionThen:• $50,000+ stationary
solutions• ISDN/non-standards
network connectivity• Dedicated support model
Now:• Solutions ~$3000 for
mobile unit• IP/Standards-based
for interoperability• Plug and play model
Quality of the ExperienceThen:• Standard definition
(704x480 pixel density) video quality
• High latency• Out of sync audio and
video
Now:• High definition
(1280x720 pixel density) video quality
• Low latency• Life-like audio/video
experience
Virtual Language Learning Project (VLLP)• Consortium for Innovative Environments in
Learning (CIEL)
• Enrich language learning opportunities for students of all its schools;
• Enable faculty to connect expanded virtual and immersive place-based language learning;
• Increase the Consortium’s capacity for aligned technological infrastructure, and the ability to support high definition videoconferencing among all campuses and international field sites.
Shared Academics• American University of Paris• Eugene Lang College• Programs
– Global Cities– Global Communications– Global Literary Studies
• Transatlantic Seminars
Changing Expectations & Practices• The MISO Survey is a web-based
quantitative survey designed to measure how faculty, students, and staff view library and computing services in higher education.– http://www.misosurvey.org/
• Course Management Systems• ProfHacker• Digital
Humanities and Liberal Education
Technology Ecosystem• Eric Gordon and David Bogen,
Designing Choreographies for the "New Economy of Attention”– Managing the Backchannel
• Synchronous & Asynchronous
Anya Kamenetz, author of DIY U discusses her ideas with leaders from the NITLE Network.
Strategic Areas for Collaboration• Using digital technologies to expand
opportunities for students via international partnerships, service learning, and study abroad
• Creating more flexible approaches to tenure and promotion aimed at supporting risk-taking and innovation
• Using an evidence-based approach to blended learning and balancing the residential model with use of digital environments
• Creating heightened exchange and connections between institutions to leverage unique strengths within a collective
Finding a Place for Liberal Arts in a Networked World
National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education• The National Institute for Technology in
Liberal Education (NITLE) helps liberal arts colleges and universities integrate inquiry, pedagogy, and technology. With its NITLE Network members, NITLE works to enrich undergraduate education and strengthen the liberal arts tradition. Established in 2001, NITLE is the key organization for liberal arts colleges and universities seeking to engage students in the unique learning experience that liberal education provides and to use technology strategically to advance the liberal-arts mission.
• www.nitle.org