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Harnessing Technology to Empower Learners

Learn how three institutions are using technology to support and enhance learning. Hear stories about learners and programs, and explore themes and patterns. Presented at the CUPA-HR National Conference.

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Harnessing Technology to Empower Learners

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  1. Harnessing Technology to Empower Learners September 30, 2002 CUPA-HR National Conference Toronto Barbara Lema, Wheaton CollegeHuman Resources (Moderator) Doreen Nicastro, Boston University Medical CampusOffice of Information Technology Colleen Wheeler, Wheaton CollegeInformation Technology & Services Josh Wilson, Tufts UniversityInformation Technology Services

  2. About This Session • Learn about the presenters & how we came to work together • Compare our three institutions • Explore themes & patterns • Hear three stories about learners • Hear three stories about programs • Ask questions and discuss

  3. About The Boston Consortium • Association of 13 higher education institutions in the Boston area • a diverse mix of colleges and universities, large and small • collaborative environment • sharing best practices and information • cost management • 13 working groups, including • HR • Organizational Development & Training • IT Training Group (ITTG)

  4. ITTG Milestones

  5. CompareOur Three Institutions

  6. Boston University Medical Campus • private medical teaching institution • located in the Boston’s South End • 2.53 million square foot campus • comprised of hospitals, labs, and instructional buildings • opened in 1848 as “N.E. Female College” • includes School of Medicine, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, School of Public Health.

  7. Wheaton College Founded in 1834 as a female seminary Private, 4-year, liberal arts college Co-educational since 1987 Residential, 300-acre campus in southeastern Massachusetts

  8. Tufts University profile 3 schools on the Medford campus: Arts & Sciences, Engineering,Fletcher School, Nutrition Founded by the Universalist Church in 1852 Private Research I university 8 schools at Tufts Tufts originally sought to “promote virtue and piety and learning” One campus in Talloires, France • On the Medford campus: • 1450 faculty & staff • 6500 students 3 campuses in MA: Medford, Boston, Grafton

  9. Institution Profile

  10. HearThree StoriesAbout Learners

  11. Listen for Themes inOur Learner Stories • Support learning in my daily work • Connect learning goals & milestones with evaluation of my performance • Help me choose opportunities to apply what I learn • Help me discover what questions to ask so that my learning can continue

  12. One Web-based Learning Solution • Needed just in time learning • Needed skill assessments • Needed both depth & breadth of learning materials • To meet these needs, the Boston Consortium investigated several providers of WBL services • After extensive research, we partnered with Element K

  13. BUMC Learner Profile:Teresa Tsang • About Teresa • DB Analyst/Administrator I, Office of Information Technology • Responsible for DB administration and webapplication development • Completed BS in Business Administration in 2002 Theresa’s Goals • Learn in the context of a long-range plan for professional growth • Acquire skills to solve work-related problems • Use and interact with online reference tools and resources to resolve immediate problems

  14. BUMC Learner Profile:Teresa Tsang How Theresa’s Getting There • Uses Books 24x7 online reference for immediate access • Enrolls in courses to acquire new skills for current projects • Immediate access to reference material for specific programming skills • Relevant courses address goals for skill enhancement & professional development Observations • Highly motivated, self starter • Self directed learner with specific learning goals • Harnessed web-based learning to meet professional development goals

  15. Wheaton Learner Profile:Janet Sebetes About Janet • Department:Physical Plant; C.P.O. • 4 years at Wheaton • Worked in dorms & athletic facility • “People person” • Courageous, fearful, excited, determined Where Janet Wants to Go • Wants to develop skills not obvious to her current job category • Move into higher education administration • Improve her ability to gather info & find solutions • Update her skills to improve future opportunities

  16. Wheaton Learner Profile:How Janet’s Getting There • How Janet’s Getting There • Manager support • Clear focus on her goals & req’d skills • Motivated and finds time • Observations • This local cheerleader spreads training news • Her message to managers and to you: • Meet me halfway. • Give me time to develop. • Remember that every person makes a difference; every person is an educator.

  17. Tufts Learner Profile:Jeanne Beck About Jeanne • Staff Assistant, Economics Dept. • 17-yearTufts employee • Administrativesupport & information resource • Started using WBL in 2000 Jeanne’s Goals • Acquire skills for tomorrow to address a challenge identified today • Learn every day & every year • Apply tools in innovative ways

  18. Tufts Learner Profile:Jeanne Beck How Jeanne learns • Uses a skill development plan with her manager • Learns at home to minimize interruptions • Focuses her learning around specific projects • Repeats modules to reinforce new skills Evaluation & Observations • Uses WBL to work toward professional certification • WBL allows her to become progressively more effective in her work • Starting with a problem, she creates valuable solutions

  19. HearThree Stories About Programs

  20. Update Computer Skills The Situation • Purchasing department needed to remove obsolete terminals and replace with Windows based PCs • Department staff had limited computer skills & time to learn new skills • Repeated and redundant calls to IT help desk Goals • Create positive atmosphere for change • Create independent motivated learners • Increase computer and application skills • Decrease calls to IT help desk

  21. Update Computer Skills How • Support time to learn • Give specific deadline for course completion • Map skill competencies to WBL modules • Tie deployment & upgrade of PC to course completion Evaluation & Observations • Staff received computers, acquired baseline skills in windows and email • Self directed learners demonstrated a higher degree of success with WBL • Help desk reported a decrease in calls from staff in the purchasing department

  22. Growing a Learning Community Where Wheaton Was • spotty participation in available learning • myriad but fragmented options • limited senior management participation Where We Want to Go • approach development holistically • instill sense of shared responsibility • get people talking & sharing best practice • improve & expand learning opportunities • develop reasonable benchmarks • build awareness & simplify navigation

  23. Growing a Learning Community How We Are Getting There • HR/IT collaboration • partnering with departments to ID needs • link to college-wide quality initiatives • connect existing “pockets of practice” • leverage good ideas (Seedlings contest) • communicate unified message Our Community Learning Garden • Many contributing as teachers and learners • Help learners become aware of & navigate learning options • Learning Paths program & other resources • Our Seedlings Winner: “I need to allocate time to practice what I have learned.”

  24. Why Blended Learning? The Situation • Existing instructor-led learning program for faculty & staff • Increasing requests for learning opportunities, especially on design & media skills • Growing web-based learning program for faculty & staff Goals • Enrich instructor-led learning courses • Focus in-class instructional time on highly relevant & useful skills • Create a unified learning program • Blend the strengths of ILL and the strengths of WBL

  25. Making Blended Learning Work How • Blended WBL with new courses and selected existing courses • Asked learners to complete 2-3 selected WBL modules before the course • Evaluation & Observations • Offers self-paced learning of fundamental skills, with reinforcement & review at the start of the course • Allows peer learning and rapport-building at the start of a course session • Replaces dry fundamental skills instruction with high-energy discussion of fundamental techniques • Models the process of in-stream learning

  26. Themes fromOur Learning Stories • Support learning in my daily work • Connect learning goals & milestones with evaluation of my performance • Help me choose opportunities to apply what I learn • Help me discover what questions to ask so that my learning can continue

  27. The Power of Partnership • Learner with learner • Learner with manager • Learner with organization • Manager with organization • Organization with organization • Higher education with learning providers • Harness technology and partnerships to: • Promote the power & potential of people • Increase performance

  28. Finally…. • Thank you • Evaluations

  29. AskQuestions & Discuss

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