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Strategic Higher Education Information Technology (IT). Presented at the IT Forum Jerry DeSanto, Ed.D. VP For Planning and CIO, University of Scranton September 19, 2013. Context. Higher Education industry under tremendous pressure to: Enhance Quality Enhance Access Reduce Costs.
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Strategic Higher Education Information Technology (IT) Presented at the IT Forum Jerry DeSanto, Ed.D. VP For Planning and CIO, University of Scranton September 19, 2013
Context • Higher Education industry under tremendous pressure to: • Enhance Quality • Enhance Access • Reduce Costs What role can IT play in helping address these pressures?
At Scranton—Presidential Imperative • Enrollment • Strategic Finance • New Program Development
IT Strategic Opportunities • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) • Cloud/Virtual Services • Big Data/ Business Intelligence • Business Process Improvement • Flipping the Classroom • Business Innovation/Transformation • On-line Education and MOOCs
BYOD • Personalization • Mobile • Requires Robust Network • Application Virtualization (licensing issues) • Support • Could help shift costs
Cloud/Virtual Services • Numerous possibilities for driving efficiencies • Data centers, storage, applications (SaaS), managed processes • Speed to implementation superior • Lower up front costs. Longer term cost savings are questionable • Security issues still operative
Big Data/Business Intelligence • Institutions sitting on huge repositories of unleveraged data assets • What questions need to be answered • Data driven decision-making • Data as a competitive tool
Business Process Improvement (BPI) • Despite the wide-spread adoption of ERP systems many institutions still cling to inefficient processes • BPI can both save money and improve customer services • CRM systems (many cloud based) are being implemented at many institutions, including Scranton • Many contend that this area could represent IT’s greatest contribution
Flipping the Classroom • Moving to Student-Centered Learning • New Pedagogical Paradigm • Tech-Infused or Enhanced Learning • A move away from the traditional lecture
Business Transformation through On-line Learning and MOOCs
MOOCs(Massive Open On-line Courses) What? Why? Disruption? Revolution or Evolution?
History of Non-Traditional Education • Correspondence Courses 1960s • TV Courses • Interactive Video Courses • Traditional On-Line Education 2000s • MIT Open Courseware • Carnegie Mellon Open Learning • MOOCs 2010s
MOOC Providers • Coursera • edX • Udacity • Udemy
How do MOOCs Happen? • Faculty Create/Author the Course and the Pedagogical Methods used • The Course is Engineered on an LMS Platform Hosted Somewhere on the Internet • Students Register and Engage • Content is Delivered on a Schedule with a Start Date • Short Taped Lectures, discussion groups, videos, readings, assessments
On-Line vs. MOOCs On-Line MOOCs • Small Class Sizes • Instructor Engagement • Instructor/Peer Learning • Assessments Graded • Pay Tuition/Fees $$$ • Credit/Credential Earned • High Completion Rate • Part of Accredited Offerings by Specific Institution Enormous Class Sizes Instructor(s) Monitoring (with help) Collaborative Learning Self/Peer Assessments dominate No or Very Low Cost $$$ Credit/Credential—very few examples to date Very Low Completion Rate (< 10%) Generally not Part of Accredited Degree Program
MOOC Advantages • Distributed Global Learning for the Masses • Access at No/Little Cost • Casual Intellectual Enrichment • Faculty/Institution Prestige Factor—Enhancing Brand and Reach • Perhaps a stalking horsefor some • Rich Data Mining
MOOC Challenges • Absent Viable Financial Model (who is going to pay for development and infrastructure?) Future Advertising Model? • Validity--Given the Low Completion Rates • Credentials, Credentials (which schools will recognize successful completion?) Students want credentials!! • Can the Credit(s) count toward traditional degree programs? • Accreditors?? How do we assess?
Latest Developments • Partnership between Google and edX-------------MOOC.org • 120,000 Students sign up for MOOC focused on unleashing student creative talents (Coursera and PSU) • Some faculty are withdrawing their MOOC’s out of concern that states will decide to reduce higher education funding
Convergence of On-Line Service Enablers LMS Providers such as Blackboard, Desire to Learn, Canvas, Moodle, etc. On-Line Facilitators such as Deltak, Bisk, Pearson, etc. Institutions’ On-Line Service Needs MOOC Providers such as Coursera,Udacity, edX, etc.
On-Line Education is Destined to Grow. Most Universities are Struggling with their Overall On-Line Strategy
What is Most Likely, is the Continued Evolution of a Hybrid/Blended Model of Education that Utilizes Combinations of Classroom, On-Line, and Experiential/Innovative Learning
MOOCs may play a role in this evolution, but are unlikely to permanently change educational paradigms. “One Spice on a Spice Rack..” Brian Voss, AGB
Institutions will come to decide how extensively they will embrace the Hybrid/Blended Model and MOOCs based on Mission, Size, Finances, Market Pressures, and Preferences