STEP Working Groups: B uilding a Community of Practice

1. STEP Working Groups: Building a Community of Practice Orientation for Working Group Facilitators September 25, 2013 Tania Siemens, University of Oregon Dan Udovic, University of Oregon

2. Objectives and Topics: • Introductions • STEP Central Community of Practice (CoP) • Working Groups CoP • Facilitator work description • Round Robin • Strategies for Working Group Facilitators to build the CoP • Identify Points of Collaboration • Building community of facilitators • Promoting/marketing the project? • Facilitation Best Practices • Environment on STEPCentral.net

3. STEP Central Opportunities for Sharing… National & “Regional” Meetings: STEP Central Website: Online Discussions Working groups Blogs Resource Libraries Member & Project Profiles News & Events Breakout Sessions Poster Sessions Mentorship Meetings Plenary Speakers Virtual Meetings & Webinars Special Topics Presentation by experts Small groups of geographically dispersed members Community Outreach

4. Working Groups on STEP Central • A Working Group is a like a mini Community of Practice. • Successful working groups need facilitators – you are the leaders! • The on-line Working Group on STEPCentral.net is a forum for facilitating your work. You can post comments, have a discussion, and post resources of interest to the group. - Let’s take a look. • It is also a mechanism for keeping the entire community informed, and inviting participation without exclusion.

5. STEP Facilitator Initiative:What are we hoping for? • Needs Analysis and Resource Development: • Recruit and lead STEP Central Working Group members to • 1) identify gaps or needs • 2) identify an action, tool, or resource that could be developed, and • 3) collaborate in the development of the product or resource. • Engage working group members in sustained on-line discussions and contributions • Use on-line Working Groups for idea exchanges • Resources posted to the website • Share with broader STEP community • STEP 2014 Meeting workshop and/or Webinar on STEP Central?

6. Round Robin (2-3 min each) • What is the activity? • How will you engage the members of your working group? • How will you communicate the results of your project to the larger STEP community? • Do you see points of collaboration and cooperation with other working groups?

7. 2year-4year PartnershipsDean Livelybrooks, Pamela Leggett-Robinson, Eric Triplett • What is the activity? • Ask for FAQ for starters then engage conversation around the answers • Procure resources to post on the site. • Write articles/white paper in parallel with the FAQ. • Identify where would we look for publications on student tracking. • Have a webinar that address FAQs • For example – tracking students as the go from one institutions. • Role of academic advising (proactive/collaborative/intrusive) • Transfer shock and tracking of the students • How will you engage the members of your working group? • Develop seed FAQs. Push that out to people using STEP Central. Using a survey instrument. • Email people to tell them to go to the site, and sign up for the working group? • How will you communicate the results of your project to the larger STEP community? • Webinar • Perhaps a workshop or breakout session discussion what you came up with. • Do you see points of collaboration and cooperation with other working groups? • Research opportunities for CC students • Sustainability relates strongly to addressing 2y-4y transfer issues.

8. Project Sustainability and InstitutionalizationMaureen Scharburg • What is the activity? • Needs analysis and identify gaps for project sustainability and institutionalization. • Define what project sustainability is • For example just within campus or outside campus • How will you engage the members of your working group? • On Line discussions • How will you communicate the results of your project to the larger STEP community? • Resource Guide around case studies • Show the pipeline of project sustainability – needs to be sustained from when they enter-transfer to the degree • Share at STEP 2014 meeting • Do you see points of collaboration and cooperation with other working groups? • Definitely with the 2-4y since so many students are transfer students • Evaluation – to convince administrators that it needs to be sustained. • Time Table • Write resource guide based on what comes out of the STEP Meeting • Call for workshop proposals will be late Oct, early Nov. • Proposals can clarify that the project is in process

9. Evaluators NetworkKate McConnell and David Blair • What is the activity? • Needs analysis – ask recent STEP PI about needs, desires, anxieties. • Information could be fed into other working groups. Are there tools we can help with? • Cheat sheet of questions to ask a prospective evaluator. Develop a common language to talk to each other. This is important for people just starting. • How will you engage the members of your working group? • Encourage evaluators to join the working group and contribute ideas as part of the needs analysis. • How will you communicate the results of your project to the larger STEP community? • Series of Webinars to introduce people who are doing strong evaluation work or a construct that resonated in the STEM world. For example – a measure of motivation, could we consider it in an evaluation plan? • Introduce qualitative evaluation methodologies. • Plan a breakout session/workshop at the National Meeting. • Do you see points of collaboration and cooperation with other working groups? • Assessment of the WG topics (eg Bridge Programs). • Main focus is more outward – to help other core topics/strategies.

10. Engaging the STEP Community • How can we approach them in a unified way? • Not overwhelm people? • How can we get the most participation? • Brand and market the initiative - “STEP gets to WORK”? • Recommend one comprehensive survey. Perhaps this could be a service of the evaluator working group could help organize. • Get feedback as part of the orientation webinars. • Scheduling will be important to not correspond with STEP 2014 solicitations.

11. Building Community for Facilitators • Working Group for Facilitators • Hold regular webinar/meetings? • Cooperate on some projects (combine surveys?)

12. Strategies for Working Group Facilitators to build the CoP and develop a project • Survey the WG community? • Survey the entire STEP community? • Post resources and questions to the Working Group – ask for feedback • How can the WG community engage the broader STEP Community? • Sponsor a Blog • Hold a webinar • Share results and further engage at the STEP 2014 meeting

13. Best Practices for on-line Facilitation • Asking Questions • Thoughtful, provocative, stimulates thinking • Responding to Questions • Quick, respectful, and keeps the conversation going • Maintaining a Conversation • Solicit new ideas, ask for follow up, and bring in related questions or ideas. • Encourage working group members to contribute resources and take leadership on initiatives.

14. Orientation to STEPCentral.net Working Groups • Core Working Groups vs. Community Working Groups • Adding Resources, Editing Resources • You must be the owner of a resource to edit it and add more.