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Harnessing Technology to Empower Learners

Harnessing Technology to Empower Learners. September 30, 2002 CUPA-HR National Conference Toronto. Barbara Lema , Wheaton College Human Resources (Moderator) Doreen Nicastro , Boston University Medical Campus Office of Information Technology.

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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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