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Reaching Critical Mass: Liberal Arts Colleges Collaborating on Instructional Technology Nancy Millichap, MITC Barron Koralesky, Macalester College Kris Jones, Colorado College Alex Wirth-Cauchon, MITC

What is MITC? The Midwest Instructional Technology Center An initiative among the 26 liberal arts colleges of two consortia, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Great Lakes Colleges Association, with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation A set of evolving programs to meet identified needs of liberal arts colleges in an effective and sustainable way

Taking a Collaborative Approach Campuses in these two consortia –know each other –recognize common concerns and problems –see similar professional development needs Programs develop and evolve as responses to these common concerns

Evolving Programs … Individual programs change with each iteration Overall program plan changes based on changing needs and on what we’re learning as we go General trends: –individual faculty member or technologist to campus team representing multiple professional roles –shifting flow from events to projects and back to events –larger to smaller as “seed planting” becomes “seeds growing” (collaboration is more intimate than sharing)

A Key Identified Need: Professional Development On small campuses, everyone’s a generalist - But needs for special expertise are growing - MITC programs serve technologists, faculty members, librarians, others in academic support Different roles call for different - but coordinated - approaches to continued learning, skill development

Keys to Success in Collaborative Professional Development Matching sites to programs Engaging likely participants in program development Gathering information in advance about participant needs and expectations, campus environment Using assessment of one program in developing the next

Collaboration as Everyday Work MITC within the day-to-day work of liberal arts colleges, three examples: –Professional development for instructional technologists (Barron Koralesky, Macalester College) –Teaching with GIS in the liberal arts: professional development for faculty members and their partners in academic support (Kris Jones, Colorado College) –Workshops to Go: Pedagogically based programs on individual campuses (Alex Wirth-Cauchon, MITC) Common goals of all: seed-planting for sustainable collaboration

Professional Development for Instructional Technologists Barron Koralesky Macalester College

Goals Build instructional technologist community –Small colleges… Small, isolated staff Professional development for instructional technologists –Define profession –No instructional technologist conferences –Pave the way toward a professional society Critically evaluate technologies –Promote effective uses of technology in our context –Grounded in teaching rather than a technology

MITC Instructional Liberal Arts Colleges Conferences Workshops – How to do it –Flash, data-driven websites, video editing, social software, project management –Hands-on, how-to Seminars – What can be done –Keynotes –Presentations/Panels –Breakout discussions Posters & Networking – What is in progress –Project vignettes from member campuses

Future Conferences –3rd generation in planning Online community – list –Wiki Further professional development

Teaching with GIS in the Liberal Arts Kris Jones Colorado College

Goals Expand GIS community in the liberal arts –Excite new scholars –Connect individuals Intermediate-level project progress –Build up expertise level –Shared expertise – team and advisor Sustainability in the collaborative model

Collaborative Event Symposium –Posters, projects, students, keynote –No hands-on classes Workshop –Team-based teaching project –Mini-sessions offered by project advisors Beyond –Shared repository of materials –Home campus support and planning

Outcomes and the Future Local campus dissemination & sharing –Faculty mini-grants Critical mass for our GIS community –NITLE & MITC resources Workshops in the future –Discipline-specific sessions? –Skill-level matching? Role-specific support?

Workshops to Go Alex Wirth-Cauchon Midwest Instructional Technology Center

Goals of WTG Lower threshold to participation –For individuals –For campuses Share expertise –Already on our campuses –Available through other regions –Needed to be introduced Grounded in Liberal Arts

Structure of WTG 1 or 2 days in length Grounded in pedagogical concerns Open to host campus –And other campuses in comfortable driving distance MITC covers cost of travel, meals, workshop Host contributes space and participants MITC has portable wireless lab if needed –less important now that nearly all campuses have labs available

WTG: Topics We began with three topics –Planning an instructional technology project –Introduction to web authoring –Extending classroom discussion Since new staff person took this on as her primary mission we have 14 topics including: –Database-driven project design –Introduction to GIS –Videography

WTG: Who teaches MITC Staff Experts from MITC colleges Experts from colleges elsewhere in NITLE (Outside experts)

WTG: Serve several functions Getting the ball rolling Maintaining momentum Creating space Adding value

WTG: Getting the Ball Rolling WTG often serve as entries into other collaborations: –Professor of music, Hope College WTG: “From Idea to Completion” at Antioch College, October Developed initial idea, contacts to collaborators at other MITC campuses Humanities workshop at Lawrence University, June 2003, designed database and project structure Humanities symposium at Kenyon College, June 2004, presented project

WTG: Maintaining Momentum Colorado College GIS symposium generated enthusiasm Help institutions turn that enthusiasm into practice Scheduled GIS WTG at Oberlin College October 2004 and Beloit College January 2005 –Bring instructor from University of Richmond –Invite additional participation from area institutions –Allow the participants quickly to begin developing skills to put into practice what they had learned at the symposium.

WTG: Creating Space Coe College, Introduction to Web Authoring, January and July 2003 –Resident instructional technologist torn Time to get novices going Time to work with higher-end users –WTG addressed novice needs –Resident instructional technologist to focus on higher-end uses

WTG: Adding Value Exquisite Corpse project seeking renewal of funding –Students from Colorado, Kenyon, Lake Forest, Monmouth, and Oberlin Colleges, and DePauw University will collaborate in the production of multi- media works of networked digital art –Faculty wish to expand their own technical capabilities in new areas (example: a poet in audio) to better guide projects –WTG’s to offer focused high-end training in image, sound, and video editing tools at no cost to the project

WTG: The Future Expand the range of topics Tapping the expertise on 26 campuses Professional development opportunity for presenters Coordinate WTG’s with other events –To help prepare participants –To help bridge the time between major events Coordinate WTG’s with campus activities –Tie to new disciplinary foci like film studies (videography) or environmental studies (GIS) –Tie to new infrastructure developments (CMS, Portfolios)

Outcomes In these programs, faculty members and their technology partners are developing –enhanced skills –new educational projects and products –new professional relationships and recognitions –new sources of professional support –ways of capitalizing on campus investments in technology

Assessment: a Planning Tool Immediate follow-up participant surveys Reports by planning groups on previous programs Analytical surveys on program effects six months to one year later Adoption of products by other campuses Refinement of next iterations of programs

Keys to Sustaining Collaborations Work within structures of existing relationships among campuses Draw upon campus expertise Consider sustainability as programs are planned Capitalize on collaboration as a means of support for the integration of technology into teaching and learning in liberal arts colleges

Questions? This presentation available at Nancy Millichap, MITC - Barron Koralesky, Macalester College - Kris Jones, Colorado College - Alex Wirth-Cauchon, MITC -