Strategies for Managing the Online Workload A pre-conference workshop November 4, 2003

Program Goals Provide a brief overview of the context of the Sloan-funded project Review and explore the results of the previous workshops Refine/modify/expand project results Examine ANGEL for LMS specific strategies for managing workload

SMOW Project Purpose To identify and refine those strategies, techniques, and resources that enable faculty to manage their workload in the online teaching and learning environment.

Research Method Conducted a broad survey of expert users Distilled results into categories and topics Consolidated input Organized data for refinement at the invitational conference) Assimilate input into new document Disseminate findings

Original Workshop List The Sheffield College University of Illinois Chattanooga State University of Wisconsin University of California State University of New York SUNY (Empire) University of Illinois-Urbana Drexel University UC Berkeley Kansas State University John Hopkins Penn State (6)

Workshop Outcome Generate a document which captures the most effective workload management strategies for an online environment, in order to reduce faculty workload.

Categories for Strategy Teams Online Course Authoring Strategies Online Course Teaching Strategies Online Course Revision & Improvement Strategies Institutional Strategies to Assist in Reducing Online Workload

Strategy Team Each participant was assigned to a category team with a detailed strategy list (15-25). Team was to spend time discussing/reviewing strategy list. Prioritize top 10 strategies –Generalizability –Potential impact –Minimum impact on others

Review Team New teams were arranged to review the output of the prior teams Add/modify/refine strategies

Workshop Results Collection of strategies organized into four categories (8 to 11 strategies/category) Includes –Brief description of the strategy –Benefits –Limitations –Effectiveness rating

Today’s Workshop Organize into Category review teams Refer to strategies in report Spend 1/2 hour on reviewing strategies –Note differences of opinion –Record suggestions for improvement Spend 1/2 hour adding additional strategies to this Category Report out Reverse Categories in 2nd session

To download results from this workshop later this week, visit: If you are interested in participating in a future Sloan Workshop (if funded:) on this topic, please leave Larry or Sara your contact information….Thank you!