UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments 

What is a Quality Enhancement Plan? Plan for institutional improvement Crucial to enhancing educational quality Directly related to student learning Based on comprehensive analysis of institutional effectiveness

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Criteria for selecting topic (SACS) Related to student learning Addresses a strategic issue Comprehensive, institutional in scope Capability to implement Commitment to implement NC State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. See:

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Why LITRE was chosen by NC State Builds on a strength Potential for leadership Relevant to undergraduate and graduate education Widespread, grassroots faculty involvement and success Strong interest among the deans Potential to positively and substantively transform learning outcomes at NC State

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  How do we keep learning first? Link LITRE activities to: –NC State Mission –Four Ways of Knowing and Doing –General Education Requirements –Committee on Undergraduate Program Review (CUPR) –Departmental and Program Curriculum Objectives

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  The Essence of LITRE Scholarly inquiry focused on enhancing the technology-rich learning environment Investigative process through which new approaches to student learning, using technology, are proposed, vetted, empirically evaluated, and if the evaluation results indicate, deployed and routinely assessed Evidence will be collected, analyzed and inform future projects

Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment LITRE: The Empirical Inquiry

LITRE Vision In the twenty-first century, North Carolina State University will use its historic strength in technology to pursue its stated mission “to create an innovative learning environment that stresses mastery of fundamentals, intellectual discipline, creativity, problem solving, and responsibility.” A technology-rich environment can:  enhance classroom and laboratory teaching and learning.  help faculty accommodate students’ individual learning styles and circumstances.  encourage active learning.  extend the expertise of the university beyond the university walls.  conserve scarce resources. Technology has limitations. It is a tool for achieving the university’s mission, not an end in itself. It is an effective tool only when it is in the hands of skilled users, and only when its application is appropriate, reliable, integrated, supported and sustainable.

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  LITRE Research Groups Established a structure that divided an enormous task into workable “chunks” Created research group descriptions and identified leadership before the second LITRE team meeting Conducted research groups activities outside of the LITRE team meetings Developed draft reports and recommendations for inclusion in the QEP Extended university participation in LITRE

LITRE: The Empirical Inquiry Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Big Ideas – Overarching Themes Provide an appropriate educational technology infrastructure Achieve institutional preparedness Link learning with technology –Measuring success against student learning Define an ongoing coordinating mechanism for LITRE

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Campus Forum on LITRE When: April 16, 2003 Who: 100+ faculty, staff and students at NC State Purpose –General information for the NC State community –Solicit general feedback on the LITRE direction –Solicit specific feedback on LITRE research group activities and potential projects

LITRE: The Empirical Inquiry Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  LITRE Faculty Survey When: Spring 2003 Why: Inform recommendations of the LITRE work groups and provide baseline for future LITRE efforts NC State University faculty were surveyed about their experiences with computer-based instructional and learning aids. 1,790 faculty were invited to participate in the survey. 983 did, for an overall response rate of 55%. Report completed in August 2003

Survey: General Results Respondents age and years at the university have no relationship to the number of technologies used. Student preparation to use technologies in and outside the class was high and met expectation The reason most often given for not using a technology was that it was not appropriate for the course Faculty were more likely to teach the use of technology themselves or ask students to teach each other before utilizing a central, student training resource

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Survey: Results Respondents were asked what would make it easier to use the technologies that they did use in their courses. –“If they were available and supported in the classrooms in which I typically teach” and “If I had more time to develop assignments or classes with these technologies” were chosen most often, 37% and 36% of the time. The survey and survey report are available at

LITRE: The Empirical Inquiry Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization

Criteria for Project Selection Greatest impact on learning (tied to curricular goals departmental, college, or university level) Foundational (logically prior) Sustainable, transferable, scalable Financially feasible Assessable (investigator agrees to assess impact) Broad campus relevance Marketing value (visibility) Politically feasible Technically feasible

LITRE Action Initiatives Organizing the LITRE effort Classroom and laboratory improvements Grants Infrastructure and support improvements

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  LITRE Recommendations on Policy Develop distance education course policies and strategies for resident students Recommend a new rationale and learning objectives for student information fluency within the GER Recognize and reward the scholarship of teaching and learning with technology (TLT) Address the university’s copyright and intellectual property policies to encourage TLT

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Assessment LITRE Assessment Committee Project specific –Contributions to student learning –Tools will vary: surveys, course-embedded, longitudinal –Tied to program and general education assessment when appropriate Periodic overview of results across projects Results used to stimulate innovation, improve programs and services, policy analysis, planning and budget

Lessons Learned Hire an editor Establish a structure for broad institutional involvement Acquire budget information early Bring the campus into the process early Keep the focus on learning Be a good architect—simultaneously understand the overarching ideas and design details Establish a common language –What does “technology” mean? –What is learning at NC State? –What comprises the “learning space” of NC State?

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  Activities to Date Plan complete on February 9 SACS on-site visit next week (March 23-25) Named a LITRE leader: Dr. Lavon Page In the midst of establishing a LITRE Advisory Council Actively working on first set of LITRE action initiatives

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  LITRE Impacts Will learning change? Will the NC State learning environment support changes in teaching and learning? Will students engage with technology for learning? Will more faculty engage technology for teaching?

LITRE: The Empirical Inquiry Initial Research PROCESS Faculty Engagement Information Fluency Learning Resources E-Learning Educational Infrastructure OUTCOMES Information gathering Literary review Peer review Analysis of issues Optimal environment Needs Assessment PROCESS Faculty Survey Research group reports University surveys OUTCOMES Survey data & reports Significant results Benchmarking Consensus-building Selection Criteria Initial Steps PROCESS Identified needs Established priorities Resourced strategies Institutional commitment OUTCOMES LITRE grants LITRE investigations Compact planning LITRE organization Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment Mature Inquiry PROCESS Leadership & advocacy Ongoing LITRE investments Assessment Synthesis of results OUTCOMES Dissemination of results Knowledge of best practice Impact on policy and planning Improved student learning Improved learning environment

UNC TLT Annual Conference, March 2004 questions | comments  LITRE -

Questions and Answers Contact Information –Sharon Pitt: