1. The effectiveness of IT-tools: a national collaborative approach
ELI conference
Orlando, January 2009
The effectiveness of IT-tools: a national collaborative approach
Cees Terlouw (Saxion University) & Janina van Hees (SURF Foundation),
The Netherlands

2. Structure of this session
Opening: Welcome and workshop goals (5’)
Introduction: SURF and the Nationwide Programme E-learning (10’)
The Case “Acculturation” - Measuring effectiveness of e-learning (10’)
Small Group work: discussing the case (20’)
Plenary discussion: results of the small group work (10’)
Conclusion (5’)
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

3. Higher Education (HE) in the Netherlands
16½ million inhabitants
HE Students
14 Universities
40 Universities for Applied Sciences
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

4. SURF: IT innovation by and for higher education and research
Research universities, universities of applied sciences, and research institutions voluntarily work together in SURF in order to:
improve the quality of research and education by:
creating pioneering IT innovations.
For more than twenty years, collaboration within SURF has led to products and services that the participating institutions could not have achieved on their own.
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

5. Joint projects: the SURF method
SURF directs and coordinates the implementation of funded projects:
Projects are carried out close to the source of expertise: at institutions of higher education and in enterprise.
SURF sets up the programme, invites tenders, ensures independent quality assessment and monitoring, makes project results freely available to all HE institutions.
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

6. Nationwide Programme e-Learning
2006: start with € M5 programme
2007: continuation with € M12 programme
2006: 5 projects, 35 partners, various SE
2007: 9 projects, 60 partners, various SE
2008: start of new projects (deadline in february)
invest in better use of previous results of IT projects
emphasis on implementation of ‘proven’ practices
Common aim: widen participation and increase study success through IT interventions
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

7. Approach Effectiveness of E-Learning
Aim Nation Wide Program e-Learning: Widen participation and increase study succes
Strategic use of IT
->Search for effectiveness
Starting points:
Empirical approach
Description, intervention, process and constraints
Measuring effectiveness
Different cases
Sharing experiences
Common framework for SURF-projects
Increase of project quality
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

8. Case
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research

9. Small group work The discussion question:
1. How do I decide if this is the IT intervention which will ensure reaching the goal?
2. How would I measure the effects of the IT-intervention, in relation to the goal of the project?
SURF – ICT innovation by and for higher education and research