1. University of Minnesota Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Minnesota Office of Technology Minnesota Virtual University Minnesota Department of Education 2/20/04 The Minnesota Digital Learning Plan: A Project Update, February, 2004

2. 2/20/04 2 Leadership For the 21 st Century The 2003 Learning for the 21 st Century report cites nine steps for building momentum towards a 21 st century educational system 1 : Embrace a powerful vision of public education that includes 21 st century skills Align leadership, management and resources with educational goals Assess where schools are now Develop priorities for 21 st century skills Develop a professional development plan for 21 st century skills Make sure students have equitable access to a 21 st Century education Begin developing assessments to measure student progress in 21 st Century skills Plan collectively and strategically for the future The Minnesota Digital Learning Plan is a collaborative effort to review the current status of Minnesota technology-enhanced education and to outline a direction that will best leverage resources and improve learning to serve the citizens of the state. 1 Learning for the 21 st Century, Partnership for 21 st Century Skills, July, 2003 http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

3. 2/20/04 3 Digital Learning Plan Participants Steering Committee University of Minnesota, Minnesota State Colleges & Universities, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Office of Technology, HESO, Minnesota Private Colleges Council, iSEEK Solutions Staff Minnesota Office of Technology Management Analysis Division, Department of Administration iSEEK Solutions Expert Working Groups Teaching & Learning Skilled Educators Student & Administrative Services Technology Sponsors iSEEK Solutions (MnVu), Higher Education Advisory Council (HEAC)

4. 2/20/04 4 Outcomes MN Digital Learning Plan Shared Statewide Vision/Five-Year Targets/Collaborative Strategies/Trends Analysis The benchmarks established by the Digital Learning Plan and the issues outlined in the National K-20 Technology Plan will set the stage for further planning efforts at the state, institutional and local levels. U of M Technology-enhanced Learning Council (TEL) Strategic Long- Range Plan Minnesota State Colleges & Universities 2010 Planning Report Minnesota Online Council Minnesota Department of Education K-12 Technology Plan School Districts 3-yearTechnology Plans Collaborative Projects Digital Learning Summit Priority collaborative projects Standards development Promotion best practices On-going statewide planning and policy development Department of Administration State Technology Plan Planning Initiatives USDOE National K-20 Education Technology Plan National Issues and Direction

5. 2/20/04 5 DLP Products  Digital Learning Plan Interim Report, February, 2004  Digital Learning Plan Report, April, 2004, with recommendations for on-going activity  Statewide Summit, May 20, 2004

6. 2/20/04 6 Preliminary Conclusions Among the many conclusions arising from the Digital Learning Plan process is that  Technology is a means to conduct the “business” of education – to manage and deliver curriculum and administrative services. It is an infrastructure.  The changes that technology brings to how we teach, what we teach, and how we manage our systems are of concern and importance to everyone in our learning institutions.  Therefore, we must bring technology into the mainstream of curriculum and business planning and we must bring curriculum and business into the task of technology planning.  For this to be true, there is much work left to be done.

7. 2/20/04 7 Foundational Recommendations Four collaborative directions and priorities have emerged as necessary foundations to the plan’s targets and strategies:  Establish a Digital Learning Council as a cross-institutional body to conduct on-going policy discussion, and to oversee collaborative initiatives and projects as recommended in the plan.  Provide adequate, equitable, infrastructure and seamless systems. In particular, reorganize affiliated telecommunications networks into one, integrated high-speed network (higher education, K12, libraries) that enables equity of access to all digital learning opportunities.  Develop mechanisms for sharing information on available technology solutions and for collaboration on new development (content and applications).  Increase opportunities and systems for aggregated purchasing of key digital learning technologies and applications.

8. 2/20/04 8 The Digital Learning Plan Vision: Minnesota learners shall be prepared to succeed in an increasingly complex, information-rich society. All Minnesota leaners shall have the higher-order knowledge and skills that will allow them to function effectively in an ever-changing environment and in a variety of roles. Our learning institutions shall have no achievement gap between groups of students, and shall have equal opportunities to meet the learning goals.

9. 2/20/04 9 Framework for Digital Learning Plan Targets and Strategies Successful Student Learning Access to high performance technology Accountability & improvement through effective research, evaluation & assessment Tradition of high quality education Digital age policy and leadership Pillars of Success Foundational Prerequisites Knowledgeable and skilled educators Teaching Practices for the 2st Century Learner Effective business, administrative and student services

10. 2/20/04 10 “… Internet-savvy students are coming to school with different expectations, different skills, and access to different resources.…Students are frustrated and increasingly dissatisfied by the digital disconnect they are experiencing at school…many believe they may have to raise their voices to force schools to change to accommodate them better.” 1 A 2003 summit on ICT literacy recognized the importance of education technology in providing students with the five basic skills necessary to achieve literacy in a knowledge society: The ability to access information in the digital era; Knowledge of how to manage information effectively; The ability to interpret and integrate the results of research; The ability to evaluate the quality of these results; and the ability to create new information by adapting, applying, designing, inventing, or authoring information. 2  According to Technology Counts 2003*, Minnesota is one of only 8 states in the country whose state standards for students do NOT include technology or technology literacy. 3 Teaching Practices for the 21 st Century Learner 1 Douglas Levin and Sousan Arafeh, American Institutes for Research, Pew Internet & American Life Project, “The Digital Disconnect, The Widening Gap Between Internet Savvy Students and their Schools,” http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdfhttp://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf 2 Digital Transformation: A Framework for ICT Literacy, 2002, http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryalert.cfm?ArticleID=4211 http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryalert.cfm?ArticleID=4211 3 Technology Counts 2003 report, Education Week, http://www.edweek.org/sreports/tc03/

11. 2/20/04 11 5-YEAR TARGET: All Minnesota learners have anywhere, any time access to lifelong education. STRATEGIES:  Expand and coordinate investment and collaboration to develop and share statewide learning resources.  Fully realize the benefits of sharing resources through centralized content management.  Encourage and facilitate individual and collaborative learning through technology applications and supportive learning communities. Teaching Practices for the 21st Century Learner

12. 2/20/04 12 5-YEAR TARGET: All learners, at every instructional level, acquire the necessary information literacy skills for living in the 21st Century. STRATEGIES:  Adopt state information literacy standards.  Provide centralized content resource that supports the information literacy standards. Teaching Practices for the 21st Century Learner

13. 2/20/04 13 5-YEAR TARGET: All learning assessments are appropriate to providing readily available information to students, teachers, parents and administrators to facilitate decision-making and to measure achievement. STRATEGIES:  Align curriculum, instruction, and assessment, using technology where appropriate.  Convert assessment data to information useful to stakeholders.  Stakeholders interpret and use assessment results to increase effectiveness of: (a) students’ learning; (b) teachers’ teaching; and (c) institutions’ programs. Teaching Practices for the 21st Century Learner

14. 2/20/04 14 “… the single biggest problem facing education today is that our ‘Digital Immigrant’ instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language. 1 ”  Technology Counts 2003 2 reports that only 39% of Minnesota’s novice K-12 teachers felt well or very well-prepared to use computers for instruction in their first year (2000). The same report indicates that 63% of Minnesota educators participated in technology professional development in 2000.  Nearly 60% of faculty members at the University of MN have taught at least one course supplemented by online interaction during the last two years. “The time required to learn about and to use technology in a class is the most salient barrier to faculty use of educational technology.” 3  Students believe that professional development and technical assistance for teachers are crucial for effective integration of the Internet into curricula. 4 Knowledgeable and Skilled Educators 1 Marc Prensky, “Digital Natives Digital Immigrants,” On the Horizon, (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001) http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf 2 ”Technology Counts,” Education Week, http://www.edweek.org/sreports/tc03/state_data.cfm?slug=35mn_data.h22http://www.edweek.org/sreports/tc03/state_data.cfm?slug=35mn_data.h22 3 Multi-College Faculty Survey: Experiences with Educational Technology at the University of Minnesota Report, April, 2003 4 Douglas Levin and Sousan Arafeh, American Institutes for Research, Pew Internet & American Life Project, “The Digital Disconnect, The Widening Gap Between Internet Savvy Students and their Schools,” http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf

15. 2/20/04 15 5-YEAR TARGET: Minnesota’s educators effectively use 21st century skills and multiple literacies (visual, media, information, technology, reading, spatial literacy, graphics, etc.) throughout their instruction. STRATEGIES:  Establish standards and assessment measures for educators in the area of technology and information literacy.  Develop and disseminate a research base to validate the premise that professional development in technology integration results in improved student learning.  Provide multiple opportunities to acquire and strengthen proficiency in the effective use of technology. Knowledgeable and Skilled Educators

16. 2/20/04 16 5-YEAR TARGET: Professional development is timely, convenient, accessible, and continuous. STRATEGIES:  Increase professional development distance learning options for educators in all subjects.  Develop learning communities for educators that facilitate mentoring, peer-to-peer support, informal professional development and learning while maximizing resource sharing and expertise. Knowledgeable and Skilled Educators

17. 2/20/04 17 5-YEAR TARGET: Professional licensing for educators and administrators, tenure, and intellectual property policies reflect the value of, and encourage the appropriate use of technology in delivering instruction. STRATEGIES:  Incorporate information literacy/technology standards into all initial professional licensing and professional license renewal requirements.  Develop statewide guidelines and recommendations for monetary compensation, intellectual property rights, and salary/workload relative to instructional technology.  Establish state recognition and awards for excellence in effective teaching with technology Knowledgeable and Skilled Educators

18. 2/20/04 18 “ Both the private and public sectors have been largely overhauled in the last 20 years through the introduction of new technologies that affect communication, record-keeping, financial transactions, information flow, and knowledge management. While schools have been “wired” and technology purchased, the use of technology to assist in support of central curriculum or centralized instructional resources remains spotty and non-systematic.” 1  In 2002, Minnesota’s average, overall number of students per instructional computer in was 3.2, however the average number of students per computer in the classroom was 11.3. Minnesota’s 2002 ratio of students per Internet-connected computer was 5.1. However, the number of students per Internet-connected computer in the classroom was 13.2. 2  Between 1996 and 2000, the network bandwidth use by K-12 schools in Minnesota rose 400% (100% per year average) 3  34% of Minnesota undergraduates in the fall of 2001 attended school part-time. 55% were older than 25 years, with 29% over age 35, 4 requiring services delivered in non- traditional ways.  Students insist that policy makers take the “digital divide” seriously and that they begin to understand the more subtle inequities among teenagers that manifest themselves in differences in the quality of student Internet access and use. 5  “ The current education infrastructure cannot accommodate the growing college-aged population and enrollments, making more distance education programs necessary.” 6 Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services 1 The California Virtual School Report: A National Survey of Virtual Education Practice commissioned by University of California College Preparatory Initiatve, 2002 2 ”Technology Counts,” Education Week, http://www.edweek.org/sreports/tc03/state_data.cfm?slug=35mn_data.h22 3 Minnesota Interactive Television Network (MITN) 4 HESO: www.mheso.state.mn.us/insight.crm?file=mnUndergradswww.mheso.state.mn.us/insight.crm?file=mnUndergrads 5Douglas Levin and Sousan Arafeh, American Institutes for Research, Pew Internet & American Life Project, “The Digital Disconnect, The Widening Gap Between Internet Savvy Students and their Schools,” http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/pdfs/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf 6 Thirty-two Trends Affecting Distance Education: An Informed Foundation for Strategic Planning, Scott Howell, Peter Williams, Nathan Lindsay. http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/howell63.html

19. 2/20/04 19 5-YEAR TARGET: Support services are accessible and convenient to all students and stakeholders; support services facilitate the seamless transition among institutions. STRATEGIES:  Develop state standards for what constitutes core student services. Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services

20. 2/20/04 20 5-YEAR TARGET: Learners have access to all information services worldwide (libraries, cultural heritage Institutions, etc.) through shared resources, systems, and data. STRATEGIES:  Promote better collaboration among libraries and cultural heritage institutions to ensure appropriate resources in the community. Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services

21. 2/20/04 21 5-YEAR TARGET: All learners have access to appropriate technologies - including high-speed networks. STRATEGIES:  Provide an integrated statewide high speed intranet and Internet network that seamlessly connects higher education, K- 12, and libraries.  Set recommended minimum technology standards (hardware, software, internet access) for effective learning.  Institute more coordinated technology planning between and among educational partners. Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services

22. 2/20/04 22 5-YEAR TARGET: The business practices of Minnesota's learning institutions are responsive to changes in education, technology, and the marketplace. STRATEGIES:  Set standards for business applications.  Promote technical planning and business re-engineering through pilot projects.  Create coordinated staff training for business and administration staff. Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services

23. 2/20/04 23 5-YEAR TARGET: Tech support is adequate to the learning or instructional needs of educators, students and administrators. STRATEGIES:  Coordinate and integrate technical support infrastructure such as training and help desks.  Set standards for what constitutes adequate technical support staff. Effective Business, Administrative And Student Services

24. 2/20/04 24 For More Information Digital Learning Plan Web site: Http://www.digitallearning.state.mn.usHttp://www.digitallearning.state.mn.us Contact: Cathy de Moll Minnesota Office of Technology Cathy.de.moll@state.mn.us 651-215-3872