Towards a Smarter University Dr. Griff Richards Thompson Rivers University- Open Learning CANADA Smart eLearning Russia, Moscow, 08 June 2011

60 o N 49 o N eLearning In Canada - Is growing, especially in K-12 public schools -15% of 2008 high school graduates in BC took at least one on-line course - 30% in 2010 !!! -Increase in “Blended Learning”, online activities for Face-to-Face courses everywhere. Kamloops, British Columbia

About TRU Open Learning 30 years as British Columbia’s Open Learning Agency – Delivering 450 distance education courses – 10,000 students 10 years as division of Thompson Rivers University – Kamloops, BC Faculty – Most part time faculty from other Universities – Paid to develop and to deliver courses – Payment based on student enrolments Organization – Instructional Design – Production & Technical Support – Recruitment and Student Services – Program Delivery

2 Constants Educational Technology changes constantly – The “educational platform” shifts with ICT Universities change slowly – We still do not know the best way to teach even without technology

Today’s three questions: 1What is “smart”? 2How can we plan for a “smarter” future? 3How can we act “smarter” now?

Changing perceptions of “smart” 8 year old boy: Question: “Do you have any smart teachers?” Answer: “No. Google is smart! The Internet is smart. People are not smart.”

What is “smart”? 1Smart devices everywhere - smart phones, smart boards, smart cars… 2Broadband internet connectivity EVERYWHERE 3Cloud computing provides STORAGE and POWER the “invisible infrastructure just works”

The Smart Triangle Cloud Computing Connectivity Smart Devices Innovation Infrastructure

Moving from “e” to “smart” Last 15 years “e” was connecting to the internet. ( , elearning, ebusiness) Business processes were more accessible but were essentially the same: – Instructors trying to lecture over the internet – Distance Learning programs with “residence” requirements Smart means using data to re-think our processes to be simple and efficient

My Smart day Car – GPS to bus station Bus – electronic ticket (tracking ridership) Skytrain to airport – (no driver!) Check in – e-ticketing & e-upgrade Flight – fly by wire, satellite navigation LHR – human delay =missed connection Skype –(VOIP) regrets, new itinerary

Smart is not just technology Smart is also the interactions & relationships between technologies, between devices and databases between users Smart is the creation, tracking and use of data the “exhaust trail” of information for ongoing analytics and improvement smart gets smarter as it processes events!

Q2 How to Plan for “Smart”? 1Building, accessing smart infrastructure -devices, connectivity, services

Q2 How to Plan for “Smart”? 1Building, accessing smart infrastructure - devices, connectivity, services 2Promoting smart practices -data tracking, analytics, process improvement -building service relationships

Q2 How to Plan for “Smart”? 1Building, accessing smart infrastructure - devices, connectivity, services 2Promoting smart practices -data tracking, analytics, process improvement -building service relationships 3Enabling smart people -21 st Century attitudes, abilities, access & agility -collaborations & empowerment to act

Q3. Administration? Adopt a Smart Manifesto – set the direction while working on the plan Reward faculty to create Smart portfolios & share smart practices in a Smart community Instrument the learning analytics approach (campus as a learning laboratory) Build collaborations with other universities Invest in Pilot Projects, grow local expertise

Q3. Faculty? Realize that new students have digital skills – strengths in accessing and using digital media – weaknesses in accessing and analyzing academic information Open courses via wikis to make content clearer and easier to maintain Catalogue and let faculty and learners evaluate all the Learning Activities Don’t wait for the institute – it may be a while..

Q3. Students? Personal knowledge management Participate in evaluation of learning activities Be a Connectivist: Build personal learning network Learn to go beyond the material presented in the course – it is only a sample

Interaction Equivalency Theory (Garrison & Anderson) The quality of the interaction is more important than the source Course Content Instructor Other learners

Age of Smart Learning Develop active connections beyond the limited resources in the course. Course Content Instructor Other learners Web Content

Smart Students “Try not to let school get in the way of your education” Mark Twain

Quality feedback systems Over time multiple fix-it systems have crept in Steady enrolments Credible learning Happy learners

Goal: Coordinated Quality Systems Multi-layered system, Timely, Qualitative & Quantitative data Steady enrolments Credible learning Happy learners Strategic course redesign

Dynamic Evaluation Model » PreparationConductReflection Design Facilitation Learning Learning Activity View

Dynamic Evaluation Model » PreparationConductReflection Design Facilitation Learning Goal: Research based design

Towards a Vision of a Smarter University Dr. Griff Richards Thompson Rivers University- Open Learning CANADA Smart Learning Russia, Moscow, 08 June 2011