Towards Envisioning the Future of Instructional Technology at Virginia Tech: Organizational Systems Perspectives Based on Input from the Organizational Systems Subcommittee of the Task Force on Instructional Technology Scott Midkiff (convener) Debbie Fulton (convener) Jack Davis Sherry Fontaine John Harwood John Moore Peter Macedo Todd Ogle March 4, 2011

Focus of the Subcommittee’s Report (1) Organizational systems are broadly defined and encompass, at the least … – Academic support organizations – Infrastructure support organizations – Organizations that support training and use of technology – Academic units Horizon is from today to 10+ years 3/4/20112 Focus is on broad, high-level requirements, leading to opportunities, for organizational systems that will be driven in some form by instructional technology

Focus of the Subcommittee’s Report (2) Two general themes – Organizational systems will need to respond, adapt or change to remove barriers, provide incentives, or better support teaching and learning that more fully leverages current technology or leverages future technology – Crrent and future instructional technologies can enable new ways to realize and improve organizational functions Tried to identify potential opportunities, but have not considered costs versus benefits 3/4/20113

Status A collection of inputs from the subcommittee (30 items), complete with redundancy and varying levels of detail Evolution and refinement are tasks for the next few weeks 3/4/20114

Broad Categories Administrative Functions – Removing Barriers Training and Technical Support – Enabling Effective Use of Technology for Teaching and Learning Infrastructure – Technology Support for Teaching and Learning Learning Analytics – Leveraging Infrastructure and Data Educational and Instructional Technology Research – Inventing the Future 3/4/20115 Many points span multiple categories

Administrative Functions – Removing Barriers Course scheduling – Flexibility in timing – Flexibility in institution offering and using – Alerts and planning data Registration – Who is a VT student? – When are they a VT student? Courses – Hybrid courses – More information about courses Content repositories – Student access – Integrating content – Sharing and selling/buying content – IP issues 3/4/20116

Training and Technical Support – Enabling Effective Use of Technology for Teaching and Learning Seamless technology support for all faculty and students Coordinated, collaborative and comprehensive instructional development and support resources – Flexible modules – Web based New models of peer evaluation and mentoring 3/4/20117

Infrastructure – Technology Support for Teaching and Learning (1) Network connectivity – Ubiquitous access to high-bandwidth networking in the classroom – Support to stay “one-step ahead” Mobility support – Platforms and applications – Connectivity Mechanisms that support and leverage innovative technology in the classroom – Technology infrastructure – Activity monitoring and capture Unified identity management – Within VT, for multiple functions, and across institutions 3/4/20118

Infrastructure – Technology Support for Teaching and Learning (2) Moving to “the cloud” – Infrastructure – Repositories (cloud and not) and management Connecting the “physical” and the “cyber” – In classrooms and other learning spaces – For physical artifacts New simulation models, especially for the humanities and social sciences Exploring and transitioning to new technology – Instrumentation – Assessment – Support 3/4/20119

Learning Analytics – Leveraging Infrastructure and Data Student and faculty support through learning analytics systems to identify at-risk students at the course level 3/4/201110

Educational and Instructional Technology Research – Inventing the Future Nurture and develop transdisciplinary educational research that integrates educational research with technology innovation, and the practice of faculty teaching and student learning 3/4/201111