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Project Ride-Along

Connecting IT with the classroom experience

Fanshawe & Sheridan College

Introductions

BruceSmith AssociateVicePresident,InformationServices SheridanCollege

JorgeRincon ComputerLabTechnologist FanshaweCollegeBrodyLavoie Manager,AcademicTechnicalSupportServices FanshaweCollegeCraigReed Sr.Manager,NetworkServices&ComputerOperations FanshaweCollegePeterGilbert ChiefInfrastructureOfficer FanshaweCollege

BackgroundAspartofSheridan’sfocusonCustomerService• AgeneralnoticewenttoFullTimefacultyadvertisingaprogramwhereI.T.staff

wouldattendtheirclass• I.T.staffattendclassesinteamsoftwo.• Somedetailstostaff

• Turnoffyoursmartphonesandobserve(youmayuseyourlaptop/tablettotakenotesorpotentiallyparticipateinclass,butrefrainfromopeningemails).

• Takeanactiveroleonlywhenpromptedbytheprofessor. Ideally,wewantyoutofocusonobservingandnotbetooactivelyengagedasstudents.

• Stayfortheentireclassunlessaskedtoleave.• Don’tevaluatetheprofessorortheprogram.• Utilizethisexperienceasagreatopportunitytobetterunderstandteaching

andlearningatSheridan

Homework

Staffattendinghadhomework.1. Whatsurprisedyouaboutyourclassroomexperiences?2. Whatwastheroleoftechnologyinthatlearning

environment(theanswercouldbeanywherefromverylittletointegral,i.e.,scale– 1to10)?

3. Whattechnologicalimprovementscouldbemade?4. Basedonthisexperience,shareoneortwoinsightsabout

ourcustomers(studentsandfaculty).

Homework results

• Mostofthehomeworkresponsesarequotes• Theresponsesvaryandshowverydifferentexperiences

Q1)Whatsurprisedyouaboutyourclassroomexperiences?

• Using a document camera to project the laptop screen (when the HDMI cable did not work)

• Professor being blinded as well as blocking projector’s image

• Expectation for technology to just work• No one uses wired internet (all wireless)• All students have devices

Q2)Whatwastheroleoftechnologyinthatlearningenvironment

Rated 7.8 on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 (not at all) to 10 (Integral)• used multiple sources and displays

• used both projectors (A and B) to project laptop (no audio was needed)• used document camera to project a quiz• raised projector screen to utilize the whiteboard with document camera

• used Slate (D2L)• Kahoot• Google Docs• Videos – Youtube and TED• Use of lighting controls• About 25 of 31 students had laptop or cell phone plugged into the A/C Power

outlets. Also ~21 Mac Books and 10 Windows based machines.

Q3)Whattechnologicalimprovementscouldbemade?

Projection• Projectors are ceiling mounted, and the projected image was shaking noticeably• Sharper image• Short throw projectors is visible when you sit right in from of it but from far away it is not• the projector missed roughly 20% of the screen, and it was not even top aligned• podium partially obstructs the view of the screens

Power• Lack of power outlets/monuments for mobile students to plug into• Move Power and Ethernet slots from the floor.

Audio• The Instructor walked around the class most of the time and on occasion he was a little hard to hear.

Perhaps a lapel Microphone would be useful?• Buzzing sound

Other• Adobe updates came up several minutes into the course (interrupted the onscreen instructions)

Q4)Basedonthisexperience,shareoneortwoinsightsaboutourcustomers(studentsandfaculty).• students were all mobile• the majority if not all students did not have a paper, notebook or pen but relied solely

on their laptops for all note taking.• Teacher would write on the white board over the projected material to bring certain

things to the students' attention. Found it to be an interesting use case. Thought the varying uses of technology made the class much more interesting than an old-style lecture. It kept the students engaged.

• We really need to strive to be proactive and not rely on customers to tell us when something isn't working. That's how we can ensure superb classroom experience for our students and faculty.

• Students were highly collaborative and interactive. • The demographics were diverse• students are very distracted in class with their own technology (phones and laptops).

WhyCollegesshoulddothis

• FANTASTIC feedback. Informs what we are doing well and need to improve

• Helps ALL I.T. staff stay connected to our College’s core business –TEACHING and LEARNING

• Recognize we have work to do.• Many of us can connect with our work and the impact to students

and faculty.• Strengthen relationships• Take pride in what we do as a College.

Fanshawe’s Experience• CIOExperience– late2013

• NewtoHigherEducation• NeededaquickprimerontechnologiesinuseatFanshawe

• Contactedawell-regardedChairandaskedtositinonaclass

Fanshawe’s Experience• CIOExperience– continued

• Observationsmadeandlessonslearned• Thefacultymemberwashighlyregardedaswell-versedintechnology,yet

• Ittookatleast5minutestogetalltechnologyreadyfortheclass• Coursewasrelatedtotaxes,andrequiredExcelknowledge,aswellas

• High-techpodium• Smartboardexpertise• Projection,laptopconnection,remotepointer,Smartboardpens• Desire2LearnandBlackboardCollaborateforremotestudents

• NotimetoplaceHelpDeskcallsbefore,duringorafterclass• Workaroundsdevisedwhentechnologydoesn’twork(e.g.Smartboardpens)• Notimetogetcomfortablewiththetechnologyintheroom;constantquestions

andconversationswithstudents

Fanshawe’s Experience• EducationalTechnologySurveys

• Conductedeverytwoyears;oneforfaculty,oneforstudents• Hadbeenconductedoneperyeartoreducethework,butlosttheabilitytocorrelatestudentandfacultyfeedback

• FirstcombinedsurveyoccurredinWinter2015• Hundredsofpagesofqualitativedataresultedinthecreationof31themesforimprovement,mostrelatedtoITservices

• ProjectswerecreatedforeachthemeandcompletedbyDecember2016

Fanshawe’s Experience• OperationRideAlong

• CIOfeltitwasimportantforallITSstafftohavethein-classexperience• Approximately50%ofourstaffareformerFanshawestudents,buttechnologyandpedagogyhasshiftedsincethen

• Importanttoseetheimpactoftheirworkwhentheyareremovedfromtheirdirectcustomersintheirroles;insomecasesgetthestaffoutofthebackroom

• Agreatopportunitytofurtherimpactourfacultyandstudents• Growthopportunity

• TwoITSManagerstooktheleadinorganizingtheprogram

Fanshawe’s Experience• ChangeManagementSteps

• WhileitwaseasyfortheCIOtoarrangeaone-timeclassvisit,werecognizedthataprogramasambitiousasthisonewouldrequirechangemanagementforfullimpactandsuccess

• Stakeholderconsultationsincluded• ITSManagementteam• ITSDepartment(severaltimes)• HumanResourcesConsultantforITS• FacultyConsultant• SeniorVicePresidentAcademic• AcademicServicesManagementTeam(Chairs,Deans,VPA)• Labour RelationsConsultants(FacultyandSupportStaff)• FacultyandSupportStaffLocalExecutive• FanshaweStudentUnion

Fanshawe’s Experience• ChangeManagementSteps

• Somesurprisesalongtheway• NotallITSstaffsawthebenefitsoftheprogramandchallengedtheCIO’s

“mandatory”statement• Concernaboutlinkingthenameofthefacultyandtheroomwheretheclasswas

beingheldforanonymity;anonymitywasstronglyrequestedbyfacultylocalexecutive

• Facultyrepresentativeswereengagedandinterestedtoparticipateinthisresearchinitiative

• Morestaffinterestthanclassroomopportunity– notallstaffwereabletoparticipate

• Wewereaskedtoconfirmmultipletimesthatthiswasnotamandatoryprogram• TrialRun

• TwoITSManagersandtwostaffperformedapilotrunoftheprogramandtweakeditabit

Fanshawe’s Experience• Howitworked

• InformationpackageswerecreatedintendedasanIntroductiontoStaffandIntroductiontoFacultyregardingtheinitiative:

• WhatisaRideAlong• Objectives• Howwilltheridealongbescheduled• Frequencyofclassroomvisits• WhathappenswhenIentertheclassroom• HowwillIrecordtheinformationobservedduringthevisit• WhathappenswhenIleavetheclassroom• Whathappenstotheinformationthatisgathered

• ITSManagersreachedouttoprogramChairstointroducetheprojectandsolicitfacultytoworkwith

• ITSManagersscheduledclassroomvisitsforstaff

Fanshawe’s Experience

Howitworked…• Datacollectionformcreatedforconsistencyofdatacollection;formdoesnotcontaincourseorfacultyidentifiers,nordoesitcontainlocationordateinformation

• Staffattendedwithinstructionsandcompletedthedatacollectionform• DatareturnedtodepartmentAdminAssistantforcollectionandlatercollation

QuickWins• Suggestionmadetouseacheatsheetforfollow-upofeasytechnologyfixesforimmediateresolution.NotincludedwithRideAlongobservationforms.Usedtocreateserviceticket.

Fanshawe’s Experience

Observations• Studentsuseamixofdevices:tablets,laptops• InternetaccessrequiredtoaccessLMScontentsduringclass• Studentspluggedintheirlaptopstopoweroutletswhere

available• Kahoot usedforinteractivequizzes• Studentsusingmixoftraditionaltextbooksandelectronic

copiesoftextbooks

Fanshawe’s Experience

Observations(cont)• CommontouseMSPowerPointforpresentationslides• YouTubewasusedforshowingvideos/clips• Classroomlayoutinconvenientforprofessortoanswerstudent

questions• Remoteclickerforadvancingslides– intermittent• Lightingatbackofroomdim– burnedoutbulbs• Noadequateoutletsforstudentstochargetheirdeviceswhile

inuseduringclass• Somestudentswerecheckingtheircellphonesfromtime-to-

timeduringclass

Fanshawe’s Experience

NextSteps• Spring/Summer2017– Reviewobservationssubmittedandreview

processandform• Fall2017– PerformRideAlongagainincorporatinganychanges

andlessonslearnedfromWinter2017• ProducepreliminaryfindingsforITSandASMTanddetermine

audiencetoreceiveupdates• Winter2018– PerformRideAlong• Spring/Summer2018– Reviewinformationcollectedandprovide

reporttostakeholders

A view from the staff

JorgeRincon’sexperienceintheclassroom

Q&A

Thank you!