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NLII Strategic Directions

Based on strategic planning meeting, August 25-26,2004

September, 2004

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EDUCAUSE has the opportunity to establish a unique niche in teaching and learning

• EDUCAUSE has an opportunity to establish a new, energized brand around the strategic use of IT to ensure student success

• Now that a national learning infrastructure has been established in higher education, the NLII can redirect its focus to other significant issues that align with the current environment

• Placing learning and the learner at the heart of EDUCAUSE’s work on transforming teaching and learning will differentiate the NLII from other organizations, strengthen our focus and provide a valuable service to members

• Successful learning requires an understanding of the learner as well as the integration of pedagogy and technology. As a result, the NLII will expand its intended audiences beyond IT professionals

• A value proposition predicated on awareness, enablement and integration will drive additional interest in the NLII

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The planning team’s SWOT analysis revealed an increasingly crowded market and identified focus, continuity and follow-

through as keys to the NLII’s future success

Strengths Weaknesses• Community

• EDUCAUSE

• Effort to practice what you preach

• Participation of instructional technologists

• Participation of diverse constituencies

• Follow-through

• Continuity

• Clarity about NLII’s role

• Value proposition

• Name has little meaning

• Weak brand outside of the NLII

Threats Opportunities• Lack of focus

• Increasingly strong organizations in the same niche as NLII

• Constriction of college/university budgets

• Overabundance of information

• Advocacy

• Alliances with other organizations

• Work with new constituencies, e.g., provosts, adjunct faculty, grad students

• Policy efforts

• Professional development

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As we explored potential foci for the NLII, using strategic institutional issues as the key differentiator, we found most are

already populated by recognized organizations

Potential strategic issue

Description Others focused on issue

Access Enabling access goes well beyond distance learning. Access to education can be limited by course schedules, length of semesters, etc.

• WCET, SREB, Sloan-C, ADEC, USDLA, UCEA, NUTN, NSDL, League, AACC, NCAT, SREB

Accountability and assessment

We are in a performance-based environment where accountability and assessment will become more important

• AAHE, WCET, AAC&U

Innovation We hope that innovation with IT will lead to improvements and transformational change in higher education

• EDUCAUSE, CNI, Net@EDU, NMC, League

Tools There are a series of tools and standards that enable the learning enterprise

• MERLOT, NMC, SAKAI, OSPI, NSDL, IMS

Policy Policies, at the campus and national level, can enable or inhibit the use of technology in T&L

• NCHEMS, WCET, SREB, AACC, EDUCAUSE

Creating a culture of evidence

There are few benchmarks in teaching and learning, whether for innovation, outcomes or best practices

• ECAR, Core data

Enterprise learning systems

Course management systems have become the next ERP in that they are enterprise wide and involve the integration of people, process and technology

• EDUCAUSE, Syllabus

Successful learning A focus on successful learning includes issues such as access, improving learning, accountability, etc. and how IT can enable that success

• none

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The planning team’s recommendation is that the NLII differentiate itself through a focus on learners and

successful learning

• The planning team agreed that a focus on learners and learning should become the NLII’s primary differentiator

• The NLII’s focus should be linked to issues that are an institutional imperative; although phrased differently, all institutions have learners, positive learning outcomes and successful learning among their strategic goals

• There are few organizations that make learners and learning the primary focus, particularly when including an IT component

• Several of the NLII’s current activities could be redirected to make learners and learning the pivot point

• Learners and learning provide us with a positive focus that draws attention from staff, faculty, administrators, boards and legislators

• Focusing on learners and successful learning is viable in times of enrollment growth as well as in times of enrollment decline (predicted for 2010)

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There is a strong rationale for shifting our emphasis from the infrastructure to the learner and successful learning

• Understanding learners is the first step to using IT to improve learning

• Increasingly, students are “native” to technology; their lives have been shaped by IT

• Non-traditional students—many who are technology “immigrants”—increasingly find IT a fundamental part of their environment

• The use of IT should be predicated on learner needs rather than IT capabilities

• IT is poorly integrated into teaching and learning• The focus should not be on IT but on what it enables. “Its not about

IT but through IT”; learners do things through IT. We need to mirror a similar shift to outcomes (learner impact) rather than inputs (IT)

• A one-size fits all approach to technology is ineffective; if learner needs drive our approach learning is more likely to be successful

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A focus on learners and successful learning means different things to different people

• What the new focus does not imply is: – The NLII (or EDUCAUSE) will seek to recruit student members– That the NLII creates a student chapter– Large numbers of students will attend the annual meeting– A student becomes part of the Planning Committee– We promote student interests without regard to faculty and

administrators

NLII Learners

College

University

• What the new focus does imply is:– The NLII will support institutions in their efforts to understand learners

and ensure successful learning; the NLII will interface with institutions

NLII

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Our goal is to help institutions integrate the components necessary to ensure successful learning

OrganizationalOrganizationalstructurestructure

Learning Learning principlesprinciples

and and practicespractices

AssessmentAssessment

Strategic use Strategic use of information of information

technologytechnology

Understanding Understanding learnerslearners

Change Change managementmanagementProfessional Professional

developmentdevelopment

LearnersLearners

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A focus on learners and learning requires the NLII to move beyond its current constituents to include others, particularly

those in academic areas

• The efforts of college and university personnel are related to welfare of students and their learning

• Today the NLII reaches some influencers (e.g., CIO, IT support) but has little connection to academic affairs and many administrators

• Focusing on learners and learning can stimulate an interest from all groups in transforming teaching and learning with technology

Students

TAs

Adjunct faculty

Faculty

Spheres of influence

Policymakers

Deans

Instructionaltechnologists

IT support

Provost

Departmentchairs

President

CIO

Dean of students

LibrariesTeaching &

learning centers

Disciplinary associations

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Inputs (i.e., IT)

IT focus

Learning infrastructure

Individual innovators

Early adopters

CIO and IT staff

The planning team envisioned a number of shifts as the NLII continues its evolution

Outcomes (i.e., successful learning)

IT and instructional technology

Strategic improvement of teaching and learning

Institutional transformation

Institutional decision makers

CIO/IT, academic affairs, others

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Faculty development

Learning principles

and practices

Integration of technology

into T&L

Tools(CMS, learning

objects, mobility)

With the new emphasis, the NLII will be more focused; related activities would be distributed throughout

EDUCAUSE or linked through other organizations

Emerging technology

(e.g.,games)

Instructionaltechnologist professionaldevelopment

Learners and

SuccessfulLearning

EDUCAUSE professional development

Other groups (e.g., IMS, MERLOT,

EDUCAUSE Emerging

Tech committee)

NLII

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The envisioned activities address needs at multiple levels within the institution (items in bold are NLII exclusives)

Category Examples Audience OwnerLeadership programs

• Leadership workshops• Executive white papers

• Sr. executives• Sr. executives

• NLII & EDUCAUSE• NLII & EDUCAUSE

Student view • Student panel • All • NLII

Professional development

• NLII Annual Meeting• Webcasts• Instructional technologist workshop• Focus sessions, regional pre-

conferences

• Academic & IT• Academic & IT• Instructional Tech• Academic & IT

• NLII• NLII• PD• NLII & PD

Campus tools • Student discovery process• Learning space design tool

• EDUCAUSE effective practices

• Academic & IT• Academic, IT,

facilities• All

• NLII• NLII

• NLII & EDUCAUSE

Scholarship • Aggregated Web site• E-book series• Symposia/working groups• Member research/publications

• All• Academic & IT• Academic & IT• Academic & IT

• NLII• NLII• NLII• Members

Advocacy • Presentations• Alliances with other associations• T&L policies

• All• Various• Provost, CIO

• NLII• NLII• NLII & Policy group

NB: Exclusive materials move into the public domain after 18 months; tools remain NLII exclusives

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Collaboration and coordination are key elements of the strategy; the NLII will collaborate with other organizations to

reach common goals

Leadership programs

Tools, processes & standards

Shared expertise

• AASCU

• AACC

• NASULGC

• AAU

• CIC

• AAHE

• IMS

• MERLOT

• NMC

• CNI

• ARL

• AAHE

• ECAR

• SCUP

• EDUCAUSE Policy group

Example: AASCU workshop for presidents, provosts, CIOs on understanding students as the “key to competitiveness”

Example: AAHE and NLII collaborate on e-portfolios as a tool for individual and institutional assessment

Example: CNI and the NLII collaborate on areas such as learning space design, sharing complimentary expertise

(Specific details will be developed; these are examples not commitments)

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The new value proposition addresses a fundamental priority for institutions—learning—and will appeal to a

broader constituency

• Awareness– Generate greater awareness of learner characteristics, successful learning and

the strategic use of information technology among institutional leaders– Deepen the understanding of how IT can be used to enable successful learning

• Enablement– Provide professional development for multiple audiences, enabling them to be

more effective– Enable practitioners to develop successful learning strategies for their institution

through the use of NLII tools and techniques– Enable more effective conversations between the IT community and the

academic community

• Integration– Provide guidance to institutions on how to integrate the many tools, techniques

and processes needed to ensure successful learning

The NLII’s new value proposition is:

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The membership model will integrate more diverse products and services; the pricing model will allow more

institutions to participate

Membership

fee

Name Package

$5000 Full • NLII Annual meeting (4 places)• Executive white papers• Campus tools (password protected)• Webcasts (9 throughout the year)• Instructional technologist workshop (2 places at 50%

discount or 1 place at no charge)• Focus sessions/workshops (3 places)

$3500 Affiliate • NLII Annual meeting (2 places)• Executive white papers• Webcasts (9 throughout the year)• Focus sessions/workshops (3 places)

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The NLII name can be updated to reflect the new direction

• Put EDUCAUSE in the name, like ECAR (EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research)

• Putting students or learners in the name confuses our focus and customer base with student affiars

• Consider:

National Learning Infrastructure Initiative1994

EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative2005

The Internet, learners and learning are

global

Our value goes well beyond

infrastructure2004

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The NLII is interconnected with the other EDUCAUSE strategic initiatives and contributes to EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE

Net@EDU

NLII

ECAR

content

expe

rtis

e

prog

ram

min

g

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Once implemented, this approach will bring a number of benefits to members, to EDUCAUSE and to higher

educationTo Members To EDUCAUSE To Higher Education

• Alignment of IT and academics on successful learning

• Greater focus on learners and learning, enhancing institutional responsiveness and competitiveness

• Expanded understanding of fundamental teaching and learning issues, accompanied by relevant professional development and tool sets

• Moves beyond a conference model to enable on-campus change

• Programming available directly on campus, eliminating travel costs and expanding the potential audience

• NLII’s focus on students and learning creates new opportunities for alliances and new EDUCAUSE members

• NLII becomes the place for teaching and learning with IT just as EDUCAUSE is the place for the application of IT to higher ed

• NLII gains greater visibility and credibility outside IT channels, expanding EDUCAUSE’s credibility

• Generates program elements that can be incorporated in professional development

• Generates content of value to EDUCAUSE

• The NLII helps EDUCAUSE understand future professionals (through its student focus)

• NLII becomes the center of high quality activities and information about using IT to ensure student success

• IT is positioned as the enabler rather than the driver

• A focus on people and organizational change promotes institutional transformation with less resistance

• Emerging important groups (e.g., instructional technologists) find a professional home (i.e., they are professionalized in the same way CAUSE professionalized administrative computing)

• Makes learners and learning an active focus

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Appendices

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Appendix 1: Explanation of activities

Activity CommentsTarget

Indi-viduals

Institu-tions

Annual meeting • Greater focus on strategic issues• Move instructional technologist topics to workshops and

instructional technologist workshopX X

Webcasts • Members only service• Targeted at strategic level; focus on leading-edge topics• Goal: professional growth• Coordinated with EDUCAUSE professional development

X X

Student panel •Group of students who provide “a student view” on NLII topics• Managed as a remote group• Contextualized with college/university perspective

X

Executive papers • White papers/overviews for senior IT and academic officers• Provides conceptual understanding of topics such as learning

space design• Highlights practical steps

X X

Instruction technologist workshop

• Workshop of approximately 60 participants• Members have first priority for registration• Designed for academic technology center personnel• Week-long event modeled after EDUCAUSE Management

Institute• Coordinated with EDUCAUSE professional development

X

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Appendix 1: Explanation of activities (cont’d)

Activity DescriptionTarget

Indi-viduals

Institu-tions

Focus sessions • Three focus sessions per year (approximately 80 participants each)

• Members have first priority for registration• Designed for institutional teams (e.g., CIO, academic technology

director, dean)• Used to explore and develop topics• Material spins off to Web-based tools and EDUCAUSE regional

workshops

X X

Workshops • Approximately 5 workshops per year (approximately 60 participants); link to EDUCAUSE Regional conferences

• Content spun off from focus sessions• Coordinated with EDUCAUSE professional development

X

Campus tools • Web-based tools on topics such as learning space design• Designed for use by a campus team • Members only

X

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Appendix 2: Strategic planning team members

• Joel Hartman, chair, University of Central Florida• Ron Bleed, Maricopa Community College• Gary Brown, Washington State University• Jacqueline Brown, University of Washington• Tom Carey, University of Waterloo• Kathy Christoph, University of Wisconsin• Paul Hagner, University of Hartford• Clifford Lynch, CNI• Susan Metros, Ohio State University• Anne Moore, Virginia Tech

We would like to thank the strategic planning team members for their time, insight and commitment