SupportingRemoteTeachingandLearninginFlorida

State-BasedApproaches,InstitutionPractices,andFeedbackonTopIssuesandNextStepsforthe“NewNormal”

March2021

TheAdaCenterinBriefSupportingHigherEducationITCapacity

• Foundedonthebeliefthattechnologyisnotasilverbullet toanyproblem,butwiththerightplanningandimplementation,softwarecanplayanimportantroleinadvancingstudentsuccessandequity.

• Supports nationalinitiativessuchastheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation’sFrontierSet,AchievingtheDream,StateSuccessCenters,AACCPathways,andothers.

• Developsresearch-basedresourcesforthefieldandworksdirectlywithcollegesandstatesinneedoftechnologystrategy,purchasing,andimplementationsupport.

MeetOurNamesake

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“Anew,avast,andapowerfullanguageisdevelopedforthefutureuseofanalysis,inwhichtowielditstruthssothatthesemaybecomeofmorespeedyandaccuratepracticalapplicationforthepurposesofmankindthanthemeanshithertoinourpossessionhaverenderedpossible.”– AdaLovelace,FounderofScientificComputing

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ThisreportwascreatedbyTheAdaCenterinMarchof2021fortheFloridaCollegeSystem(FCS)andFloridaStudentSuccessCenter(SSC)inresponsetothe2020COVID-19pandemic,whichrequiredcollegestorapidlydigitizeoperations,includingteachingandlearning.

ThisresearchwasmadepossiblethroughTheEducationCommissionoftheStateswithsupportfromTheBillandMelindaGatesFoundation.

Forfurtherinformationaboutthisprojectorthecontentsofthisreport,pleaseemailBrittneyDavidson,Principal,TheAdaCenteratBrittney@theadacenter.org.

InThisReport

v ProjectBackgroundandResearchMethodology

v StateandSystemResearchReview

v FloridaColleges– EffectivePracticesandChallengesDuringShifttoRemoteT&L

v Preparingforthe“NewNormal”:What’sTopofMindforCollegesMovingForward?

v NextStepConsiderations

v GuidingQuestionsforFurtherDiscussion

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ProjectBackgroundandResearchMethodology5

Ongoingresearchandsurveyshaveshownthat,whilecollegeshavemadevalianteffortstotransitionteachingandlearningto aremoteenvironment,thereisstillmuchtolearnandmuchthatcanbeimproved.EvenbeforeCOVID-19,technologycapacityacrosscollegeswasuneven;often,collegesservingthegreatestnumberoflow-incomeandracially-minoritizedpopulationsweretheoneswiththeleasttechnologyexperienceandcapacity.Asthepandemichasamplifiedtheneedforvirtualization,thesecapacitygapshaveonlyexacerbatedexistinginequities.Fortunately,stateentitiesarerecognizingthattheyareinauniquepositiontotakeonnew,potentiallymoreimpactfulapproachestohowtheysupportinstitutionsandabroaderequityagenda.

TheFloridaCollegeSystem(FCS)andtheStateSuccessCenterhavealreadymadestridesinthiseffort,havingsupportedits28statecollegesthroughaninitialtransitiontoremotelearning.TheteamhaspartneredwiththeAssociationofCollegeandUniversityEducators(ACUE)toprovideprofessionaldevelopmentforfaculty,isexploringhowtosupportunderrepresentedstudentsinworkforceprogramswithAdvanceCTE,andhasrecentlylaunchedaGuidedPathwaysinitiative.Yet,withsuchdiverseinstitutionsandprogramsacrossthestate– ruralandurban,academicandcareerandtechnicaleducation-focused– adaptingteachingandlearningtoavirtualenvironmentat-scaleisunchartedterritory.Byhearingdirectlyfrominstitutionleaders,FCSandTheStateSuccessCentercangainaclearerandmoreaccuratesenseofcolleges’existingbestpracticesandgreatestneeds.Theseinsightscanbeusedtoguideongoingequityandaccessinitiativesaswellasthesystem’s broaderstrategytofacilitatecoordinatedteachingandlearningimprovementsinaremoteenvironment.

OurApproach

Initialkickoffmeetingtodiscussgoalsandkeyareasofinquiry

Backgroundresearchonstate-basedeffortstosupportremoteteachingandlearning

ResearchinterviewswithstatesystemandStudentSuccessCenterleaders

BackgroundresearchonFloridacolleges’remoteT&Lresourcesandpracticesto-date

Interviewswithfaculty,staff,andleadershipatsixselectedFloridacolleges

StateSystemResearchOverview:KeyContributors6

NorthCarolina

Washington

NewYork

SampleAreasofInquiry

California Texas

AdditionalResearch

Belk Center/NC State

Washington SSC

NY SSC/SUNY

Ø Whathasbeenthestate’sgeneralapproachtosupportinginstitutionsthroughoutthepandemic?TheCenter’sapproach?

Ø Whattypesofquestionsandsupportrequestsareyougettingmostoftenfrominstitutions?Aboutteachingandlearning?

Ø What’sanexampleofaprogramorsupportthathasbeeneffectiveinsupportingteachingandlearning?

Ø Whathasbeenlesseffectiveinsupportingteachingandlearning?

+AdaCenterfieldresearch

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DespiteVariedStructures,Contexts,andResources,StatesConvergedOnSeveralPromisingPracticesforInstitutionSupport

“CommunitiesofPractice” ”AskAnExpert” LearningtoGoRemote,Remotely

Washington NewYork

Communitiesofpracticebringtogetherindividualsacrossinstitutionswhoarefocusedonsimilarcontentareastolearn,problem-solve,andsharepractices.

Benefits:• HelpsaugmentestablishedPDthatmaybefocusedonlonger-term,broadreforms(e.g.,GuidedPathways)ratherthanurgent,targetedsupport(e.g.,managingremotelearningforNursingstudents)

• Providemorereal-timeopportunitiesforcollaborationandrapidinsightdissemination

• Createsasupportnetwork,reducesfeelingsofisolationamongfaculty

“Thiswasalifesaverwhenweweresuddenlyforcedonline.Thankyou!IthinkthereasonIkeepgoingisachancetoshareideasacrossthecolleges.It'sworthit.”

COPs Varied In Specificity, Content Area • STEM• Workforce

• Starfish• Chemistry

• Humanities• Education Prep

Washington NorthCarolina California

SeveralstateseithercreatedprocessestoconnectthoseseekingsupportwithexpertsatotherinstitutionsorstaffedcentralizedexpertsonkeytopicswithintheSSCorsystemoffice.Dependingonthestate’sfocusandresources,expertswereleveragedfor:

ITPlatforms: StatesorsuccesscentersconnectinquiriestoCanvasorD2Lexpertswithinsystemoratamoreadvancedcollege;offerhelpdeskservices.

InstructionalDesign:Statesorsuccesscentersofferwebinars,1-on-1appointmentswithinstructionaldesignerstosetuporimproveonlinecourse.

Targeted,As-NeededHow-Tos:Surveysorformscollectinquiries/asksonspecifictoolsorchallenges;1-2SSCorsystemrepresentativesofferregularwebinarstoaddresscommonasks.

Partnershipshelpedprovideaccesstoexperts,managementforinquirysolicitationandresponse

NewYork

Somestatescapitalizedonexistingonlineteachingresourcestooffermorestructuredtutorials,workshops,andpackagedasynchronouslearningopportunitiesforfacultytodeveloptheirremote/onlineteachingapproaches.

California

Online“Coursework”PackageforRemoteTeaching• Asynchronousrecordedwebinars/how-tos• Periodicsynchronousdiscussions• Curatedresourcestiedtospecifictopics/lessons• “Badging”forspecificonlineT&Lskills• Webpageoptimizedforeasyuserbrowsing,someutilizeanLMSportalspecificallyforfacultylearners

SamplePrograms:• NYRemoteTeachingAcademy• CAOnlineNetworkofEducators(@ONE)• DigiTex

Texas

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NoSilverBulletforChallengesThatRemain,ButStatesAreExploringSolutions

AdaptingCTEandHands-OnCoursestoRemoteEnvironment

“There’sananxietywithinthe‘academiclanes’- inclasseswithlabenvironments,likeweldingorbiology,there’sjustanexpectationofface-to-faceinstruction,sothey’restruggling...”

TyingTeachingandLearningtoGuidedPathwaysandEquityDiscussions

CuratingandOrganizingResourcesToProvideSupportWithoutOverwhelmingUsers

Soliciting,AnalyzingandRespondingtoFeedback

• Facultyreportfeeling“overwhelmed”bylonglistsofresourcelinks,unsurewheretostart

• Someinstitutionsskepticalaboutideas/practicesfromotherstatesorinstitutionsthatareverydifferentfromtheirown

Structured,topicalPDbasedonfacultyaskscanstreamlinecontent

Varied,state-basedexemplarsgarnermorecredibility,interest

“...OurcolleagueinOpenEducationalResourceshelpedwiththisbysponsoringvirtuallabsoftwarerequestsandshowingthemhowitcanberun.”

- KristiWellingtonBaker,WashingtonSuccessCenterDirector

BigQuestions• Howdofindoutwhatinstitutionsneed?

• Howdoweknowifwe’rebeinghelpful?

• Howdowedothisallefficiently?

NorthCarolina

“Weaskedthreekeyquestionsinastatewidesurveyatthebeginningofthiscrisis:(1)whatresourcesareneededforeffectiveteachingandlearning?(2)howcanwegetfacultyandstudentstoengagemoreonline?(3)whatworkiscurrentlybeingdoneontheseissuesbyfacultythatisgoingunnoticed?”- AudreyJaeger,ExecutiveDirector,BelkCenterforCommunityCollegeLeadershipandResearch

New Urgency, Attention on Technology…“Even though Teaching & Learning is the fourth guided pathways pillar, it’s been the most challenging for us to tackle as part of our broader Guided Pathways work. COVID has created a golden opportunity to do that.”

…And on Equity “The national conversation on equity has really allowed us an opportunity to get granular with student outcomes data on teaching and learning, though it can be hard to have those conversations in a remote setting.”

FloridaCollegeResearchOverview9

AreasofInquiry1) Whatwerethemosturgentasks/needsasyour

campusmovedtoremoteteachingandlearning?Howhasthatevolved?

2) Whatpracticesorsupportsaroundteachingandlearningwereparticularlysuccessful?Whatwaslesssuccessful?

3) Whatresourcesorsupportswere/aremostdifficulttofindorprovide?

4) Whattopicsmightyou(orfacultyatyourinstitution)wanttodiscusswithotherinstitutions?

5) HowareinstitutionsaddressingequitywithinT&L?

6) TestInterestIn:CommunitiesofPractice;AskanExpert;Formalized,OnlineTrainingModules

7) AskAbout:CTEremotelearning,CARESActfundingandrapidcredentialingapproaches

DaytonaStateCollege

HillsboroughCommunityCollege

ValenciaCollege

NorthFloridaCollege

SantaFeCollege

ChipolaCollege

Institutionsrepresentedamixofurban,rural,andsuburbancollegesacrossthestateofFlorida.Theyalsorepresentarangeofsizes,servingbetween~2thousandtoover40thousandstudents.

LMSSystems:

42Canvas

D2LBrightspace

IntervieweesCameFromaRangeofDepartments,Roles:SampleTitles• Provost• VPofWorkforceandEconomicDevelopment• LearningResourcesandSupportLeads• DirectorofInstructionalTechnologies• DirectorofOnlineTeachingandLearning• Faculty(LiberalArtsandCTE)

19Individuals Interviewed Across Institutions

Astheinitialdustclearedandinstitutionsrecognizedthatremoteteachingandlearningwouldcontinueformonths,urgentrequestsforbasictechnologysupportandset-upgavewaytoconcernsaboutteachingandlearningquality,equity,andacademicintegrity.

SampleTopCitedQuestionsCollegesnotedthat,atahighlevel,top-of-mindissuesbecamemorefocusedoneducationqualityandaccess;supportsalsoneededtobecomemoretargetedandmoresystematized,asleadersnoticedsomefacultyandstaffwereabletomoreeasilyadjusttotheonlineenvironmentthanothers.

• HowdoIkeepstudentsengagedonline?• Whatcanbeusedtoensureacademicintegrity?Howdotheseworkwithourexistingtools?

• Howdowereachstudentsthathave“disappeared”orareclearlystruggling?

• WhataremypeersdoingtosupportT&Latourcollege?Whattechtoolsaretheyusing?

“MyAnswerDepends…”:FloridaCollegesIllustrateHowPractices,ChallengesandTriumphsVaryAcrossthePandemicTimeline

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Duringourinterviewswithvariousstateandsystemofficials,AudreyJaeger(NC)sketchedouthowNCState’sBelkCenterfor CommunityCollegeLeadershipandResearchdidnotexperiencetheshifttoremotelearningasone“bigwave,”butratherasthreedistinctphases,eachofwhichcamewithuniquechallengesthatrequiredvariedresponses.Floridacollegeleaders’responsestoquestionsaboutchallengesandbest practicesforremoteteachingandlearningmirroredsomeofJaeger’sperspective;criticalquestions,needs,andstrategiesshiftedovertime.

EmergencyResponse SustainandImprove Prepareforthe“NewNormal”

Facedwithgoing“suddenlyremote”intheSpring,institutionsworkedquicklytocommunicatechangestostudents,supportfacultyandstaff,andlearnnewwaysofleveragingtechnology.

SampleTopCitedQuestionsInitialinboundinquiriesfromfacultyandstaffwereoftenhandledbyindividualsinLibraryServices,OnlineTeachingandLearning,andInstructionalAffairs/LearningResourcesdepartments.QuestionsrevolvedaroundinitialsetupwithintheLMSandbasichow-toinstructionforotherrelevantremotetechnology.

• HowdoIuploadthingstotheLMS?• HowdoIuseZoom?Teams?• Whatshouldbeonmycoursepage?• Howdowesupportstudentswithoutinternetaccessorcomputers?(CARESActfundinghere)

• Help,myaudioisn’tworking!(Andotherreal-timetechnicaltroubleshooting)

Ascollegeshavebeguntocomebackforin-personclassesandsupport,theyarereflectingonhowlessonslearnedthroughthisperiodcouldredefineeverythingfromthewaytheinstitution’sworkforceismanagedtohowtotackleequityandaccessinteachingandlearninggoingforward.

SampleTopCitedQuestionsLookingforward,collegesarethinkingmorestrategically.Manynotedthatthepandemichaschangedthewaytheinstitutionseestechnology,andquestionsrevolvearoundthinkingmoreholisticallyandlong-termaboutwhatthefutureofhighereducationshouldlooklike.

• Whatwoulditlookliketocontinuetohaveapartiallyremoteworkforcegoingforward?

• Howshouldweberethinkingfacultyandstaffonboardingandprofessionaldevelopment?Whatrolesandresponsibilitiesneedtoevolve?

• Howdoweleveragetechnologytomaximizeaccessandequitywithoutsacrificingquality?

Inthefuture,givenmixedmodalitiesthatwillbepresentinoursupportand

learningenvironments,individualswhowerepredominantlyonlinewillwant

connectionwithotherhumanbeings,andthosethatwereprimarilyin-personwillrealizetheconvenienceofbeingonline.

Weneedtobepreparedtomeetthechallengesofboth.

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WendiDew,AVPTeachingandLearningValenciaCollege

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EmergencyResponse:FloridaCollegesBenefitFromExistingLMSInfrastructureandOnlineT&LExpertise

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Inotherstatesandatotherinstitutions,LearningManagementSystem(LMS)platformsweresometimesintransition,notfullyimplemented,orpoorlyusedbeforethe2020shifttoremoteinstruction.Thesestatesandinstitutionsreportedfacinganuphillbattletoquicklyimplement,scale,andtrainfacultyandstaffonnewLMStools.

ThesesixFloridainstitutionswerelargelysparedthisacutestruggle.EachinstitutionhadalreadyimplementedeitherD2LBrightspaceorCanvas.Eachoftheinstitutionsalsobenefittedfrompastinvestmentsinonlineeducationdelivery.

However,likeothercollegesnationwide,Floridacollegesgrappledwiththewaysinwhichthepandemictestedtheirbandwidthandresources,andtheygrappledwithhowthecrisisexposedandexacerbatedexistinginequities.

ArchitectureforSuccessq EstablishedandWell-UtilizedLMS:AllFloridacollegesinterviewedbenefittedfrom

havingestablishedLMSplatforms.Thosewithsmoothertransitionshadalsoinvestedin(1)LMSexpertsonstaffwhocouldteachothersaboutLMSfeaturesand/ortroubleshootLMSissues(2)LMS-specificprofessionaldevelopmentandtraining(3)ClearanduniversallyacceptedstandardsforLMSusage.

q EstablishedOnlineProgramming:Institutionsleveragedlocal“experts”,orthoseonstaffthatalreadyhadexperienceteachingallorpartoftheircourseonline.Somecolleges,likeDaytonaStateandNFC,benefittedfromadecades-longpushintodistanceeducationthatwasoriginallymeanttoexpandaccessacrosstheservicearea.

q OrganizedOvercommunication:Allcollegesnotedtheurgentneedforupdatesduringtheshift;leadersemphasizedtheneedtoclearlyandconsistentlycommunicatewithstudentsandstaff.Leaderspostedfrequentupdatestodedicatedwebpages(orfrontpages),understandingthatemailscouldgetburiedinbusyinboxes.Importantly,themostsuccessfulcollegesensuredthatthemostcriticalinformationwasproperlyemphasizedanddispersedthroughmultiplechannelsandkeptallupdatesorganized(e.g.,postedatregularintervalsinthesamelocation)soasnottoconfusestudentsandstaff.

“We’reruralFloridaandhavethelargestdistrictwithoneofthesmallestpopulations. So,distancelearningwasnecessarytodoagesago.Weasked,ifthey[students]didn’twanttodrive45-50mins,howdoweservethem?”- Dr.JayWelch,NFC

EmergencyResponse:BandwidthandResourcesaUniversalChallenge,ButNuancesAroseAccordingtoCollegeSize

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ChallengesandLessonsLearned

ResourcingStudentsAmidTheShift:“Band-AidsRatherThanSolutions”

Balancing urgency with feasibility• Valencia: “We were trying

pedagogy AND technology, in-depth, short amount of time -just too muStrch, frustrating. Decided never to move in that direction again.”

BalancingUrgencywithRealisticFacultyandStaffBandwidth

ExperiencesVariedAccordingtoCollegeSize,Capacity

Intheearlyweeksofthepandemic,theshifttoremoteT&Lrevealedtwomajorcategoriesforsupport:(1)TechnicalTrainingand(2)PedagogicalTrainingforanOnlineEnvironment:

• Longlistsofresourcespoppeduponinternalandexternalwebsites,butfacultywereattimesoverwhelmedandunsurehowtominetheoceanofresourcesforwhattheyreallyneeded.

• SomecollegesdeployedintensivePD,butquicklyrealizedthatteachingnewtechnicalskillsandpedagogysimultaneously(whilefacultywerestillteachingfullcourseloads)leftfacultyconfused,overwhelmed,andlesslikelytoabsorbcriticalinformation.

“Weweretryingtodotechnologyhow-tos andpedagogyin-depthandatthesametime.Itwasjusttoomuch.Werealized,‘gosh,wewouldneverteachourstudentsanewskillthisway,whyarewedoingthattoourfaculty?!’”

- TeachingandLearningLead,ValenciaCollege

CARESActfundingprovedcriticalforFloridacolleges,withallnotingthatsomefundswenttowardprocuringlaptopsandothermaterialsforstudents.However,otheracuteandunexpectedresourcingneedsarose:

• Manycollegesputupwi-fihotspotsinparkinglotsforstudentsthatdidnothaveinternetaccessathomebutnotedthatnotallstudentshadreadyaccesstoacarfromwhichtheycouldwork.

• Somefacultynotedthatremotelearningcamewithunexpectedcosts,particularlyforhands-onlabsthatrequired“notonlyatextbook,butaseparatelabkitthatstudentsdidn’tknowthey’dneedtopayfor,”orworksheetsthat“requiredprintersthatstudentsdidn’thave.”

“Onecolleaguetoldmethatatonepoint,wewereallcompetingfortheserockkitsforasciencecourse.Thevendorranoutofthem!Thenwhat?”

-Faculty,HillsboroughCommunityCollege

SmallerInstitutions

• MorerelianceonLMSvendorfortroubleshooting;vendorhelplinesoftenbusy

• Limitedcapacityforspecializedroles(e.g.,instructionaldesigners)

QualityMattersstandardsandFLVCresourcesgivenhighpraisebybothlargeandsmallinstitutions

LargerInstitutions

• Morefrictioninrollingoutpolicy/practicechanges,;longertimelinefordecision-making

• Largenumbersoffacultyandstaffthatrequiredvariedsupport

CaseStudy:ValenciaCollege’sCaseManagement“Triage”ApproachDeploysPeerSupportForFacultyatScale

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TheProblem TheSolution

Asalargerinstitution,Valenciahadhundredsoffacultymembersthatneededsupportduringthetransitiontoremoteteachingandlearning.

However,facultywereatvastlydifferentproficiencylevels,withsomeneedingintensivesupporttogetuptospeedononlineinstruction,othersrequiringsomelightdirection,andafewalreadyhighlyadeptatonlineteachingandlearningpracticeandtechnology.

TheValenciateamwondered:Howdowemeetsuchvarieddevelopmentneedsquicklyandatscale?

DataGathering SegmentationandTriage

AssignMentorsandDedicateTime

ExaminedLMSdataanddatawarehousedatatoassessprofessionaldevelopmentneeds.Dataexaminedincluded:• Hasaninstructortaughtanonlineclassbefore?

• Forhowmanytermshasaninstructortaughtonline?

• Howmanydifferenttypesofcourseshasaninstructortaughtonline?(#coursepreparations)

• WhatrelevantPDhastheinstructordonebefore?

FacultyAnalyzedandSegmented1800 600 FacultyIdentifiedas“Critical

Contacts”forIntensiveSupport

Datawascompiledintoafaculty“transcript”,allowingtheValenciateamtomodeloutanticipatedlevelsofsupportneededagainstexistingcapacitytoprovidethissupport:

• Recognized~3-4differentlevelsofneedbasedonfacultybackgroundandexperienceonline

• Developed~7leveltriagesystemwithsequencedactionsteps,fromlightsupporttodeeperintervention

• Identified“criticalcontacts,”definedasthosewithlittleonlineT&LexperienceandminimalonlineinstructionPD

100 MentorsDrawnfromT&LStaffand“HighlyProficient”Faculty

“CriticalContacts”wereeachassignedamentor(leveragingexistingmentorprogram)withintheirfieldforintensive1:1support.Elementsofsuccess:

• Mentors:Consistedof60-70facultyandmembersofT&Lstaff;abletoactivateexistingmentorshipprograms

• ConsultationGuide:Standardizedsetofquestionsfilledoutbeforementorshipsessionstoguidediscussion

• RealisticExpectations:Emphasized“teachingenough,”butnotallowingperfecttobetheenemyofthegood;reducednumberofcoursepreps

SustainandImprove:EffectivePracticesandKeyChallenges15

ArchitectureforSuccess

ChallengesandLessonsLearned

Simple,BroadGuidelinesShort,simpleresourceshelpedillustratebaselineeffectivepracticeforLMSusage,videolectures,andstudentcommunication;longermoreintensiveresourceswereoftentoo“overwhelming”forfaculty.

“Heroic”LearningTechnologistsLibraryservicesandteachingandlearningstaffbecameindispensable,offeringon-callsupport,webinars,andcustomizedhow-tomaterials.

PeerSupport,ExemplarsExistingpeermentorshipprogramswerereconstitutedtoscaleeffectiveteachingandlearningpracticeacrossdisciplines.

ContinuedChallengetoProvideAccessSomestudentsremainedunderresourced forremotelearning;manyalsorequiredalready-scarceITsupporttoadjusttotheremoteenvironment.

ApprehensionAboutNewStructures,ChangeSomefacultyresistednewLMS/courseshellstandards,othersworriedself-serviceportalsforstudentstomanagedegreeplansandcoursechangesmight“makeittooeasy”forstudentstocircumventprogramrequirements.

DepletedStaminaLonghourstaxedfacultyandstaffmoraleandstamina,manywonderinghowto“supportstudentsandourselves”atthesametime.

“JohnGardner,ourautomotiveinstructorhelpedotherCTEinstructorsunderstandhowtodovideo-based‘capsules’ofinstruction.Hisvideoswereinteractive,andthestudentspreferredwatchinginstructionfromtheirownprofessoronYouTuberatherthanjustastockvideo.”-VikkiMilton,DirectorofLearningResources,ChipolaCollegeSeeJohnGardner’svideoserieson“TechGarage”

CaseStudy:MultipleCollegesBegintoEstablishClear,UniversalGuidelinesforLMSUsage

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SampleLMSStandardsChipolaCollege’sLMSguidelinesaresplitintotwolevels:MinimumStandardsandProficientStandards.MinimumStandardsarerequiredforallcoursesandProficientStandardsaremeantforonlinecourses.Standardsincluded:

q Utilizesthecustomized“PagesFrontPage”toaddressaWelcomeandCourseIntroduction

q PublishesFinalExamdateandtimeoncalendar;locationaddedwhendetermined

q Recordsdailyattendanceq ContainslinktoFirstDayHandout(Mustbe

titled“FirstDayHandout”)

WhyDoesThisMatterForOurStudents?

…ButLeadersShouldBePreparedforSomeFacultyResistance“Therehasbeensomepushbackonthegradebookstandards…thetensionis,studentsneedconsistency,andourfacultydemandflexibility.”– CabinetMember,Mid-SizeFloridaCollege

90%StudentsclaimtheystronglyprefertotakeclasseswithfacultythatusetheLMScalendar,grading,anddiscussionboardfeatures.Overall,LMSstandardizationreducedstudentanxietyandbarrierstolearning,criticaladjustmentstoenablestudentsuccess.TheAdaCenterStudentFocusGroups,2019

Wewerenimbleduringthisperiod,becausewehadtobe.Buttherehavebeenalotoflessonslearned,andtherearethingsthataregoingtoneedto

evolvegoingforward.

Thetruthis,thisairplanejustdoesn’tflybackwards…

“

Dr.EdBonahue,ProvostSantaFeCollege

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ReturningtoaNewNormal:ReflectionsFromInstitutionsIlluminateWhichTop-of-MindIssuesStatesWillNeedtoConsiderGoingForward

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SupportingAnEffectiveTeaching&Learning

TechnologyInfrastructure

PreparingforNewRolesandResponsibilities

ExploringNewHybridModelsforTeaching,Learning,andWorking

PuttingAccessandEquityattheForefrontoftheFutureofHigherEd

ReturningtoaNewNormal:SupportinganEffectiveT&LTechnologyInfrastructure

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“It’dbegreattohaveaclearinghouse ordiscoveryportaloftechnologytoolsandreviews.”

“Isthereawaytogettheseproctoring applicationstobelessexpensivebycoordinatingasastate?”

“Weneedeachofthesethingstointegrate andworktogether,rightnowtheydon’tplaywell.It’dbegreattoknowifothershaveencounteredthisissue,orifwecouldpressurethevendorsforafix.It’snotgoingaway.“

Forinstitutionsnationwide,includingthoseinFlorida,theshifttoremoteteachingandlearningilluminatedhowmuchmorecouldbe(andneededtobe)donewithexistingmajortechnologyplatforms,liketheLMSandstudentsuccessCRMs.Butitalsoputthespotlightontoolswithfeaturesspecificallycateredtotheremotelearningenvironment.Astheusageofthesetoolsgrows,sodoestheneedtounderstandtheproductmarketlandscapeandexplorehowtoscaletoolseffectivelyandsustainably.

ProctoringTools Floridacollegesarecurrentlyusingdifferentproctoringtools,oftenprocuredorscaledquicklyduetotheurgenttransition:• Currentcontractingenablingcoststoballoonovertimeas

usersareadded.• Moreguidanceneededaroundhowtoorientstudentsto

thesetools;nationalresearchfromTheAdaCenterindicatesthatstudentshavebeencaughtoff-guard,stressedbynewtechnologyusedinhigh-stakestestingcontexts.

StudentCommunicationTools• Usageratesforchatbots skyrocketedatFloridacollegesthat

hadalreadyinvestedinatool(Ex:DaytonaStateCollegesaw#ofchatsincreaseby10X)

• Similarly,existingCRM technologieswereleveragedmoreheavilytoenrollandadvisestudentsremotely

• Collegesuniversallynotethatappointmentschedulingfeatures(sometimesincludedinCRMtools)wereinvaluableforstudentsandreducedbarriers.

HowCantheStateHelp?

ReturningtoaNewNormal:EvolvingRolesandResponsibilities

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OnboardingandPD:Setting NewStandardsHiringfortheFutureofHigherEd:AChangingLandscape

• Instructionaldesignskillswillbeinincreasinglyhighdemand

• Jobdescriptionsforfacultyandstaffarealreadychanging

• Supportstaffrolesareshiftingfrombasiccalendarmanagementtoon-handbasicITsupport

“Thejobhaschanged.IneedaquickSharePointtutorial,MSForms,aZoomset-up,notdiction!”

“We’vealreadyre-writtenafewjobdescriptionsforflexibilityacrossmultiplemodalities…”

“They’relikeIRstaff,difficulttorecruitandmaintain.Thatcombinationoftech,teachingandhumanity…it’sveryrare!”

• Peermentorshipprogrammingwithininstitutionsexpandingtoaddresstheintersectionofpedagogytomodality

”Duringthisperiod,weprovedtoourselveshowadaptableandnimblewecouldbe…andwillneedtobe.”

• MandatorytrainingnowincludingmoreintentionalLMSorientations,equityandaccessdiscussions,andbaselineonlineT&Lpractices(thoughwhatis“baseline”versusmoreadvancedisstillbeingdefined)

”We’retryingtobelessreactiveandmoreproactiveaboutsettingstandardsforonlinelearning…”

“We’reimplementingmandatoryLMStrainingandmoreintensivetrainingforonlineandhybrideducators”

HowCantheStateHelp?I’mapartoftheCollegeSystemCouncilforInstructionalAffairs.It’sreallyvaluable,butinsteadofmegoing,I’dliketohavemorefacultyengagement,anopportunityforthemtocometogetheranddothesamekindofthingattheirlevelwiththeirpeers.”

- LynneWyche,DirectorofLearningResources,NFC

80% OfFloridaintervieweesexpressedinterestinCommunitiesofPracticeforfaculty

ReturningtoaNewNormal:NewModelsforHybridTeaching,Learning,andWorking

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WhatAboutCTE?Remoteinstructionwasmostchallengingforhands-on,workforce-focusedprograms.MostCTEleadersleveragedCARESActfundingforlaptops,PD,andnicheapplications.Butthroughthischallenge,ValenciaCollegerecognizedanopportunitytore-thinkthearchitectureoftheseprograms:

“IfIhaveaconstructionprogramandthetimingofthecoursedoesnotworkforastudent,thatstudentdoesn’tregister.Youhopetheyregisternexttime,buttheymightnot….Ourhopeisthatthiswillmakeaccesstoadvancedcoursesmucheasier.“

- Dr.NasserHedayat,AVPCareerandWorkforceEducationValenciaCollege

BigQuestionsAriseAsCollegesContemplateaHybridApproach

WorkfromHomeforFacultyandStaff?CriticalQuestions:

• Communication:Coursemodality– andconsiderationsforthatmodality– willneedtobeclearlyarticulatedinstudentfriendlylanguage.(Note:Facultyacknowledgedthatstudentscouldbecomeconfusedbytermslike”Hyflex”)

• OneSize(Modality)DoesNotFitAll:Whilesomestudents,particularlyadultlearners,benefittedfromtheflexibilityofdistancelearning,manywerealsoeagertoreturntoface-to-faceclasses.

DaytonaStateCollegeHavingahybridworkforceallowedthecollegetoextenditssupportserviceshours:“Werealizedthat33%ofstudentactivitywashappeningduringourpreviously‘closedhours.’Whatdidwemissbefore?”

MixedModalityConsiderationsforStudents

• Howdowedecidewhogetstoworkremotely?• Howdoweresourcefacultyandstafftoworkremotelyparttime?• Couldallowingmoreremoteworkallowustomoreeasilyfillroles

thatarepersistentlydifficulttosource?• Couldallowingmoreremoteworkhelpusbetterservestudents?

Synchronousonlinelecturecoverstheory,knowledge

*Canberecordedforstudentstoreview

LabsopenMonday-Saturdayforhands-onlearningcomponent;studentscomeattimethatworksforthem

Instructorsprovidein-personsupportinlabs;splithours

ReturningtoaNewNormal:EquityandAccessAttheForefrontoftheFutureofHigherEd

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“Requiringphysicaltextbooksisarealbarrierforourstudents.Textbookscostasmuchasclasses!WeshouldexploreOERresources asapartofthisnewphaseofteachingandlearning.”

“Accesstolaptopsandwifihotspotsisstillspotty.Weneedalonger-termsolution.”

“Howmightwecollaboratebetterwithhighschoolstomakesurestudentscometouswiththebaselinedigitalliteracyskills?”

HowCantheStateHelp?EquipmentNeedscomeintofocus,asstudentswereforcedtobecomemoreself-reliantforremoteclasses,manylackinginternetaccessandlaptops.

DigitalLiteracytakesnewdimensions,withlesstech-savvystudentsfacingmorebarriersinclass.

FinancialNeedsanincreasingchallengeforstudentswhohavelosttheirjobsandconfrontthecostsofeducation,withmanyreachingoutforhelptoourfacultyandstaff.

Accessibility growsinimportance,withfacultyunsureofhowtobeADAcompliantand/oridentifystudentneedsremotely.

BasicNeedsbecameapparenttofacultyinnewways;Zoomprovidedawindowintostudents’livesastheysharedincreasinglylimitedspace,time,internetaccess,andevenfoodwhilejugglingcompetingdemands(e.g.,childcare,shiftingjobhours);conversationsaboutequityandaccessibilityaboundedacrossdepartmentsandunitsatcolleges.

FloridaCollegesUnanimouslyCiteConcernforStudentNeedsinRemoteEnvironment

ANoteOnRapidCredentialsTheeconomiccrisisbroughtonbythepandemiccreateduniqueworkforceeducationchallengesandopportunities.Rapidcredentialsofferedtheopportunitytoupskillstudentsatrecordspeed,butalsorantheriskof“creatingmoreunemployedworkers,morequickly.”Leadersnotedthatemployersshouldhave“skininthegame”forthesecredentialstoensurethat“wearen’tgivingthem100studentsforoneposition,whichisgreatforthem,butterribleforourgraduates.”(Note:Mostworkforceprogramshaveshiftedbacktosomeinpersoninstruction).

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FromMyHometoYours:TheSurprisingWaysRemoteT&LBuiltEmpathyand

isSpurringMomentumTowardGreaterAccess

Dr.NasserHedayat (AVP,CareerandWorkforceEducation,ValenciaCollege)describedspeakingwithaCTEfacultymemberwhoobservedastudentonZoomslouchingduringalesson.“Can’tyouatleastsitup?”,theinstructorasked.Thestudentexplainedthathe,infact,couldnot;hehadinjuredhisbackliftingheavymaterialsatworkbutdidn’twanttomissamomentofclass.

“Normally,thisinstructorwouldcometoclassandlikelyseeanemptychair.Byprovidingdistanceinstruction,instead,hesawthatstudent’scommitment.Itmadehimmorecommittedandmoreempatheticasateacher.”Dr.Hedayat explained.

“Giventhechoicebetweenin-personandonlinelearning,anyonewilltellyou:therearethingsyougetfrombeinginpersonthatyoucan’treplicateonline.Butbeingonlinemeanswecancreatemoreaccessforourstudents.Itmeansinsteadofseeinganemptychairandthinking,‘Oh,thispersonstoppedoutbecauselifegotintheway…’,or‘Thisstudentisjustanotherabsentee…’,wecansay,‘Lifecangetinthewayofyoucomingtocampus,butitdoesn’thavetogetinthewayofyoureducation.’”

FeedbackOverview:GivenTop-of-MindIssues,HowCanState-BasedLeadersHelpGoingForward?

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TestedIdeasfromOtherStates

CommunitiesofPractice(COPs) 80%Collegeswereparticularlyinterestedindiscipline-specificopportunitiesforfaculty.

ManypointedtotheFLVCasanexemplarymodelforLibraryServicesstaffthatcouldbeextendedtootherroles.

(See”Recommendations”onp.25)

AskanExpert 50%SmallerschoolscouldbenefitfromexternalLMSexpertsandinstructionaldesigners,butlargerschoolsfoundin-housestaffresponsiveandadeptenoughtofillthisneed.

Manyintervieweesnotedthat,afterthe“emergencyresponse”period,thekindsofquestionsthatwereaskedrequiredindividualsthatwere1)familiarwiththeinstitution’schosenLMS,2)familiarwiththeinstitution’sparticularguidelinesforcourseshells,and3)insomecases,familiarwithspecificacademiccontent.

LearningtoGoRemote,Remotely 20%Intervieweesnotedthatone-size-fits-allprofessionaldevelopmentforonlineteachingandlearningwouldlikelybetoogenerictobeworththeliftrequiredtocreatemodules.

Severallargerinstitutionsalreadyhaverobustonlineteachingandlearningmodulesinplace,including“badging”orotherspecialrecognitionforfacultyandstaffthatcompleteit.

FeedbackOverview:GivenTop-of-MindIssues,HowCanState-BasedLeadersHelpGoingForward?

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AnticipatedLift PotentialImpact

SupportandEvolveExistingState-BasedPDtoAddressEquity,Access,andT&LModalityLeadersacrosshierarchiesandunitsnotedthatdiscussionsaboutmodality,equity,andaccess(e.g.,WhatarebestpracticeLMS/onlineT&Lguidelines?HowshouldthesebeimplementedinonboardingandinternalPD?Whatdoemerging,effective“hyflex”approacheslooklike?)fromacrossinstitutionsshouldbeembeddedinGuidedPathwaysworkshops;collegeswereapprehensiveaboutseparate,newPDthatmightovertaxinstitutionbandwidth.

Low High

SupporttheCreationofITInventoryDatabases(CentralizedorInstitution-Based)Proctoringapplications,chatapplications,andCRMsarelikelytocontinuetobevitalgoingforward.Anunderstandingoftheprosandconsofapplicationsthatarebeingusedacrossdifferentcollegeswouldbehelpful,thoughcollegescouldalsobenefitfrominstitution-specifictechnologyinventoriesthatcaptureT&Lapplicationsbeingusedacrossdifferentdepartments;severalfacultymembersnotedthattheywereoftenunawareofthetoolsbeingusedinwithintheirowncolleges.

MediumtoHigh,DependingonApproach

Medium

ExploreState-WideProcurementorPartnershipEffortstoLowerCosts,ImproveStudentExperienceTherewassomeappetiteforaleveragingastate-widecontracttoreducethecostofproctoringapplicationsandstandardizethe remotetest-takingexperienceforstudents.Collegesalsouniversallynotedthataccesstotechnologyresources(namelylaptops)andinternetaccesscontinuedtobepainpointsforstudents,aswellasforsomefaculty,leadingtomultipleasksforfurthersupportin establishingmoreandstrongerinternethotspotsthroughoutcommunitiesandfundsfortechnologytools.

MediumtoHigh,DependingonApproach

Medium-High

ExplorePotentialforFaculty-CenteredorTopic-SpecificCommunitiesofPracticeIdeally,COPsshouldbecateredtowardfacultyandfocusonsharingexemplarypracticeswithindisciplines.CollegesnotedtheCOPsshouldmeetevery3-6weeks,butthatanongoing,well-moderatedlistservabouttop-of-mindtopicsandquestionscouldhelptokeepfacultyintouchacrossinstitutions.Severalintervieweesnotedthat,ifnotformalCOPs,opportunitiestodiscusstopicssuchasmanagingaremoteorpartiallyremoteworkforcecouldalsobehelpful.

ANoteonFLVC:80%proactivelymentionedFLVCasanincreasinglyimportantinfrastructuretomaintaintosupportlibraries/distancelearning.SeveralnotedthatFLVCalsooffersanexemplarymodelforcross-institutionalCOPs.

High Medium-High

PotentialIdeastoExplore:

SuggestedGuidingQuestionstoInformNextStepsForState-BasedLeaders

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1) Whichtop-of-mindtopicsmighttheStateorSSCbebestpositionedtosupportgoingforward?

2) Whichtypesofindividuals,facedwithevolvingrolesandresponsibilities,(e.g.,leaders,faculty,instructionaldesigners,teachingandlearningleads,etc.)mighttheStateorSSCbebestpositionedtosupportgoingforward?

3) Whatarethebestmodalitiesfordeliveringsupportforthis/thesetopics(e.g.,webinar,COP,website)givenwhatalreadyexistsatcollegesandwithinthestate?

4) Howmightotherentities,likeFLVC,orongoingprogramming,likeGuidedPathwaysworkshops,behelpfulindeployingthissupport?Whatcanwelearnfromthem?

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SupportingRemoteTeachingandLearninginFlorida

March2021