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Wheelock College Learning Technologies Strategic Plan (LTSP)

Prepared by Dr. Nada Dabbagh, Earl Learning Technologies Consultant

June 2016

Executive Summary

Higher education must transform its established teaching and learning practices by

leveraging technology-based pedagogical models that can make learning more efficient,

affordable, and adaptable to the changing demographic of college students and the workplace. In

order to remain competitive, Wheelock College must embrace digital learning and innovation

and carve its own digital learning pathway that best serves its mission. The recommendations

provided below are a step in the right direction towards building capacity in order to effectively

manage change and disruption challenging the longstanding assumptions that have shaped

postsecondary learning. These recommendations emerged as a result of several processes aimed

at identifying Wheelock’s strengths and opportunities with regards to the use of learning

technologies to transform teaching and learning practices, increase its growth and visibility, and

enrich the Wheelock College student experience.

The overarching goal of Wheelock’s LTSP is to:

Promote the innovative and thoughtful use of technology in advancing pedagogical

practices and student learning that support the College’s strategic plans and priorities.

Specific recommendations include the following:

Transform teaching and learning practices:

o Develop a comprehensive and sustainable learning technologies professional

development plan for faculty with a particular focus on the design and teaching of

hybrid and online courses

o Develop parameters to determine which programs or certificates are conducive for

online or hybrid delivery and how to successfully implement and evaluate such

programs

Increase Wheelock’s strategic growth and visibility:

o Develop new online or hybrid academic programs or certificates that capitalize on

Wheelock’s signature programs and faculty expertise

o Consolidate Wheelock’s online and hybrid program initiatives, i.e., Open College,

Excelsior STEM Masters, and Competency Based Models in Aspire under one

umbrella for greater impact and efficiency

o Consider a Graduate Programs and Professional Studies area that bundles the

Masters in Ed Studies with professional development certificates and other

flexible options for students to earn a graduate degree or certificate online

o Develop a marketing plan to promote online and hybrid programs

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o Build high impact partnerships with local, national, and global associations or

entities that are leading the way in the learning technologies space; this will

enable Wheelock to engage in pedagogical and research based trend setting

practices such as makerspaces, computational thinking, app design, and brain-

based learning

Enrich the Wheelock college student experience:

o Develop a course for Wheelock students that addresses the effective use of

technology for learning

o Implement an e-portfolio system that supports student creation of a personalized

learning experience using digital technologies and networks

In order to implement the above recommendations over the next 2-3 years, it is

recommended that rather than resuming the search for The Earl Endowed Professorship of

Teaching and Learning and associated supports, it would be more beneficial to:

(short term; 1-2 years) Continue the work of the Earl Learning Technologies Consultant

and the Hybrid and Online Taskforce which includes developing faculty professional

development activities, innovation days, and identifying guidelines and procedures for

online teaching and learning

(short term; 1-2 years) Hire a Director of Digital Learning and Innovation (or similar

title) who has the knowledge and experience to lead the college in transforming its

teaching and learning practices through the use of digital technologies and ensure that the

appropriate technological infrastructure, pedagogical support, and fiscal support are in

place to accomplish this transformation in a timely, efficient, and effective manner; this

person would report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs

(short term; 1-2 years) Hire an instructional designer (or contractual instructional

designers in the interim) to work with faculty on transitioning selected courses and

programs from face to face to online and hybrid delivery and designing new online

courses and programs using quality online learning principles, processes, and standards

(long term; 2-3 years) Hire a faculty member (could be part time) who has the expertise to

design and teach courses in instructional technology and educational app design at the

undergraduate and graduate level

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Learning Technologies Strategic Plan (LTSP)

This report describes the charge, process, activities and tasks that led to the development of

Wheelock’s Learning Technologies Strategic Plan (LTSP) and steps for implementation.

Charge

My charge was to serve as the Earl Learning Technologies Consultant during the 2015-16

academic year. This involved spending five weeks in residence at Wheelock to conduct a needs

analysis, provide professional development for faculty, and develop the strategic plan for

Wheelock’s learning technology effort in collaboration with Dean Linda Banks-Santilli and a

small task force. Initially the offer was for the Sylvia and James Earl Endowed Professor of

Learning and Technology, however after thoughtful consideration and deliberations, the decision

was that the role of a consultant would be more beneficial in the short term. This report and

resulting recommendations is evidence that this was the right decision for all stakeholders.

Process

The process involved (a) conducting a SWOT analysis to identify Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, and Threats with regards to Wheelock’s learning technologies infrastructure and

capacity, (b) conducting a needs assessment to identify optimals and actuals with regards to

Wheelock faculty and students use of technology for teaching and learning and determine which

academic programs are primed for online or blended delivery, and (c) developing and facilitating

professional development events for faculty to enrich their knowledge in the innovative use of

technology for teaching and learning.

The process was implemented in five weeks across the academic year, three weeks on site

and two weeks remotely as follows: September 21 -25, 2015 (onsite); October 26-30, 2015

(onsite); March 7-11, 2016 (remotely); April 25-29, 2016 (onsite); and June 6-10, 2016

(remotely). During these weeks I facilitated or participated in 8 formal meetings with faculty,

staff, administrators, leadership teams, and academic and technology committees and groups,

and led 5 faculty professional development workshops and innovation days including the Earl

Innovation Days in April 2016. Additionally, I met with Wheelock student groups to learn about

their academic and career interests; administrated student and faculty surveys to gather data

about technology skills, capabilities, and needs; conducted research on educational technology

academic programs at peer institutions locally and nationally; and identified partners and

affiliates that would impact Wheelock’s transition to a leader in digital innovation aimed at

improving the lives of children and families.

The process was documented through the website Wheelock 2020, Ideate, Design,

Innovate, Educate (https://wheelock2020.wordpress.com/). The process spanned both the

ideation and design phases of innovation design. The website includes information about the task

force members, meeting agendas and minutes, professional development materials and

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presentations, and resources and readings related to current and emerging learning technology

trends and initiatives in higher education. The figure below shows the homepage of the website.

Activities and Tasks

SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis was conducted with members of the task force over three meetings in

September 2015 in an iterative manner. The SWOT analysis involved identifying Wheelock’s

internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. The table below shows

the first iteration of the SWOT analysis. As is expected in a SWOT analysis, some strengths can

also be perceived as weaknesses or areas that need improvement (e.g., personalized learning) and

some opportunities can also be perceived as threats (e.g., global education).

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INTERNAL Strengths Strengths

What is Wheelock’s competitive advantage?

What are Wheelock’s advantages in terms of its students, faculty, teaching practices, resources, location, etc.?

What do we do well at Wheelock?

What activities or processes have met with success?

Child Life Specialist program

Teacher preparation

Students committed to Wheelock’s mission:

Students are/have:

Inspired

Idealistic

Deterministic

Grit

Small classes

Personalized education

Culture

Location/access

Field placement opportunities

Partnerships/collaboration

COMPASS referral system

Small school experience

Earl Center for Learning and Innovation

Faculty

Content expertise

EXTERNAL Opportunities Opportunities

What possibilities exist to support or help your vision, mission, the people you serve?

What local, national, or international trends draw interest to your efforts?

Is a social change or demographic pattern favorable to your goal?

Do changes in technology hold new promise?

Aspire Institute

Earl Center for Learning and Innovation

Professional development – how do we motivate faculty when processes take so long?

Participate:

Be a leader or player in events

Join other community groups

Take advantage of learning opportunities within the city

Continue innovating EC and K-12 education (maker spaces):

Address/push for more EC programs

Expand beyond the walls, broaden programs that have the largest impact

Rethink the curriculum in different ways

Expand global presence/reach and capitalize further

How do we participate in the intersection of technological change and education in a kid-safe way?

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Game/app development

EC technologist/designer

Technology degree for teaching kids (partner with Wentworth?)

Create course to teach teachers how to teach with technology

EXTERNAL Threats Threats

What obstacles do you face that hinder the effort - in the environment, the people you serve, or the people who conduct your work?

What local, national, or international trends favor interest in other or competing programs?

Is a social change or demographic pattern harmful to your goal?

Is changing technology threatening your effectiveness?

International

Time

Competition

Finances

Sustainable development and changing technology

Sustaining motivation and continuous improvement

Faculty/staff retention

In the second and third iterations of the SWOT analysis, strengths, weaknesses, and

opportunities were prioritized further as follows:

Strengths:

Personalized education - students being able to personalize their learning experience

Experiential learning - field experience opportunities/partnerships/collaboration

Faculty/content expertise - this also links to personalized education and experiential

learning given the small class sizes and small school experience

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Weaknesses or areas that need improvement:

Professional development for faculty – there is definitely a need for formal and informal

learning spaces both online and face to face so that faculty can share innovations and

pedagogical and technological practices particularly as this relates to the use of technology

for online and blended learning; there is also a need to create cross functional faculty

groups and restructure existing task forces

Technological infrastructure – there are many different technological applications and

platforms that faculty and students are using in the classroom and online making it difficult

to provide adequate technical and pedagogical support; Wheelock uses Moodle as its LMS

(Learning Management System) however other colleges of the Fenway use other LMSs

Opportunities:

Curriculum design – rethink the curriculum in innovative ways; broaden programs that

have the largest impact; develop new programs that are cutting edge in terms of the use of

technology for teacher training (e.g., brain-based learning, children’s app design)

Expand global presence – expand global presence and reach through online education

Partnerships and collaboration – leverage the Earl center for sponsoring events with the

local community; consider partnerships with for-profits such as LearnLaunch (EdTech

accelerator in Boston) and online course providers that can offer low cost online courses;

leverage Wheelock’s EC expertise to become a leader and player in the field; consider joint

programs with COF (e.g., Wentworth); start small then build and expand; better integration

with Aspire Institute (e.g., consider a STEM accelerator program)

Needs Assessment

The needs assessment consisted of three areas: (1) uncovering faculty skills, capabilities,

and needs with regards to the use of technology for teaching and learning in online and blended

learning contexts, (2) uncovering students’ skills, capabilities, needs, and preferences with

regards to the use of technology for teaching and learning, and (3) identifying academic

programs suited for online and blended delivery.

Faculty Survey. The T.E.A.L. or Technology Enhanced Active Learning survey was

administered to Wheelock faculty in January of 2016. The TEAL survey was selected because it

addresses the use of technology for active or experiential learning which was identified as a

pedagogical strength in the SWOT analysis. The survey was endorsed by the Earl Learning

Technologies taskforce. The survey asked faculty to respond to the following questions:

1. What is your experience with TEAL activities in your courses?

2. Which TEAL activities are you interested in learning more about?

3. What type of support would facilitate increased TEAL integration in your courses?

4. How many blended/online courses have you taught at Wheelock?

5. Would you be willing to share best practices of TEAL activities? Or serve as a faculty

mentor?

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Forty-five (N=45) Wheelock faculty responded to the survey. With respect to experience

with TEAL activities, faculty reported they have the most experience in incorporating a variety

of online media in their courses, followed by using technology to emphasize problem solving

and higher order thinking skills, facilitating collaboration and communication among students

and fostering student reflection and self-regulated learning. Faculty reported having the least

experience in using technology to enable self-directed or just in time learning, followed by

facilitating real time student interactions, making student thinking visible, and relating course

concepts to global issues and problems. The results also conveyed that Wheelock faculty are

interested in training related to all TEAL activities with the highest being how to use technology

to foster collaboration and communication among students (see figure below).

The results of the TEAL survey also revealed that only 16 faculty had experience teaching

online or hybrid courses and only 10 faculty had taught online or hybrid courses at Wheelock.

The faculty also reported a strong desire in learning how to teach online and how to design

online courses and transition face to face courses to online or blended delivery formats.

Student Survey. The student survey was based on the concept of Personal Learning

Environments or PLE which is a learning technology that is designed around each student’s

goals or learning approach and a pedagogical process that helps students organize the influx of

information and resources that they are faced with on a daily basis into a personalized digital

learning space or experience. The goal of the PLE survey was to document what technologies

and strategies students use to learn in order to understand what student PLEs look like and help

students design and manage their digital learning spaces and experiences.

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The PLE survey asked Wheelock students what they like to learn about, what hardware do

they use to learn, what software do they use to learn, what digital tools they wished they had

access to for learning and why, and what might their ideal PLE look like. Seventy-five (N=75)

Wheelock students responded to this survey. These respondents were largely comprised of a

liberal arts focused student base with high interest in social issues, including social work, and

children and child development. A quote that seems to characterize a majority of the responses to

the question “who are you and what do you like to learn about” was: “I am a person who goes to

Wheelock, obviously, but for a reason. I want to change the world.”

With regards to the question what hardware do you use to learn, laptops dominated the

responses at N=72 followed by smartphones (N=56) and tablets (N=25). Responses to the

question what software do you use to learn, search engines had the highest frequency, followed

by social networks and online videos. The figure below shows the variety of technologies

Wheelock students use to learn.

The results also showed that Wheelock students wished they had access to the following

digital tools for learning:

Resource management tools such as online bookmarking to help them aggregate news

articles and readings and stay organized

Progress-tracking tools to facilitate instructor-student feedback, grades monitoring, and

staying on track with what is expected

Organizational tools such as graphic organizers, concept-mapping, mind-mapping, and

infographics tools to help them visually represent and organize their learning

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The last question on the student survey asked about their ideal PLE. Five themes

characterized the responses as shown in the figure below.

Wheelock students described their ideal PLE as both physical and digital learning spaces

that included other learners, opportunities for discussion, conversation, and dialogue, access to

educational materials, and opportunities to receive feedback on their learning progress. Students

reported that they learn best in a medium sized group with plenty of opportunities for discussion,

interaction and collaboration with peers and professors. Organizing, planning, and resource

management was another theme that characterized students’ ideal PLE in order to multitask,

manage assignments and organize resources. This is consistent with what students reported in

response to the question what digital tools do you wish you had access to for learning?

Experiential learning strategies was another theme that characterized students’ ideal PLE with

emphasis on hands on learning, interactive learning, engaged learning, and visual learning. And

lastly, effective technology was a prominent theme characterized by the quote below.

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The analysis of the surveys also revealed that Wheelock faculty and students have common

needs and values when it comes to the use of technology for teaching and learning:

• They need support in effective use of technology

• They value the use of technology for active, experiential, and personalized learning

• They value the use of technology for collaboration and interaction

It is important to mention that in August 2014, a collaborative effort that is in line with the

above faculty and student needs and values, was initiated. The initiative was called Professional

Development for Student Centered Learning and it aligned with transforming teaching and

learning, a goal of Wheelock’s strategic plan. The overarching objective was to support

academic excellence and increase rigorous learning experiences. Specific goals included creating

high impact professional development opportunities for faculty and staff in support of student

learning in and out of the classroom that reflect the changing nature of students and of higher

education. The initiative also called for several interdependent operational goals that included

implementing an e-portfolio system for students, increasing student research opportunities,

developing accelerated programs, and internationalizing the curriculum.

Online and Blended Learning. Wheelock convened a hybrid and online taskforce or

committee in 2014 comprised of 16 members that included faculty and staff. The taskforce was

further divided into 8 subcommittees charged with examining different aspects of online and

hybrid learning including technology infrastructure and support, market demand, current

programs conducive to online format, programs at other institutions, budgeting, and students and

faculty interest and readiness to engage in online learning. The taskforce met several times,

gathered data, and discussed the feasibility of offering online and hybrid programs and

certificates at Wheelock. Additionally, two initiative charters were created with a start date of

October 2014, one for implementing fully online and hybrid courses and programs and the other

for implementing an accelerated 3-year degree program. Projections for offering hybrid and

online courses in spring 2015 through summer 2017 were also developed. Wheelock currently

has 25-30 courses in hybrid format and 3-7 fully online courses at the undergraduate level, and

one graduate online program (STEM Math & Science) which is now offered through the School

of Graduate and Professional Programs.

The online and hybrid taskforce reported in its meeting minutes that 20% of Wheelock’s

entering freshman and transfer students surveyed in fall 2014 had taken a blended or online

course prior to coming to Wheelock, 50% were satisfied or very satisfied with their learning

experience in hybrid or online courses, and 50% would like the option of taking online or hybrid

courses for credit at Wheelock. Prospective students who were surveyed see this as a way to

accelerate degree completion, credit recovery and increased flexibility of course offerings

particularly for graduate students. Decreasing time to degree completion is critical to Wheelock’s

sustainability given the high number of Wheelock’s first generation students (over 40%) who are

also low-income and struggling to pay tuition. It was also reported in the minutes that large scale

online programs are typically hosted by larger, more branded public or private institutions and

that Wheelock should not enter the business of online learning to replicate what others are doing.

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In reviewing Wheelock’s prior initiatives related to online and hybrid learning and

surveying what peer institutions are doing in this area and who are the industry leaders, it

became clear that Wheelock College must differentiate itself in the online space and leverage its

strengths to build signature online or hybrid programs and attract a new student demographic.

Several Wheelock faculty (Jeff Winokur, Stephanie Cox Suarez, Judy Richards, Ellen

Faszewski, Kathy McDonough, Felicity Crawford, Ashley Davis, Carrie Cardamone) are already

championing the effective use of learning technologies to support the high touch, experiential

learning staple of Wheelock. Leveraging these faculty expertise and efforts is critical to the

diffusion of innovative teaching. Several Wheelock faculty are also in the process of redesigning

signature academic programs and certificates for online or blended delivery but they need

instructional design support, technical support, marketing support, and an incentive such as

release time or a stipend. Examples of these initiatives include:

Reviving the birth-3 graduate specialization under the Child Life Program

Glenn Morgan graduate certificate of Early Childhood

Online versions of professional development certificates for teachers seeking professional

licensure, can be embedded in the Masters of Ed Studies and EC practitioner track

Juvenile Justice Youth Advocacy Adult Completion Program

Social Work Certificate in Integrated Health

Wheelock should also capitalize on its international programs and expand on the Center for

International Programs and Partnerships (CIPP) initiatives regarding transitioning international

programs to online or hybrid delivery as well as consider offering additional programs online

that engage local and international students simultaneously. This could be very cost effective.

Wheelock should also consider merging its online learning efforts across Excelsior

College, Open College, and the Aspire Institute under one umbrella, and consider bundling the

Masters in Educational Studies with professional development certificates or practitioner tracks

in EC and other flexible options that would enable students to earn a graduate degree or

professional certification. These consolidation efforts will leverage Wheelock’s academic

strengths and position Wheelock at a differentiated advantage in the online space.

Another pathway into the online or blended space is to create niche programs that leverage

Wheelock’s expertise in EC. Research is showing that kids are going mobile at a very early age.

A 2015 study in the journal Pediatrics found "almost universal exposure," early adoption, and

use of mobile devices among young children. The study involved a 20-question survey of 289

parents of 350 children in an urban, low-income, minority community and one of its findings

was that nearly 97% of parents said their children used mobile devices of some sort and most

started before their first birthday. In a 2015 book titled Tap, Click, Read: Growing Readers in a

World of Screens by Lisa Guernsey and Michael Levine, the authors argue that children can still

learn how to read if parents and adults are educated about the types of digital media that children

are exposed and introduced to media that is designed to promote literacy. Levine states “parents

need guidance and support and better-quality stuff that is more intentionally educational, more

culturally resonant and relevant, and which they can discover easily with their children.”

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This is a great opportunity for Wheelock to be a leader in this area. A children’s app design

program or certificate that leverages EC education courses and app design courses could be a

high profile initiative for Wheelock. The Office of Educational Technology of the Department of

Education created a guide to help institutions apply technology in smart ways to solve persistent

problems in education. The guide assists app developers in gaining specialized knowledge about

the education ecosystem that experienced developers have taken years to learn. Wheelock could

partner with the Dept. of Education or other education app design labs to develop a program or

certificate aimed at teaching educators and teachers how to design, develop, and evaluate

children’s apps with a focus on literacy that is culturally relevant. A survey of colleges and

universities in the Boston area and beyond revealed that no such program exists. Bentley

University has a UX (User Experience) Certificate Program and the majority of app design

programs at universities do not focus on children’s digital media or literacy.

Another pathway that capitalizes on Wheelock’s strengths and opportunities is to focus on

how to design and deliver online learning for 1st generation students. Wheelock knows a lot

about first generation students and how they learn and succeed. The Gates Foundation research

among others has indicated that first generation students are least successful in online learning

settings, so how can we improve this? Wheelock could tap into who the Gates Foundation has

funded in this area and partner with these organizations to create a model or framework for

online learning that addresses this issue. Such a framework could tap into Wheelock students

who have gone through Wheelock’s face to face programs to serve as mentors and coaches to

new students in these first generation online learning delivery models. Wheelock seniors course

earn course or internship credit for this. First generation college students can benefit from

technological formats that decrease their time to degree completion and thereby their financial

cost for their degree.

The 2015 and 2016 New Media Consortium Horizon Reports identified the following key

trends that are accelerating technology adoption in higher education:

Advancing cultures of change and innovation

Increasing cross-institution collaboration

Increasing use of blended learning

Redesigning learning spaces

Proliferation of open educational resources

Additionally, the following significant challenges were identified as impeding technology

adoption in higher education:

Blending formal and informal learning

Improving digital literacy

Personalizing learning

Teaching complex thinking

Competing models of education

Rewarding teaching

Keeping education relevant

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Several of these trends and challenges are at the forefront of Wheelock’s recent efforts and

initiatives as described in this report and were highlighted at many of the meetings and

conversations I had with faculty, staff, and administrators. These trends were also instrumental in

informing the professional development workshops I facilitated (see appendix for a list of these

workshops) and the planning and implementation of the Earl Innovation Days. Additionally, the

changing demographic of the post-secondary learner to those who are older, attending part time,

or first generation, unprepared for college, as well as the emergence of new business models that

require the sharing of tuition to create new and innovative programs are disrupting most forms of

post-secondary learning. Higher education institutions must tackle these trends and challenges in

order to remain competitive. So the question becomes: how can technology enable an evolution

to more efficient and effective pedagogies and help ensure the fiscal viability of instruction in

highly specialized areas of learning sought by a limited number of students? This is a big ask

and has been addressed at a national level through several efforts such as the 2013 New

Technology-Based Models for Postsecondary Learning workshop sponsored by the National

Science Foundation Computing Research Association Workshop.

LTSP Recommendations

Based on the information provided in this report, the insight I acquired during this

consultancy period, and my knowledge and expertise in the area of learning technologies, I

present the following recommendations as Wheelock’s Learning Technologies Strategic Plan.

First and foremost, the overarching goal of Wheelock’s LTSP is to:

Promote the innovative and thoughtful use of technology in advancing pedagogical

practices and student learning that support the College’s strategic plans and priorities.

Specific recommendations to support this overarching goal include the following:

Wheelock strategic plan, transform teaching and learning practices:

o Develop a comprehensive and sustainable professional development plan for

faculty that addresses the use of learning technologies for teaching and learning

with a particular focus on the design and teaching of hybrid and online courses

o Develop parameters to determine which programs or certificates are conducive for

online or hybrid delivery (some of these programs have already been identified)

and how to successfully implement and evaluate such programs

Wheelock strategic plan, increase Wheelock’s strategic growth and visibility:

o Develop new online or hybrid academic programs or certificates that capitalize on

Wheelock’s signature programs and faculty expertise

o Consolidate Wheelock’s online and hybrid program initiatives, i.e., Open College,

Excelsior STEM Masters, and Competency Based Models in ASPIRE under one

umbrella for greater impact and efficiency

o Consider a Graduate Programs and Professional Studies area that bundles the

masters in Ed Studies with professional development certificates and other

flexible options for students to earn a graduate degree or certificate online

o Develop a marketing plan to promote online and hybrid programs

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o Build high impact partnerships with local, national, and global associations or

entities that are leading the way in the learning technologies space; this will

enable Wheelock to engage in pedagogical and research based trend setting

practices such as makerspaces, computational thinking, app design, and brain-

based learning; the Earl Center for Learning and Innovation is already engaging in

such efforts but more needs to be done

Wheelock strategic plan, enrich the Wheelock college student experience:

o Develop a course for Wheelock students that addresses the effective use of

technology for learning

o Implement an e-portfolio system that supports student creation of a personalized

learning experience using digital technologies and networks

In order to implement the above recommendations over the next 2-3 years, it is

recommended that rather than resuming the search for The Earl Endowed Professorship of

Teaching and Learning and associated supports, it would be more beneficial to:

(short term; 1-2 years) Continue the work of the Earl Learning Technologies Consultant

and the Hybrid and Online Taskforce which includes developing faculty professional

development activities, innovation days, and identifying guidelines and procedures for

online teaching and learning

(short term; 1-2 years) Hire a Director of Digital Learning and Innovation (or similar

title) who has the knowledge and experience to lead the college in transforming its

teaching and learning practices through the use of digital technologies and ensure that the

appropriate technological infrastructure, pedagogical support, and fiscal support are in

place to accomplish this transformation in a timely, efficient, and effective manner; this

person would report to the Vice President of Academic Affairs

(short term; 1-2 years) Hire an instructional designer (or contractual instructional

designers in the interim) to work with faculty on transitioning selected courses and

programs from face to face to online and hybrid delivery and designing new online

courses and programs using quality online learning principles, processes, and standards

(long term; 2-3 years) Hire a faculty member (could be part time) who has the expertise to

design and teach courses in instructional technology and educational app design at the

undergraduate and graduate level

Higher education must transform its established teaching and learning practices by

leveraging technology-based pedagogical models and curricular designs that can make learning

more efficient, affordable, and adaptable to the changing demographic of college students and

the workplace. In order to remain competitive, Wheelock College must embrace digital learning

and innovation and carve its own digital learning pathway that best serves its mission. The

recommendations provided above are a step in the right direction towards building capacity in

order to effectively manage change and disruption challenging the longstanding assumptions that

have shaped postsecondary learning.

Thank you for the opportunity for this consultancy.

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Appendix

Below is a list of Professional Development Workshops and Innovation Days I facilitated

during my consultancy period. All workshop materials are available on the Wheelock 2020

Strategic Plan website (https://wheelock2020.wordpress.com/):

Tuesday September 22, 2015, Earl Center:

How to structure asynchronous online discussions using learning management systems

How to use discussion forums and blogs to support students’ online learning

Friday September 25, 2015, Earl Center:

Exploring the intersection of technology and pedagogy

Using Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) and digital portfolios with students

Thursday October 29, 2015, Earl Center:

How to select the right technology for the right learning task using the TechSelect

Decision Aide

Basics of Blended and Online Learning: Focus on Quality Standards

Thursday and Friday, April 28 & 29, 2016, Earl Innovation Days, Earl Center:

What Wheelock students and faculty want and need from technology: An analysis of

student and faculty survey data

Instructional Design Features to Course Conversions and Blended Learning Course

Design

Aligning outcomes with assessment, activities, and technologies

Online Teaching Essentials (OTE): A 5-Week Course for Wheelock Faculty:

This course was previously developed for George Mason University faculty under a

creative commons license and was exported to Wheelock and transitioned to the Moodle

platform

This course will run for the first time at Wheelock, May 25-June 27 and will be taught by

an instructor selected by Dr. Dabbagh

The goal is to offer this course twice a year and revise it based on the needs of Wheelock

faculty for teaching online or blended