Training Mainstream Faculty to
Use Course Management
Systems
Nick Laudato, University of Pittsburgh
Paulette Robinson, University of Maryland
Janet R. de Vry, University of Delaware
CMS’s are catching on
Pitt
UMD
UD
students
19,000
13,000
10,500
% student body
60%
40%
50%
When did we begin?
• Pittsburgh
• U Maryland
• U Delaware
Fall 1998
Fall 1998
Fall 2000
Mainstream faculty
• Diffusion of Innovations (Everett Rogers)
– Innovators
– Early Adopters
– Early Majority
– Late Majority
– Laggards
Mainstream Faculty
•
•
•
•
•
Care about teaching; not about technology
Focused on their own discipline
Risk Averse
Prefer incremental change
Need technical support
Early training efforts
•
•
•
•
Features-based
Mixed disciplines in attendance
Step-by-step instructions
Differing early requirements
Training now
• All 3 universities moving in same general
direction
– Including instructional design
– Increasing custom training sessions for
departments
– Including faculty best practices
• All have involved more staff in supporting
faculty efforts
Topics
• Faculty IMS Training at Pitt
• Finding the Target: Customizing Faculty
Training
• Incorporating Faculty Best Practices
Faculty IMS Training at Pitt
University of Pittsburgh
Diane J. Davis and Nick Laudato
Sections Offered in Blackboard
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
99-1:
99-2:
99-3:
00-1:
00-2:
00-3:
01-1:
01-2:
01-3:
02-1:
02-2:
02-3:
03-1:
21 sections
115 sections
80 sections
351 sections
362 sections
126 sections
642 sections
430 sections
125 sections
745 sections
677 sections
205 sections
1003 sections
About 60% of the University’s students use
Blackboard for at least one course per term
Statistics as of 10/6/2002
Faculty Taking Core Blackboard
Training
Academic
Year
Faculty
Trained
1997-1998
1998-1999
24
325
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
Total
404
244
330
1,327
Blackboard Training
• Types of training
–
–
–
–
–
Novice (12 hours with extensive hands-on)
Standard (8 hours with some hands-on)
Expert (1 to 2 hours with no hands-on)
On-line (self-instructional with 1 hour intro)
Supporting tools, e.g. Word, PowerPoint, graphics
and images, video clips, copyright issues, etc.
• When: Offered throughout the year
• Where to Signup: visit the Web site
http://www.pitt.edu/~ciddeweb/COURSEWEB/
and select “Faculty”, then “Training Schedule”
Instructional Design Model
Goals &
Objectives
Learner
Instructiona
l Activities
Assessment
of Learning
Some Things I’ve Learned…
• Faculty appreciate ID help
• Faculty appreciate ID help ONLY after the
fact --most don’t know what it is
• We are not good at explaining ID and ID
assistance
The Syllabus Template
• Introduction
• Class Meeting
Times
• Course Description
• Course Rationale
• Course Goals
• Course Outline
• Course Materials
• Course
Requirements and
Grading
• Course Policies
• Course Schedule
Course Documents
• Blackboard as
“Container”
• Blackboard
Contains
– Documents
– Folders
– Learning Units
• Folders Contain
– Documents
– Folders
– Learning Units
• Organize Modules
of Instruction into
Folders
The “Module” Template
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction
Learning Objectives
Lecture Notes
Handouts
Exercises
Quizzes or Sample
Tests
• Related Readings
Instructional Design Component
• Presented through real examples
• Emphasizes instructional concepts, e.g.
– Active Learning
– Collaboration
– Interactivity
– Organization
– Feedback
Finding the Target:
Customizing Faculty Training
University of Maryland
Paulette Robinson, PhD
Teaching and Learning Support
• Support for:
– WebCT, Teaching Theaters, Technology
Classrooms
– WebCT Support: 3 instructional designers, 1
administrator, 1 graphic artist (part-time)
• Adopted WebCT Spring 1998
Influences Shaping Training
• Diffusion of Innovations (Everett
Rogers)
– Innovators (Venturesome)
– Early Adopters (Respect)
– Early Majority (Deliberate)
– Late Majority (Skeptical)
– Laggards (Traditional)
Influences Shaping Training
• Faculty Development Continuum
– Skill Development
– Pedagogy & Interaction
– Look & Feel
– Reconceptualize Course
Modular Training Series
• 5 three-hour modules (no longer
required)
– Getting Started
– Course Content
– Course Management
– Communication & Collaboration
– Assessment & Evaluation
Getting
Started
Course
Content
Course
Management
Communication &
Collaboration
What is
WebCT?
Assessment &
Evaluation
Module Elements
• Workshop Components
– Skills training
– Demonstrate related tools (in template)
– Design and pedagogical tips
– Additional exercises
– Activity (30 minute practice)
– Resources
Faculty Support
•
•
•
•
•
•
Access to instructional designers
Online Student Manual
Online WebCT User Support “Course”
Listserv for announcements
Monthly WebCT Brown Bag lunches
Academic Technology Coordinators for local
support
• OIT Help Desk for student user support
• Catching up with WebCT (new features)
Meeting Faculty Needs
• Collecting Information about Faculty Needs
– Focus Groups (low, middle, high)
– Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee
• Customized Training—Focus on solving
particular instructional problems
– Individuals
– Programs
– Special focus (i.e., large classes)
• More use of Instructional Development
Teams—more accountability and better
designs
Redesigning Materials
• Redesign training manual as a general
reference manual.
– Easier to use after training is completed.
– Trainers will use outlines for planning the training
sequence.
– Provide separate job aids.
• Vista (2004)
– Implementation plan for the integration of Vista
– Learning Objects Training Materials Base – facilitate
customization and minimize time spent on updating
and redesigning materials
Resources
• WebCT @ Maryland
http://www.courses.umd.edu
Incorporating Faculty Best
Practices
University of Delaware
Janet de Vry
Early Training
•
•
•
•
•
Step-by-step training
Optional 1.5 hour overview
Required one 3 hour introduction
Four optional additional 3 hour sessions
Still doing all of above, but with a
difference…
Incorporating Best Practices
• Faculty testimonials online
• Faculty profiles online
• Co-teaching with faculty
Online WebCT Overview
Profiles of faculty projects
• Create visibility for faculty efforts
• Harry Shipman and E-lab for Shadows of
Light
– Bridge gap between lecture and lab
– Pre and post lab exercises
– Follow up PBL mystery to solve
Co-teaching—the scenario
• Faculty member
skilled in both PBL
and WebCT
• Led class through a
problem on justice for
the terrorists
• Used online groups in
class to address the
problem
Co-teaching—the Tools
• E-mail and discussions to frame the issues
• Chat to ask the expert
• Success--the issue of terrorism dominated
while technology served as the support
tool.
Resources
• WebCT Resources
www.udel.edu/webct
• Faculty Profiles
www.udel.edu/present/showcase
Summary
• More inclusion of pedagogy and real world
faculty experiences
• More flexible training options
– Go to the department
– Customize to needs
– Online training options
• More support
• New approaches to providing reference
materials
Contact us
•
Nick Laudato, PhD
laudato@pitt.edu
•
Paulette Robinson, PhD
paulette@umd.edu
•
Janet de Vry
janet@udel.edu
url for today’s presentation:
http://www.udel.edu/present/presentations/2003marc/
Special thanks for Diane Davis (davis@pitt.edu) for preparing University of
Pittsburgh slides and to Nick Laudato for filling in at the last minute.