Introducing the Kaleidoscope Project
Kim Thanos, Program Manager, Kaleidoscope
Charles Snare, Vice President Academic Affairs, Chadron State
College
Key Topics
• How effective is the Kaleidoscope
approach?*
• What is next with the project?
• What is the collaboration/community
approach and why does it matter?
• How does a team “develop” a Kaleidoscope
course design?
• How does a faculty member use a
Kaleidoscope course design?
*This is not a sales pitch.
Project Goals
Use open educational resources to
improve student success
1. Eliminate textbook cost as a barrier
2. Drive assessment-driven enhancement of
course designs and materials
3. Create a collaborative community to share
learning and investment
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Historical Success
Kaleidoscope
Academic Year 2012 Impact
Fall 2011
Total Impact
Controlled Pilot
Spring 2012
Total Impact
Controlled Pilot
AY 2011-2012
Total Impact
Controlled Pilot
Expected/Required
Enrolled
Students
Sections
Instructors
4,242
1,565
137
46
67
29
5,069
2,601
145
75
83
47
9,057
4,340
4,000
382
131
150
76
Faculty Experience
• 100% will use open educational resources again
• 100% found the quality of the texts to be equal
• 100% continued in Kaleidoscope project
“This project is the most rewarding professional experience I have
ever had.”
“This is an issue of social justice. How, in good conscience, can
we not contribute to this movement?”
Source: Bliss, Hilton, Wiley, Thanos (2012)
Student ratings of quality of open texts
Number of Students
Worse quality
3%
Same quality
56%
Better quality
41%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
• “It was very concise and aligned with exactly what we were
working on in the class.”
• “Having the textbook catered to us by our teacher was
perfect.”
Source: Bliss, Hilton, Wiley, Thanos (2012)
Student preference for Kaleidoscope
courses
Number of Students
No preference
13%
Prefer traditional
13%
73%
Prefer Kscope
0
20
40
60
80
100
• “I enjoy having online texts provided for me because I'm
poor. I spend the money I have left after rent on school, so
having free online texts provided for me benefits me very
much.”
• “GREAT WAY TO DO ONLINE CLASSES!!!!”
Source: Bliss, Hilton, Wiley, Thanos (2012)
Kaleidoscope Phase II
1. Improve existing courses


Close the loop on assessment, analysis,
improvement
Tighten links to outcomes and deeper learning
2. Develop 20 additional course designs
3. Grow and mature the project



Project governance
Faculty leadership
Add 20 new partners using a high-touch
process
Institutional Strategy and
Collaboration Strategy
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Chadron
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Tompkins
Cortland
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Cerritos
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Mercy
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Santa Ana
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Santiago Canyon
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Palo Verde
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Redwoods
Developmental
Math
Business
Chemistry
Geography
Biology
Developmental
Reading
Developmental
Writing
Composition
Interdisciplinary
Studies
Psychology
Developmental
Math
Project
Kaleidoscope
Chemistry
Business
Geography
Biology
Collaboration Points
• Kaleidoscope Leadership Team (KLT)


Meets monthly by phone
OpenEd Leadership Summit June 5 – 6, 2013
in Denver
• Faculty Fellows


Facilitate collaboration within discipline across
institutions
Guide course enhancement
Course Development
The Tale of a Math Course
+ 140% student success
Spring improvements
Dept.-wide adoption
Replace Pearson
texts
Broader community
Full evaluation of options
Open math lab
OER/adoption experts
OCL text and videos
Steering committee
strategy
Two faculty
members
Lack of quality OER
Align outcomes
Identify opportunity
Inefficient tools
New adopter
concerns
The Tale of a Math Course
+ 140% student success
Spring improvements
Dept.-wide adoption
Replace Pearson
texts
Broader community
Full evaluation of options
Open math lab
OER/adoption experts
Steering committee
OCL text and videosstrategy
Two faculty
members
Align outcomes
Lack of quality OER
Inefficient tools
New adopter
concerns
How do you explain…
100% on Day 1
“Only” $20
Personal connection
Repeatable process
Using a Course Design
Kaleidoscope Pilot Support
Step One: Leadership
Workshop
• Facilitate institutional planning process
Step Two: Review and
Prepare
• Facilitate review of materials
Step Four: Faculty
Support
Step Five: Analysis
Step Six: Research
Community Connection
Step Three: Faculty
Course Workshop
• Support customization and
augmentation
• Connect to faculty communities
• Complete detailed analysis of learning
and success results
• Suggest opportunities for next iteration
• Complete program review
• Analyze consolidated results
Faculty Members
 Adopt an existing course, emphasize support
and ease of use
 Use your own OER
 Use Kaleidoscope as a starting point and
customize your course, with little
collaboration
 Actively engage in the project and
community
Institutional Leadership
 Monitor project leadership and support
local work
 Use Kaleidoscope as a starting point for
institutional open strategy
 Identify areas for shared investment and
deep collaboration
System Leadership
 Monitor project leadership support colleges
 Lead a regional initiative
 Strategically create an open niche for
Nebraska and the system



Bridging programs with high schools
Systematic support for adoption
Textbook Zero programs
 Engage in policy efforts to facilitate and fund
open education