Project Name: Taking Process Learning the Distance

Project Description

To develop college-wide interest and expertise in Process Learning through successful pilots in traditional, distance, and corporate classrooms. (For those unfamiliar with Process Learning, a one-page description is provided at the end of this proposal.)

Deliverables

• Pilot a Process Learning course in the new Center for Interactive Learning that showcases students performing in workgroups that span intradepartmental, interdepartmental, transdivisional, intercollegiate, and international boundaries through distance technologies.
• Develop and distribute a Process Learning video to Sinclair faculty for use with their students to demonstrate Process Learning and clarify Process Learning roles.
• Attend train-the-trainer session and conduct three Sinclair Teaching Institutes for Process Learning.
• Provide ongoing faculty development opportunities and ad hoc consulting in Process Learning, including facilitation, instructional design, quality tools, and peer coaching through monthly Process Learning support group sessions.
• Develop and deliver three offerings of the Foundations of Learning course to Sinclair students to improve student performance and improve retention.
• Re-design and deliver two web courses, one interactive classroom course, one corporate course, two traditional courses, and two course enhancements using Process Learning methodologies to increase learning effectiveness through Process Learning curriculum design and delivery.
• Partner with Process Learning leaders, Bobbie Klopp and Barb Dobling, at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to accelerate Sinclair's Process Learning discoveries and implementation, establish Process Learning bench marking relationship with another League of Innovation member, and pilot Process Learning student activities at a distance.

Project Need

To achieve our institutional goals, Sinclair students need to become lifelong learners. They need to be responsible for their own learning. They need to be able to think critically, solve problems in teams, communicate effectively, and delight their employers through overall job performance. In support of Sinclair's Core Indicators of Success, Process Learning vigorously promotes the shift from the old paradigm to new as shown below.

	Old Paradigm New Paradigm Teacher directs Students explore Teacher is knowledge dispenser Teacher is facilitator Students assessed on facts and discrete skills Students assessed on performance Knowledge is a set body of information Knowledge is evolving and ongoing Teaching is conveying knowledge Teaching is helping students engage in finding and developing knowledge Classroom is isolated Classroom is electronically connected to the real world Students learn alone Student learns in collaboration with others

Project Outcomes

How will you measure the success of the project?

The success of the project will be measured by the following:

• Number of faculty trained in process-related areas such as facilitation, Process Education, instructional design, and the use of quality tools
• Number of courses using a Process Learning approach · Retention of students who completed the Foundations of Learning course
• Number of faculty using Process Learning in their courses: distance learning, traditional, or enhancements
• Number of students participating in Process Learning courses
• Student assessments of Process Learning activities (formative)
• Student assessments of Process Learning courses (summative)
• Process Learning peer reviews and activity critiques

Learning Challenge Awards 1996-1997, Proposal Application

What will be the effects of this project?

The effects of this project include:

• Sinclair students become empowered lifelong learners who can adapt to the rapidly changing workplace.
• Sinclair's students become change agents helping to push forward the transformation.
• Sinclair experiences improved retention rates through delivery of the Foundations of Learning course.
• Sinclair's faculty become effective process facilitators who can develop lifelong learning skills like information processing, assessment, teamwork, and management skills.
• Sinclair's faculty become skilled at activity-founded, modular instructional design.
• Sinclair's faculty and students develop skills in using quality tools in support of continuous process improvement techniques.

How will the results/outcomes be disseminated for use by other departments, divisions, colleges, and so on?

• Pilot of revised Foundations of Learning course delivered locally and via distance learning, student population includes Sinclair students and students from other college(s)
• "Process Learning Roles" Video (instructional tool for faculty and students)
• Process Learning support group sessions
• Attendance at future Process Learning Teaching Institutes

Project Time Frame

This will be a two-year project, beginning in Spring 1997 and concluding in Winter 1999.

Spring and Summer 1997

• Redesign, Develop, and Evaluate Process Learning Courses
• Teaching Institute Train-the-Trainer
• Ongoing Faculty Support
• Foundations of Learning Planning
• Video planning

Fall 1997 and Winter 1998

• Pilot in the New CIL, Showcasing Distance Process Learning (Foundations of Learning pilot)
• One Teaching Institute
• Ongoing Faculty Support
• Video Development
• Ongoing Redesign, Development, Evaluation of Process Learning Courses

Spring and Summer 1998

• One Foundations of Learning Course
• One Teaching Institute
• Ongoing Faculty Support
• Video Production.
• Ongoing Redesign, Development, Evaluation of Process Learning Courses

Fall 1998 and Winter 1999

• One Foundations of Learning Course
• One Teaching Institute
• Ongoing Faculty Support
• Video Distribution

Budget

	Name Sue Merrell, Debbie Badonsky and Team Amount of Funds Requested $49,671.25 Project Name "Taking Process Learning the Distance"

	Account Name Amount Requested 51210 Reassigned Time · $31,500.00 · (64 hrs total for project co-leaders) · (36 hrs total for team members) · 75 hrs x $310 = $23,250.00 · 25 hrs x $330 = $ 8,250.00 52000 Fringe Benefits for Summer ·$1361.25 ·16.5 x $8,250.00 = $1361.25 54100 Travel · $1500.00 · (Co-leaders participate in advanced training at Kirkwood Community College) 579400 Outside Services Pacific Crest Consulting and Train-the-Trainer Teaching Institute* · $4,000.00 (Technical Writer, Consulting Services) · $7,500.00 Video Production (using CIL equipment) 55700 Duplication and Printing · $1500.00 53100 Supplies · 2 loaner laptops (from new CIL)** 51550 Clerical · $2310.00 · 10 hrs./wk. x 33 wks. = 330 hrs. · 330 hrs x $7 = $2310 * Based on the assumption that SDIC will fund ongoing consulting with Pacific Crest and Train-the-Trainer Teaching Institute to develop in-house expertise. ** Based on the assumption that the CIL will provide two laptop computers on a loaner basis.

Funding

Could some or all of this project be performed with partial funding?

This project would be most effectively completed through the funding requested; partial funding would impact specific deliverables. This project requires a large amount of reassigned time. If the high volume of reassigned time is a key reason for reducing total project funding, perhaps this project could be subdivided yet managed as a whole for impact purposes. For instance, the dollars required for Faculty/Student Retraining could come from the Individual/Group Proposal dollars while the Course Redesign efforts could receive funding from the CIL-Initiated Projects monies, under the category of "Innovative Center for Interactive Learning (CIL) Pilot Courses." The chart below identifies reassigned time and associated deliverables subdivided as follows:

1. Faculty and/or Student Retraining and Support (Individual/Group Proposal)
   (Reassigned time--including summer fringe = $15,773.40)
2. Course Redesign with an Innovative Instructional Format (CIL-Initiated Proposal)
   (Reassigned time--including summer fringe = $17,087.85)

	Faculty and/or Student Retraining and Support Reassigned Time = 8 hours Train-the Trainer Teaching Institute Release Time = 3 hours Teaching Institute Delivery (3) Release Time = 9 hours Ongoing Faculty Development Opportunities Release Time = 6 hours Foundations of Learning Delivery (3) Release Time = 12 hours Video Development and Distribution Release Time = 10 hours Kirkwood Community College Connection Release Time = 2 hours Project Management Release Time = 6 hours

	Course Redesign with an Innovative Instructional Format Reassigned Time = 52 hours Process Learning Teaching Institute Redesign Release Time = 6 Foundations of Learning Development & Redesign Release Time = 10 Interactive Classroom Delivery Redesign (1) Release Time = 12 Interactive Classroom Delivery Redesign (1) Release Time = 6 Corporate Course Redesign (1) Release Time = 6 Traditional Course Redesign (2) Release Time = 6 Course Enhancement Modular Redesign (2) Release Time = 6

Worksheet for Detailing Projected Impacts and Institutional Efficiency and Effectiveness

General Course Efficiency/Effectiveness Impacts

Our project does not fit the traditional paradigm efficiency and effectiveness measures. This is a basic research and development effort with major impact on student lifelong learning capabilities and faculty retraining. Impacts will be seen across many courses, not just in one course.

Since this project spans departments, divisions, and even colleges, we propose to develop baseline measures the first year of this project. During the second year of the project, we will track these measures against the baseline.

Baselines will be developed and tracking maintained for the following measures:

Process Learning Score Card

• Number of faculty trained in process-related areas such as facilitation, Process Education, instructional design, and the use of quality tools
• Number of courses using a Process Learning approach
• Retention of students who have completed the Foundations of Learning course
• Number of faculty using Process Learning in their courses
• Number of students participating in Process Learning courses
• Student assessments of Process Learning activities (formative)
• Student assessments of Process Learning courses (summative)
• Process Learning peer reviews and activity critiques
• Worksheet for Detailing Projected Impacts and Institutional Efficiency and Effectiveness

The chart below shows linkages between this project and key performance indicators. The measures shown on the previous page relate directly to each of these key performance indicators.

	Core Indicators of Success   Key Performance Indicators Access to Success ·Student satisfaction with goal attainment ·Variety, availability, and accessibility of different modes of instructional delivery Lifelong Learning ·Student satisfaction with quality of instruction and knowledge acquisition ·Graduate satisfaction with goal attainment, quality of instruction, and knowledge acquisition ·Employer satisfaction with students' critical thinking, problem solving, and communication competencies ·Student achievement of competencies and skills that sustain lifelong learning and flexibility in the workforce Student Development ·Extent to which Sinclair enables students to assume responsibility for their own learning Quality Workplace ·Flexible workforce that can adapt to need for multiple skill sets as job requirements change

Space Utilization

Through incorporation of Process Learning into web and other distance delivery modes, students may visit campus for testing only. In some web courses, the student will not ever step foot on campus. Since the web courses will not be offered until Winter Quarter, no baseline numbers are available for projection purposes.

Student Success

As students and faculty develop Process Learning skills, retention of Sinclair students should improve. We will develop baseline measures to document the number of students, for instance, who complete the Foundations of Learning course. During the second year of the project, we will track the retention of those students against a control group who has not participated in the Foundations of Learning course. Other colleges have seen retention rates increase after delivering the Foundations of Learning course.

Specific Budget Efficiency/Effectiveness Impacts

	Cost Avoidance Deliver Foundations of Learning course (1)   = $620.00 Deliver Process Learning Teaching Institute (1)   = $4,000.00 Provide In-house Process Learning Support   = 11,000.00 Projected Annual Amount (1st yr) $15,620.00     Deliver Foundations of Learning course (2)   = $1,240.00 Deliver Process Learning Teaching Institute (2)   = $8,000.00 Provide In-house Process Learning Support   = 11,000.00 Projected Annual Amount (2nd yr) $20,240.00   Projected Amount for Two-Year Project Period   = $35,860.00

Detail of calculation and accounts affected

Foundations of Learning calculations assume course is 2 credit hours x $310 per delivery. Teaching Institute costs assume $4,000 for outside delivery personnel per delivery. In-house support assumes $1,000 per eight hours of outside consulting per month for nine calendar months per year ($1,000.00 x 11 months = $11,000.00).

	Revenue Enhancement Potential Student tuition for Foundations of Learning Course (1)   = $1,240.00 Projected Annual (1st yr) Amount $1240.00   Student tuition for Foundations of Learning Course (2)   = $2,480.00 Projected Annual (2nd yr) Amount $2,480.00   Projected Amount for Two-Year Project Period   = $3,720.00

Detail of calculation and accounts affected

Foundations of Learning calculations assume course is 2 credit hours x 20 students x $31 per credit hour per delivery.

Other efficiency/effectiveness impacts

While alignment with Core Indicators of Success may not be measurable in dollar amounts, such strategic direction better positions the College to take advantage of future opportunities earlier than our competitors. This becomes a significant advantage as distance learning breaks down previous geographic boundaries, and we face new competitors.

Supporting Documentation

What Is Process Learning?

The goal of Process Learning is to empower students to become lifelong learners; therefore, emphasis is on student-empowered learning. In Process Learning, educators become facilitators of the learning process, assessing students' performance in real time to help students understand, develop, and refine lifelong learning skill processes.

Process Learning requires excellent facilitation skills, instructional design capability, and expertise in using quality tools to deliver and assess learning effectiveness. Since the process is as much a focal point as is the knowledge-based content, faculty can work to continuously improve their classroom processes and peer coach others as well.

Student Retention and Lifelong Learning

Sinclair wants not only to retain its students but also to enable them to become lifelong learners who can adapt to the rapidly changing workplace. Since the ultimate goal of Process Learning is the creation of a lifelong learner, we need to feverishly strive to help students move toward this goal. Through participation in a Foundations of Learning course, students would begin skill development in Process Learning early in their Sinclair pursuits. One college using the Foundations of Learning course has documented a 31 percent improvement in retention.

Faculty Development--Facilitation

Sinclair's faculty need to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to become effective process facilitators. Traditionally, Sinclair's faculty has focused primarily on essential knowledge skills vital to further educational or vocational efforts. Process Learning faculty serve a different role; they facilitate learning rather than lecture on content. Faculty "facilitators" in a Process Learning environment focus not only on the development of knowledge skills but also on the learning process. This includes lifelong learning skills like information processing, assessment, teamwork, and management skills.

Faculty Development--Instructional Design and Assessment

Process Learning promotes student-centered (student-empowered) learning. Through use of a structured design approach, faculty can learn to create activities that challenge student development in a whole taxonomy of lifelong skills. Much of the re-thinking associated with Process Learning instructional design focuses in on assessment measures. Now that students are challenged to demonstrate lifelong skills through authentic learning processes, existing assessment methods also needs to be redesigned.

Faculty Development--Use of Quality Tools

Quality tools, such as those advocated by Robert Cornesky, need to be incorporated into the instructional design of Process Learning modules. As well, through quality approaches such as peer coaching, teaching/learning support groups, and collective critique of Process Learning activities, we can build continuous process improvement into the instructional design. If Process Learning is successfully implemented at Sinclair, Sinclair's faculty and students become change agents helping to push forward the transformation.