latrobe.edu.au Digital Future Digital Learning Strategy

Transcription

1 latrobe.edu.au Digital Future Digital Learning Strategy

2 Contents INTRODUCTION 2 DIGITAL FUTURE: LA TROBE S DIGITAL LEARNING STRATEGY ( ) 2 GOALS, TARGETS 4 Goal 1: Create high quality contemporary online and blended learning experiences 5 Goal 2: Improve student success, satisfaction and retention through the strategic use of intelligent technologies 8 Goal 3: Enable effective and equitable teaching delivery to regional and isolated students 10 Goal 4: Facilitate learning through the provision of integrated, flexible and intuitive online and physical environments 12 Goal 5: Nurture productive relationships with internal and external partners and expert groups 14 2 La Trobe University

3 DIGITAL FUTURE: LA TROBE S DIGITAL LEARNING STRATEGY ( ) Introduction Information and communication technologies are transforming our lives. They have already dramatically changed the way in which we access information, engage with others and experience life. It is unsurprising, therefore, that increasingly prospective and current students expect and demand high quality, digitally enhanced learning experiences a rich combination of face-to-face and online learning experiences. Technology has seemingly limitless potential as a tool to enhance teaching and learning. It creates new opportunities and new challenges. Responding to these is a rising challenge for universities all over the world. Sector Context As an increased range of digital technologies become even more widespread, our domestic and international students expect a highquality online educational infrastructure to support or complement their university studies. The proportion of students studying online or by distance in Australian universities is increasing significantly. For example, nearly a quarter of all domestic bachelor students undertook their studies in large part or wholly online or by distance in 2013, up from 18% in The proportion of domestic bachelor students at La Trobe undertaking their studies in part or wholly online increased by 15% in Digital technologies will continue to be adopted by La Trobe University s competitor institutions in Victoria and further afield. Online learning, historically experimental and on the fringe, has now moved to a more central role in universities nationally and internationally. Universities providing accessible online content are able to significantly extend their recruitment reach both domestically and internationally in a cost effective way. In today s world the way in which a university approaches online and blended teaching is a defining feature. No university can afford to ignore the potential of online and blended learning design to transform the way their staff teach and their students learn now and in the future. La Trobe University is no exception. Digital Future, La Trobe University s Digital Learning Strategy ( ) builds on previous work undertaken in the Design for Learning and Radical Learning Project initiatives, and is critical to ensuring that we achieve our Future Ready goals in increasingly competitive local, national and international environments. Melbourne Campus Digital Learning Strategy

4 INTRODUCTION DIGITAL FUTURE: LA TROBE S DIGITAL LEARNING STRATEGY ( ) In 2015 La Trobe University is a globally recognised university committed to transforming the lives of students from very diverse backgrounds, connecting with local, regional and international communities and making great things happen. Our Future Ready: Strategic Plan sets ambitious goals and targets related to the University s key objectives for There is a strong commitment in the plan to reimagining teaching and learning at La Trobe by drawing on rich educational technologies and external partners, and incorporating the use of online educational resources blended with more traditional face-to-face delivery. If we are to maximise the impact of students digital experiences on their learning we must not only provide high quality and reliable online experiences for our students, but also ensure smart integration with the on-campus student experience. Furthermore, we must do this for all students on all campuses. No institutional strategy stands alone. Digital Future: Digital Learning Strategy (Digital Future) connects with goals and targets in the following plans and strategies: Future Ready: Strategic Plan (FR) Learning and Teaching Plan (L&TP) Internationalisation Plan (IP) Regional Strategy (RS) Specifically, Digital Future identifies five goals and related strategies designed to ensure we provide high quality, contemporary teaching and learning experiences that prepare our students from diverse backgrounds for an increasingly digital future. The strategy reflects the University s commitment to equitable access for students to distinctive, relevant and high quality courses that will ensure they are work ready, world ready and future ready. Digital Future is focused on the use of technology to improve student learning, supporting truly transformative and potentially disruptive digital pedagogies, practices and innovations, enhanced by access to relevant electronic information resources and the development of future-focused and adaptable digital spaces. It is designed to position La Trobe as the leading provider of high quality online and blended learning experiences provide students from diverse backgrounds with access to transformative educational experiences. What do we mean by online learning? Online learning is the result of student engagement in a variety of online activities, embedded within a rich interactive online learning environment. High quality online learning environments provide students with a diverse range of opportunities to interact and engage with knowledge, learning resources, teachers and peers. They are dynamic and fast-paced, and also free students, to a large extent, from constraints of time as well as place. To live up to our claims of accessibility and flexibility, to respond to our students changing circumstances, a La Trobe education must as far as possible be everywhere. La Trobe online learning environments will be high quality. They will be stimulating, interactive, engaging, and authentic. Teaching a subject online at La Trobe will be much more than the provision of access to recorded lectures and subject materials online. We will provide multiple, carefully designed opportunities for students to engage with content and develop deep knowledge of key concepts. We will ensure our students have multiple opportunities to interact with the teacher, the content and each other in highly engaging, fit-forpurpose online learning environments. What do we mean by blended learning? Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face and online learning. Quality blended learning design involves thoughtful, sometimes innovative, integration of face-to-face learning experiences with online learning experiences. At La Trobe University blended learning design will support active learning through progressive pedagogies and purposeful interactions between teachers, students and resources in high quality face-to-face and online learning environments. There are infinite ways in which the strengths of traditional and online teaching and learning design can be combined to meet the specific needs of students in the context of the discipline. At La Trobe University we will explore innovative ways to combine face-to-face and online experiences seamlessly and coherently, in a manner which responds to disciplinary variation and student learning needs. 2 La Trobe University

5 Goals, Targets and Strategies Digital Future describes the goals and strategies by which La Trobe University will use technology to provide transformative high quality degrees. Our students will be equipped to meet their full potential through the pursuit of interesting and rewarding lives and careers. The five overarching goals of Digital Future are: Goal 1: Create high quality contemporary online and blended learning experiences Goal 2: Improve student success, satisfaction and retention through the strategic use of intelligent technologies Goal 3: Enable effective and equitable teaching delivery to regional and isolated students Goal 4: Facilitate learning through the provision of integrated, flexible and intuitive online and physical environments Goal 5: Nurture productive relationships with internal and external partners and expert groups Strategies related to each goal are articulated for , and targets have been defined for 2015 in line with the current budget allocation. These targets will be evaluated, reviewed and refreshed for 2016 and 2017 as part of the implementation process. Digital Learning Strategy

6 GOAL 1 CREATE HIGH QUALITY CONTEMPORARY ONLINE AND BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES Related Targets 1. At least 60% of subjects offered by the University to be in blended delivery mode by 2017 (FR 1.13). This target is defined as 60% of the total number of students enrolled in subjects including a substantial component of online learning 2. At least 5% of subjects offered by the University be in online mode (L&TP) La Trobe University has demonstrated success in leveraging digital technologies to create innovative and sought-after learning experiences. For example, La Trobe content made available through itunes U has been downloaded more than 20 million times globally. To maximise the impact of students digital experiences on their learning we must not only ensure the quality and reliability of their online experiences, but also ensure smart integration with the on-campus student experience. La Trobe has recognised the potential of digital learning and has set a clear goal to increase the number of subjects offered in online and blended mode in the Future Ready: Strategic Plan. Significant progress has already been made towards achieving this blended and online delivery target. Between 2013 and 2014 the number of subject enrolments in blended or online mode increased by 59% from 30,526 to 48,531. Strategies to achieve Goal 1 focus on the design, development, integration and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects in blended and online mode. They encompass a range of capacity building approaches to professional development, partnerships and evaluation designed to ensure quality. Flexible, blended learning design creatively utilises face-to-face and online tools to provide students with greater flexibility and variety in their learning experience. The effective leveraging of blended learning modes focuses teaching activities on the needs of learners, and allows teachers to make better use of face-to-face time. For example, students may use simulations, readings, and activities in an online environment to study the theory of their discipline, but come to class to interact with their teachers and peers in a range of active learning tasks which promote deeper engagement with content and simultaneously develop soft skills such as teamwork and communication skills. When effectively employed, blended teaching maximises student engagement, success, retention and graduate employability. Not all teaching staff are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to design and teach effectively in a blended environment so our staff need to be supported to redesign their subjects, modify their approach to teaching and to use new technologies. This requires the provision of advice and assistance on curriculum design and staff development in the use of technology in teaching. Blended teaching also requires the provision of well-designed structured and unstructured learning spaces and a continuous process of trialling new technologies that support innovation in teaching and learning. Blended teaching also affords improved arrangements for student learning on multiple campuses. There is the potential to provide a higher quality, less passive and more consistent learning experience for all students regardless of where they are located. 4 La Trobe University

7 GOAL 1 CREATE HIGH QUALITY CONTEMPORARY ONLINE AND BLENDED LEARNING EXPERIENCES Strategies 2015 Targets Responsibility 1.1 Facilitate the design process and implementation of blended learning that respond to the needs and preferences of a diverse student body & offer a truly multi campus experience students (L&TP 2.1; 2.3; 2.5) 1.2 Develop a series of new, innovative, fully online postgraduate courses in partnership with AP by 2017 (L&TP 2.1) 1.3 Develop new, innovative, fully online undergraduate courses in partnership with OUA (L&TP 2.1) 1.4 Enhance user satisfaction by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between students/staff, and the teaching and learning environment 1.5 Create (or purchase) and adapt an online professional development module for staff covering course design for blended and online learning modes 1.6 Partner with students and learning support specialists to shape, evaluate and enhance the student learning experience of online and blended learning (L&TP 4.1) 1.7 Review Learning and Teaching policies to identify where there are gaps or tensions in relation to managing, designing and delivering quality online and blended learning, mobile learning, and BYOD for students and staff, and make recommendations to address identified issues Develop 32 exemplar blended subjects in conjunction with partner Finalise development of 20 P/G subjects across two courses Develop 16 subjects for two new courses delivered through the AP partnership A minimum of four subjects will be offered in each new course in 2015 Bachelor of Food and Nutrition under development and build subjects required for 2015 Select second OUA course and commence development in 2015 A minimum of four subjects offered in 2015 Hosting for U/G online subjects Customer journey maps Design process and principles; style tiles, and pattern libraries Templates for different pedagogical approaches to blended and online learning Source supplier or product that meets needs Train 100 staff involved in various T&L projects across all schools In collaboration with students, develop and disseminate a series of support materials on Blended and online learning Updated policies to match needs LTLT, Colleges, External LTLT, Colleges LTLT, Colleges, External LTLT, External LTLT, External LTLT LTLT Digital Learning Strategy

8 GOAL 2 IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS, SATISFACTION AND RETENTION THROUGH THE STRATEGIC USE OF INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES Related Targets 1. Increase student retention and success in all fields of education 2. Improve student satisfaction via CEQ data La Trobe Business School, City Campus A key impetus for the expansion of digital learning at La Trobe is to improve student success, satisfaction and retention. In a specific example of the impact of digital learning upon student satisfaction at La Trobe, the Business Foundations (BUS1BUF) subject transitioned to blended mode in This is a core, compulsory first year subject for students in business courses. Student satisfaction increased immediately and dramatically following the transition. In 2014, 75% of students in this subject agreed that, Studying this subject was interesting and enjoyable up from 59% of students in Student success also improved, with only 10.7% of students failing to pass the subject in Semester , compared to 21.0% in Semester In another business core subject, Accounting and Finance for Business (BUS1ABF), for which blended learning is not available, 19.0% of students failed to pass the course in Semester Student success, particularly in compulsory core subjects like Business Foundations, is vital to improving overall student retention. As student retention improves, so does the tuition fee revenue base provided by continuing students. Strategies to achieve Goal 2 focus on the incorporation of enabling technologies into pedagogical re-design of subjects and the integration of Early Warning Systems and adaptive, real time learning analytics to provide business and predictive intelligence and improve student success, satisfaction and retention. This requires strategies focused on the use of technological tools to provide data, as well as a focus on using this data to inform course and subject re-design. Learning analytics refers to the collection, analysis and use of data relating to student learning. Learning analytics can mine data in a learning management system or can be a feature of software with embedded analytics. The University s existing Academic Early Warning System has been designed to identify commencing undergraduate students at risk of either withdrawing or failing, and increase commencing student retention and success. A logical enhancement is to provide the means by which students at all stages and abilities can monitor their progress and take action to improve their performance. This can be achieved through the use of adaptive learning analytics, designed to provide justin time support and feedback to students. Academic teaching staff would also be able to use aggregated information about the progress of their cohorts to identify trouble points and inform early intervention. 6 La Trobe University

9 GOAL 2 IMPROVE STUDENT SUCCESS, SATISFACTION AND RETENTION THROUGH THE STRATEGIC USE OF INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES Strategies 2015 Targets Responsibility 2.1 Incorporate enabling technologies into pedagogical re-design of identified large subjects with low student success and retention issues 2.2 Improve existing and develop new ICT systems to capture data on the student experience and provide reports and analysis of this data that can be used to improve student retention 2.3 Integrate adaptive real time learning analytics to provide business intelligence and predictive intelligence on student retention, satisfaction and success 2.4 Strategic Tactical work stream to deliver 45 subjects Undertake three strategic tactical projects: 1. Law Blended/Online Delivery 2. High Quality Online Advanced Research Subjects 3. LBS Blended/Online delivery 2.5 Work with LTI and A/PVC CW in each College to identify at least four subject coordinators for involvement in Collaborative Online International Learning projects with partner institutions Target 20 subjects with low student success and retention issues and re-design subjects to improve quality and baseline measures as a result of incorporating enabling technologies Improvement in student engagement and retention resulting from the Succeed@LaTrobe program Investigate, design, prototype, and test a dashboard for management, teachers and/ or students that will assist decision making in a minimum of one of the following areas: retention, satisfaction, success 18 core law subjects to be redesigned in blended/online modes Deliver two foundation research subjects as high quality online/blended subjects Develop seven core subjects common to all business course and 17 Bachelor of Business subjects Trial Collaborative Online International Learning in at least four subjects LTLT, Colleges ICT, External LTLT, External, ICT, PIPU LTLT, Colleges LTLT, LTI, External, Colleges Digital Learning Strategy

10 Bendigo Campus Mildura Campus Shepparton Campus Albury-Wodonga Campus GOAL 3 ENABLE EFFECTIVE AND EQUITABLE TEACHING DELIVERY TO REGIONAL AND ISOLATED STUDENTS Related Targets 1. Increase student retention and success in all fields of education 2. Improve student satisfaction via CEQ data Human resource capabilities are essential to the development and delivery of effective online and face-to-face learning experiences. Subject design needs to take into consideration the range of skills, knowledge and capabilities that both students and staff bring to the task of teaching and learning in different disciplinary environments and physical locations. Some staff will need to develop new skills and build their confidence in teaching in an online environment; some students will require support to succeed in an online or blended learning environment. Consequently support resources and structures need to be configured to offer targeted solutions to identified issues. Strategies to achieve Goal 3 focus on using technology to improve our understanding of the challenges facing regional and isolated students, and the provision of superior pedagogical and technical responses to these challenges. They include strategies to develop the digital literacy of both students and staff. It is important to create a high quality, truly multi-campus experience for students. La Trobe s Video Conference Phase Out Action Plan identifies a range of issues associated with didactic, non-interactive delivery for multi-campus teaching that have a negative effect on student learning, student satisfaction and retention across all campuses. The negative impact is more pronounced on our regional campuses. Academic staff require support to use flexible and engaging pedagogical principles and interactive techniques, and appropriate, well-supported blended and online learning technologies to teach effectively across multiple sites. The Video Conference Phase Out Action Plan will ensure that alternatives to traditional video conference lecture delivery are in place by As part of the action plan, the University will select subjects and courses for redesign, implement projects to put in place blended, interactive and synchronous learning alternatives, and evaluate and disseminate these redesign projects. 8 La Trobe University

11 GOAL 3 ENABLE EFFECTIVE AND EQUITABLE TEACHING DELIVERY TO REGIONAL AND ISOLATED STUDENTS Strategies 2015 Targets Responsibility 3.1 Work with staff on all campuses to design and implement effective approaches to multi-campus teaching 3.2 Support the use of new, interactive, technologies for multi-campus delivery whilst phasing out noninteractive video conferencing, including desktop and mobile real time collaboration tools 3.3 Provide professional development / learning opportunities to teaching staff on the use of these technologies to enhance student learning on all campuses 3.4 Develop approaches to address digital literacy requirements for all students and teaching staff 3.5 Mobile First design project to deliver 24 exemplar subjects focused on best practice in mobile design Deliver six exploratory innovation projects in teaching and learning focused on digital flexibility, increasing student satisfaction, retention or equity and accessibility Install technology in at least one learning space on each campus to support interactive, collaborative cross campus learning Grants scheme to encourage and showcase innovative active and interactive pedagogical approaches in blended and online learning environments that provision equal quality learning across all La Trobe campuses Run five events showcasing best practice in the use of learning technologies Develop toolkits for professional staff by identifying best solutions for teaching in a range of scenarios Contribute to pilot IRU project on Digital Readiness : using a cross-institutional adaptive-elearning platform to support student learning in a digital environment Develop design principles and technical requirements for a mobile first environment Develop 12 postgraduate subjects that encapsulates best practice in mobile design using La Trobe preferred technologies Develop a series of 12 subjects (six per college) that encapsulate best practice in mobile design using La Trobe preferred technologies LTLT, Colleges LTLT, ICT, External LTLT, Colleges LTLT, External LTLT, Library, IRU, External LTLT, Colleges, External Digital Learning Strategy

12 GOAL 4 FACILITATE LEARNING THROUGH THE PROVISION OF INTEGRATED, FLEXIBLE AND INTUITIVE ONLINE AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS Related Targets 1. At least 60% of subjects offered by the University to be in blended delivery mode by 2017 (FR 1.13) 2. At least 5% of subjects offered by the University in online mode by 2017 (L&TP) Learning in the digital age is increasingly flexible, interactive and student-centred. La Trobe has until now been highly dependent on face-to-face teaching, with a default emphasis on traditional lecturetutorial teaching modes. Investment in infrastructure and systems development has not been focused on the provision of high quality online learning environments that can be used independently or integrated with the face-to-face experience. Online and blended learning models reduce reliance on large face-to-face lectures and increase the need for appropriate ICT infrastructure to support technology-enabled flexible and collaborative learning spaces. Virtual learning spaces are potentially rich environments for learning that utilise technologies to extend learning beyond centrally supported technologies through the incorporation of open educational resources and web-based learning into subject design. Strategies to achieve Goal 4 focus on both the technological and physical learning and teaching environments which are increasingly integrated. Specifically, they respond to critical issues that undermine the stability and usability of current systems, the need for continuous evaluation and improvement, and a forward-looking technology roadmap. The strategies also extend the work of the Radical Learning Project by continuing experimentation with new and innovative technology-enhanced pedagogical models and learning spaces, harnessing the opportunities of Open Educational Resources and ensuring that the user experience and workflow is positive. 10 La Trobe University

13 GOAL 4 FACILITATE LEARNING THROUGH THE PROVISION OF INTEGRATED, FLEXIBLE AND INTUITIVE ONLINE AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS Strategies 2015 Targets Responsibility 4.1 Provide a student portal that offers a single entry point and unified gateway for students to enable seamless access to relevant resources and services and to teaching, learning and administrative systems content 4.2 Continuously upgrade and improve the centrally provisioned LMS environment to accommodate identified learning, teaching and innovation requirements and improve the overall user experience 4.3 Improve staff and student systems to create, submit and mark assignments using an intuitive digital workflow 4.4 Implement an integrated solution for the management of digital media. 4.5 Implement and evaluate student and teacher-centred self-service initiatives (e.g One Button Studio) (L&TP 4.1) 4.6 Enable personal learning environments through adaptable digital tools 4.7 Enhance the standard of network services required to deliver student services in the digital future Pilot an interactive, seamless, personalised portal providing students with dynamic information to manage key aspects of their La Trobe experience Maintain up to date environments within the LMS Undertake a program of work to remove La Trobe customisation which impact on the functionality of the LMS and prevent features from being deployed Roll out a series of user experience enhancements, responsive template, pattern libraries identified as priorities in the User Experience and design work carried out in Goal 1 Develop digital assessment projects incorporating instant feedback for students Evaluate, select and integrate the best external product to suit our needs and education tech environment. Create at least five One Button recording studios for capturing audio/video. Evaluate and report outcomes to PVC(T&L) Continue to support existing PLEs e.g. eportfolio and extend these to new digital tools and platforms Implement High Density Wi-Fi LTLT, ICT, External, Academic Services LTLT, ICT, Colleges, External LTLT, LFA HUB, Colleges LTLT, ICT, Colleges, External LTLT, ICT, I&O LTLT, Colleges ICT Digital Learning Strategy

14 GOAL 5 NURTURE PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS AND EXPERT GROUPS Related Targets 1. Increase student retention and success in all fields of education 2. Improve student satisfaction via CEQ data Partnerships provide valuable opportunities for La Trobe to broaden the range of knowledge and skills available to our staff in designing and delivering high quality online and blended learning experiences. They have the potential to provide us with improved academic returns whilst minimising our financial investment. In February 2014 La Trobe entered into a partnership with Academic Partnerships International (API) to develop 2 4 fully online postgraduate courses, branded ( white-labelled ) as La Trobe University degrees. The first courses, the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Nursing Science, were launched in La Trobe has also entered into a partnership with Open Universities Australia (OUA). The first La Trobe course under this partnership, the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition will be offered to students in It is now time to review and build upon these partnerships in progressive, systematic and thoughtful ways so that over time we can transform the University in a manner congruent with our highest ideals. Strategies to achieve Goal 5 acknowledge the importance of cultivating and nurturing strong partnerships to ensure that our online and blended learning experiences are high quality, leading and provide a point of difference. These strategies provide coherence in the way that La Trobe Learning and Teaching works with internal and external stakeholders and experts. They harness the considerable expertise in learning and teaching that is dispersed across the University and leverage value from strategic external partnerships. Working collaboratively with external partners allows us to rapidly increase the University s capacity to develop exceptionally high quality online programs. Strategies related to this goal also address the need for the Digital Strategy to be responsive to, as well as a driver of, change across the University. La Trobe Rural Health School, Bendigo 12 La Trobe University

15 GOAL 5 NURTURE PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS AND EXPERT GROUPS Strategies 2015 Targets Responsibility 5.1 Build collaborative and productive relationships between LTLT, the College Education Teams, teaching and learning innovators in Schools and the Director of the LFA Hub 5.2 Forge strategic and productive partnerships with external stakeholders in order to build our capacity to create and deliver high quality blended and online learning experiences 5.3 Establish a university-wide educational innovation and learning design community focusing on quality improvement and innovation in Learning and Teaching utilising both face-to-face and electronic communication 5.4 Develop online resources for potential and existing teaching innovators (and potential innovators) to scaffold the way they collect evidence to make an exceptional case for national teaching citations and awards 5.5 Work with a range of partners to innovate in the development and application of technology to support student engagement Completion of a series of successful and collaborative strategic projects demonstrating improvement in teaching and learning with technologies in both Colleges Agreements in place with preferred partners (OUA/AP), and successful completion of projects identified Community of practice in Learning and Teaching established, meets at least four times per year Establish partnerships with new expert groups, external organisations and existing networks to benchmark approaches to technology enhanced learning, and explore opportunities for recognition of achievements in technologyenhanced learning Identify and implement one leading edge student engagement project with partner LTLT, Colleges, LFA Hub LTLT, Colleges LTLT, Colleges, LFA Hub LTLT, External LTLT, ICT, External Shepparton Campus LTU Craetive Services CS /15 Digital Learning Strategy

16 ENQUIRIES La Trobe Learning and Teaching La Trobe University Victoria 3086 T E ltlt@latrobe.edu.au latrobe.edu.au CRICOS Provider 00115M