UCO eLearning Strategic Plan

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eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Introduction The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) exists to be a catalyst for the cultural, social, and economic enrichment of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. UCO embraces this role through its commitment to transformative learning, a holistic process that places students at the center of their own learning experiences. This unique perspective requires constant reflection and analysis of the needs and demands of the Oklahoma City metropolitan community and a spirit of innovation and creativity that provides action to meet these needs in authentic and meaningful ways. An important component of this institutional strategy is the use of elearning to support the vision, mission, and goals of UCO. This plan addresses the strategic role of elearning as it relates to UCO’s mission of being Oklahoma’s metropolitan university and its emphasis on transformative learning.

Specifically, this document articulates the vision for elearning at UCO over the next five years and outlines a strategic pathway to achieve this vision.

Purpose The Center for eLearning and Continuing Education (CeCE) initiated this planning project in efforts to determine how the university’s elearning services and processes could be revised, updated, or established to better serve UCO faculty in their elearning endeavors, as well as to determine the overall elearning goals and strategies needed to support the University’s mission, vision and strategic plan. To facilitate this project, CeCE engaged an external consultant, Dr. Shirley Waterhouse, who also facilitated the 2007 UCO eLearning Strategic Planning project.

Background In order to identify the most important areas needed to support elearning at UCO, Dr. Waterhouse conducted a series of interviews and focus group sessions with UCO stakeholders. She used feedback from these sessions, as well as the results of a constituent and student survey, to construct the UCO Current eLearning Environment Report (CEER). In addition to providing background, SWOT analysis, and attitudes, the CEER provides an overview of the elearning environment and describes ten elements that are essential for elearning success at UCO. Finally, the CEER highlights key observations and recommendations for improving various aspects of the UCO elearning system.

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Vision, Mission and Definition Vision The vision for elearning at UCO is to position the institution as the provider of choice for transformative, innovative, flexible, and responsive learning opportunities that serve the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Mission The mission of elearning at UCO is to serve students, faculty, and community through the exploration and implementation of transformative, innovative, flexible, and responsive learning strategies that overcome barriers of time, access, and geographic location.

eLearning Definition eLearning at UCO is the use of electronic technology to support teaching and learning.

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University of Central Oklahoma - eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Goals and Initiatives eLearning Strategic Goals This document, the UCO eLearning Strategic Plan, identifies four strategic goals for elearning at UCO. These strategic goals are: • QUALITY: Ensure high quality and effective elearning courses and programs • FLEXIBILITY: Promote flexibility for UCO students and faculty • SUPPORT: Provide adequate and appropriate support for students and faculty • INNOVATION: Encourage the use and innovation of elearning eLearning Strategic Initiatives UCO’s elearning strategic goals should be achieved through focusing on the following institutional initiatives: 1. ELEARNING LEADERSHIP: Create a leadership position that coordinates and administers university-wide elearning operations 2. ELEARNING BUSINESS MODEL: Develop planning and resource processes for elearning operations 3. ELEARNING CULTURE: Create a shared institutional culture where elearning is encouraged and recognized as a strategic practice

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University of Central Oklahoma - eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Goal #1: Quality UCO is committed to ensuring high quality and effective transformative learning experiences through the use of elearning. The term quality in this document describes the holistic value of learning experiences that are made possible through the use of elearning strategies. This plan emphasizes quality through Learner Preparedness, Faculty Preparedness, and Quality Control Processes.

Learner Preparedness Learner preparedness represents an intentional effort to leverage the resources, services, technologies and technical support needed for learners to be successful. This requires an institutional commitment to ensure learners are ready and continuously supported to learn in diverse, technology-enriched learning environments.

Faculty Preparedness Faculty play a central and strategic role in the quality and ultimate success of elearning at UCO. Incentives, resources, training, technology tools, and technology support should be provided to faculty to empower them to implement elearning effectively into their instructional practices.

Quality Control Processes Quality control processes should be used to maintain the quality of elearning instruction in all UCO course delivery modalities. This requires quality processes that address a widerange of elearning topics while also maintaining focus on the ultimate influences to transformative teaching and learning. Specific examples of quality control processes include benchmarking, analysis of student feedback, course quality reviews, faculty-centered pedagogical decision-making, and balanced high-impact quality processes.

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Goal #2: Flexibility UCO’s goal is to promote flexibility for UCO students and faculty. This will be achieved with proactive and responsive operations, perpetual elearning strategic planning processes, and deliberate planning for course offerings.

Proactive and Responsive Operations A proactive approach to elearning operations is essential for agility, efficiency, and reliability. UCO will establish and maintain processes to ensure collaboration and coordination among internal elearning stakeholders. UCO will also align elearning offerings in ways that are timely, meaningful, and responsive to the needs of the Oklahoma City metropolitan community.

Strategic Planning UCO’s goal is to establish and maintain an ongoing UCO elearning strategic planning process, and ensure that elearning is aligned with the university strategic plan. Both internal and external stakeholders should be considered in UCO elearning strategic planning. Leaders, faculty, staff, students, and the key elearning support organizations all have a major role in elearning success and thus, all should have opportunities to provide input into elearning planning. The greater UCO community should also be considered in elearning planning including professionals in business and industry, potential employers of UCO students, governing bodies, advisory boards, and other relevant stakeholders.

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University of Central Oklahoma - eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Deliberate Planning for eLearning In order to serve students effectively, UCO should mindfully increase elearning offerings.

UCO should accomplish this with deliberate planning of new course offerings and a strategic perspective that acknowledges demand, flexibility and impact.

In addition to online and hybrid courses, UCO offers Self-Paced Online Courses (SPOC) and Interactive Video Courses (IVC) courses. These flexible course delivery types provide convenient options for learners. UCO should continue to explore opportunities to strategically increase flexible course offerings.

While elearning provides increased flexibility for many students, fully online degree programs provide students with expanded educational options. Without deliberate planning, UCO’s increasing course offerings may yield online degree programs through unstructured growth.

UCO’s goal should be to analyze and evaluate the appropriateness of online programs and, if appropriate, to provide degree program planning and organization.

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Goal #3: Support UCO’s goal is to provide adequate and appropriate support for online students and faculty.

Many students are often unable to visit the campus for administrative and academic service needs. In order to serve these students effectively, we must provide effective and adequate support through: Online Student Services and Technology Support and Infrastructure.

Online Student Services Student academic services are imperative for student success. UCO’s goal is to provide appropriate and effective students services for online students.

These services include: • Admissions and Registration

• Library Resources

• Enrollment Advising

• Textbook Ordering

• Academic Advising

• Disability Support

• Financial Aid

• Veterans Support

• Career Counseling

Technology Support and Infrastructure Many students and faculty rely on technology as a central element of their teaching and learning. Technology support is an essential service for both students and faculty. Support services should be readily available and intentionally designed to enhance elearning environments. In addition, an appropriate infrastructure should be maintained so that students and faculty do not experience technological barriers when engaged in elearning activities.

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University of Central Oklahoma - eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

Goal #4: Innovation Innovation plays a constructive role in improving educational opportunities for students.

UCO’s goal is to create a culture that encourages innovation in teaching and learning.

In order to create an innovative elearning culture at UCO, the following steps are recommended: Commitment and Funding Leaders should provide the guidance, vision, and funding needed to maximize the potential of elearning in all UCO instructional delivery methods, in transformative learning, in promoting UCO’s metropolitan efforts, and in aligning elearning with the university strategic plan.

Discovery The University of Central Oklahoma offers an innovative learning community to its more than 17,000 students. In order to deliver this offering, innovation and creativity must be supported and encouraged. UCO’s goal is to inspire a culture of transformative learning by promoting and encouraging the discovery of new elearning methods, modes, tools and systems.

Communication, Collaboration, and Participation All elearning support organizations should effectively communicate and collaborate with each other and with the UCO constituents they serve. This includes creating, sharing and participating in the innovation process.

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eLearning Strategic Initiatives Three significant strategic action items are recommended for the institutuion:

ELEARNING LEADERSHIP: Create a leadership position that coordinates and administers universitywide elearning operations

ELEARNING BUSINESS MODEL: Develop strategic planning and resourcing processes for elearning operations

ELEARNING CULTURE: Create a shared institutional culture where elearning is encouraged and recognized as a strategic practice

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University of Central Oklahoma - eLearning Strategic Plan 2013-2018

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eLearning Strategic Plan- Accountability Matrix

eLearning Leadership Create eLearning Leadership Position

eLearning Business Model Develop eLearning Strategic Planning Process Develop Resource Process for eLearning Operations Improve eLearning Infrastructure Conduct eLearning Research and Marketing

eLearning Culture Articulate eLearning Vision Encourage Innovation and Creativity in eLearning Incorporate eLearning in Program and Tenure Process

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Copyright Š 2013 University of Central Oklahoma

Center for eLearning and Continuing Education 100 S. Baumann Edmond, OK 73034 Email: elearning@uco.edu Phone: (405) 974-2420