Bold Innovative Growth (BIG Project for Multiple Modalities)
The BIG project calls for bold, innovative growth in online and remote learning by establishing a new division of Innovation and Technology at the college. This project will help address barriers to higher education and training through expanded educational opportunities in multiple modalities that meet student needs for access and flexibility.
As a result, we’ll see a reorganization of our resources and processes, to lay the foundation for a portfolio of high-quality, flexible degree and certificate completion options (specific courses, degrees, and certificates) coupled with flexible student services support.
The structure and functions within the division will:
- Provide access and support for adopted technologies for students, faculty, and staff.
- Define and support the creation of a technology innovation hub that supports teaching and learning.
- Define and implement robust digital learning support to create high-quality courses in multiple modalities.
- Promote continuous exploration of both emerging technologies and effective practices.
- Promote the accessible use of technology in all learning modalities.
- Support transformation of responsive student services that are accessible and delivered in hybrid modalities.
For questions about the BIG initiative, please contact Andy Freed, the Director of Learning Technologies and Innovation, at afreed@pcc.edu.
This initiative houses six individual projects:
BIG Innovation and Tech Operations – Completed
This project establishes the new division office of Innovation and Technology in support of achieving Academic and Student Affairs strategic initiatives.
Goals
- Establish operating budgets and open the administrative office for the Innovation & Technology division
- Engage in organizational development and team-building for new division
BIG Online Growth and Quality
This project will increase the quantity and quality of online and hybrid instructional modalities through instructional design, media, faculty development, support, training, mentoring, and course development. This project helps address barriers to higher education and training through:
- Expanded educational opportunities in multiple modalities to meet student needs for access and flexibility (completion opportunities)
- Growth and expansion of engaging educational offerings designed through a culturally responsive lens (accessible, instructional design, outcomes-driven);
- Support for excellence in teaching across modalities;
- Depending on the extent of growth, we can generate new revenue opportunities through the expansion of courses and programs delivered online – whether credit or non-credit.
Goals
- Online and Hybrid Course & Program Development
- Develop 15 new online courses and fund faculty for developing 15 new online courses
- Select Programs for Flexible Completion 2024 – 2026
- Online and Hybrid Instructional Quality
- Create & launch a new faculty mentoring and coaching program
- Create & Launch Faculty Remote Design & Instruction Trainings
- Create & Launch Existing Online Faculty Continuous Improvement Training Program
Accomplishments
- Developed 7 new online courses and updated 11 existing online courses
- Hired staff in project management and instructional design (7 FT, 4 PT) to build new instructional design and course development team
- Developed a course design training for faculty to be delivered in Cornerstone. Available June 1, 2023
- ~550 faculty participants in training workshops with themes of remote delivery, best practices for online instruction, and culturally responsive teaching.
- 60+ faculty across 12 faculty-led workgroups focused on establishing best practices for remote and hybrid instruction
- Launched a newly revised new online faculty training called BEARS (Belonging, Equity, Access, and Retention Skills for faculty)
BIG Learning Technology and Innovation
This project will improve training and support resources to address growth in campus, remote, and hybrid use of instructional technology. This project will merge the student and faculty instructional help desks to elevate the level of support for faculty and students. It will also add staff for help desk support, help desk oversight, technology administration and management, and faculty training and support. Additionally, this contributes to the development of an Innovation Hub by creating an innovation evaluation process, provides funds for exploring innovative instructional practices, and supports the use/adoption/creation/sharing of Open Educational Resources.
The project will increase human resources and operational infrastructure, expanding support for learning technologies across all instruction at the college. This includes, but is not limited to, expanded technology management resources, faculty technology training, user support for faculty and students, and exploration of emerging technologies. All work aims to improve the student experience through better and more effective use of instructional technology.
- Effective use of emerging/immersive technologies to enhance and expand access to learning opportunities;
- More robust technology support for faculty and students that does not currently exist;
- Growth and expansion of engaging educational offerings designed through a culturally responsive lens (accessible, instructional design, outcomes-driven);
Goals
- Modernize Faculty Training & Support
- Merge Student and Faculty Help Desk
- Redesign Online Learning, Instructional Support, and Student Help Desk websites
- Redesign instructional technology training
- Add instructional technology administration support
- Develop an innovation grant process
Accomplishments
- Bolstered the Instructional Technology Specialist team to expand training, support, and consultations for all faculty in the effective use of instructional technology.
- Redesign training curriculum to support all modalities with the use of instructional technology, infusing equity and belonging into content.
- 195 attendees to sessions including using Brightspace (Effective grading, using audio & video, content organization), Accessible document creation, lecture capture with Zoom, and extending options with VoiceThread, Hypothesis, and more. Paid 61 PT instructors (and counting) stipends for attending.
- Documented participation in Cornerstone so instructors and FDCs/Deans can see professional development, and documented training participation on instructor transcripts in Cornerstone. Provides evidence of faculty PD engagement and creates data for reporting.
- Prepared for the merger of faculty and student help desks to improve support by launching a new ticket-tracking system and updating positions.
- Expanded support for the online ecosystem by adding additional technical administrator
- Developing Techquity Grants proposal and review process to fund and support innovative use of technology while reducing barriers for students.
BIG Online Student Success
This project will help create a broader, more accessible program of online student services across modalities. Additional support will be available for the success of fully-online, degree-seeking students with comparable success metrics for students. In addition, the project will be informed by student voice through a variety of methods, including a student advisory panel.
Goals
- Redefine Online Student Services
- Launch Online Student Coaching
- Increased access to vital support services regardless of time and place;
- Increased potential for student success (more flexibility, reduced need for transportation, time savings without traveling to campus, use of OER to reduce course costs, positive impact on work/life balance, access to college that would not otherwise be available, expanded service hours)
- Create student advisory group
Accomplishments
- Created a 3 person unit to transform online student success initiatives
- Recruiting Online Student Advocate
- Continued support for chat and virtual services for college student affairs
- Transferred management of virtual tutoring and online proctoring to Learning Support in alignment with the One College model
BIG App Systems Operations & Project Management – Completed
In order to address trends in the growth of online and digital learning PCC needs to adequately support the infrastructure needed to scale modalities of delivery with higher quality.
The BIG App Systems project expanded the applications systems and support department with additional staffing, redesign of operational practices, department policies, and procedures, as the foundation for AA/SA technology systems and users to deliver on the strategic goals of the college. Completed project goals include:
- Developed staffing structure, and new positions, recruited, hired, and onboarded
- Clarified lines of accountability and responsibility for system support
- Inventoried systems and developed system health report
- Defined roles and identified system managers and functional managers
BIG Project Management – Merged with App Systems Operations
BIG Project Management established a new project management office including staffing, operations practices, department policies, and procedures to support technology project management for Academic and Student Affairs in completing the strategic goals of the college. This project creates a project management process for systems upgrades aligned with the Strategic Plan. Completed project goals include:
- Developed and refined projects and needs summary
- Produced an initial “technology roadmap”
- Developed intake and prioritization workflow
- Developed project collaboration approach with IT
- AA/SA Project management services open for business as of March 2023