1. NOT QUITE DAMASCUS
A Seasoned Instructor’s Virtual Journey
COHERE 2012
Panteli Tritchew
October 18, 2012

2. JOURNEY
TODAY’S AGENDA
 GENESIS
 RESISTANCE
 INDIVIDUAL FACULTY LEVEL—WHY
START NOW?
 DEPARTMENT LEVEL ISSUES ARISING
 FACULTY LEVEL ISSUES ARISING
 INSTITUTION LEVEL ISSUES ARISING
 EXODUS
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 2

3. GOALS FOR THE NEXT 40 MINUTES
“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who
does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”
Chinese proverb
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 3

4. CMNS 1140
Introduction to Professional Communication
Students will learn how to analyze context and
audience, determine purpose, message content, visual
design and media in order to create written workplace
messages that can be received, understood, used and
retrieved with speed and accuracy.
Kwantlen Calendar
• Technical Writing, Governance, Policy and
Procedures, Stakeholder Communications
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University (1993-
• BCIT (1991-1993)
• SAIT (1988-1991)
• University of Waterloo, MA English, 1981
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 4

5. GENESIS
Started teaching (as TA) in September, 1979
No online teaching
Yes, that’s 33 Until
years!
May , 2012
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 5

6. WHY DID I RESIST ONLINE TEACHING ?
CLARIFICATION institutional incentive or pressure
Institutional
Level • No
• No divisional (School of Business)
“No incentive incentive or pressure “no
FACULTY Level ” does not mean
support.”
Department • No departmental or peer incentive or
Level pressure
• Comfort level with f2f teaching material
Faculty Level
Resistance • Fear of losing connection with students
• Workload and technology concerns
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 6

7. RESISTANCE Static Friction
The coefficient of
static friction is forces
Static frictional
It is that threshold
from the interlocking
typically larger than
of motion which is
of the irregularities of
characterized of
the coefficient by
two surfaces will
kinetic friction. of
the coefficient
increase to prevent
static friction.
any relative motion
TRANSLATION limit
up until some
It’s easier to keep
where motion occurs.
something in motion
than to start it moving
while it’s at rest.
Georgia State University Physics
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 7

8. Individual
Faculty
Level
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 8

9. Institution
Faculty or School
Department
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 9

10. So why start
now?
WIFE
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 10

11. BREAKOUT ONE
1. Why do faculty engage in online teaching? Catalysts?
1. Prompts? Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivators?
Why do faculty engage in online teaching? Catalysts?
Prompts? Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivators?
What are some questions that arose for us during Breakout
One?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 11

12. Department
Level
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 12

13. FIRST STEPS ON MY JOURNEY
• Confirm personal leave (75%) with School of
Business and 25% workload (two sections) for
2011/2012 academic year
• Contact department chair to request (first-
time) online teaching assignment
• Confirm online assignment with chair
• Contact colleagues with an SOS
• Go “on alert” for Moodle training sessions
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 13

14. GREAT DEPARTMENT SUPPORT
• Applied Communications Department Chair,
Bob Basil, goes to bat with School of Business
• Department colleagues who teach/have taught
online give me “guest access” to their Moodle
courses
• Pamela Ip, Applied Communications colleague
provides one-on-one mentoring session, plus
stand-by support
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 14

15. QUESTIONS ARISING—DEPARTMENT
LEVEL
 How should official course outlines
accommodate or recognize online sections of
a particular course?
 Shouldn’t their be some different outcomes?
 Should a department aim for a percentage of
its course offerings (i.e., of the same course)
to be online? Is there a Golden Mean?
 Should there be a specific departmental
strategy for online education?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 15

16. BREAKOUT TWO
Department support was superb, but
is it enough to overcome resistance?
Support ≠ incentive, or does it?
What questions arise when we consider the
role of a department in promoting effective
online/blended learning?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 16

17. FACULTY
(School of Business)
Level
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 17

18. KWANTLEN'SSCHOOL OF BUSINESS
• Second largest business school in Western
Canada
• Over 150 business faculty
• 3,500 full-time students, and 9,000 total
students annually
• 16 available programs/credentials
Kwantlen School of Business
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 18

19. KWANTLEN'S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
CURRENT POLICY ON ONLINE EDUCATION

CURRENT PRACTICE ON ONLINE EDUCATION
 At least the same number of face-to-face sections
offered as online sections for any particular course.
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 19

20. QUESTIONS ARISING– FACULTY
LEVEL
 What are the roles of the faculties in
promoting/supporting online/blended
learning?
 What is the role of the dean?
 Is it adequate to leave the
promotion/support at the individual
faculty member or departmental level?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 20

21. BREAKOUT THREE
What questions arise for us when we
consider the role of faculties in promoting
effective online/blended learning?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 21

22. INSTITUTIONAL
Level
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 22

23. COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT - ARTICLE 12.09 DISTRIBUTED LEARNING
e) The employer will provide the necessary technological and
Human Resource Services for employees assigned to develop
and deliver the program and courses.
f) The employer will provide the necessary and appropriate
training in the use of relevant educational technology for
employees assigned to deliver distributed learning programs
and courses.
g) Employees delivering distributed learning programs/courses
shall not be required to provide technical support to students
taking distributed learning courses.
Kwantlen Polytechnic Collective Agreement with Kwantlen Faculty Association
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 23

24. ARTICLE 12.09 DISTRIBUTED LEARNING
h) Employees shallnot be required to deliver distributed learning
programs/courses from their home. Employees delivering or
developing distributed learning courses shall be provided with
office space and the appropriate technology to support them in
their work.
i) Where an employee has been assigned an online course and
agrees to the employer’s request to teach all or part of that
course from home, the employer shall provide the appropriate
technology and pay for the reasonable and approved costs of
delivering those courses from home.
j) No regular employee will be laid off as a direct result of the
introduction of distributed learning.
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 24

25. BREAKOUT FOUR
Collective agreement is silent on the issues
of faculty qualifications and faculty course
evaluations pertaining to online/blended
learning.
What questions arise for us when we
consider the impact of the collective
agreement in terms of effective
online/blended learning?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 25

26. INSTITUTIONAL
Level
TAKE TWO!
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 26

27. SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• Moodle site automatically generated by Learning
Technology based on course timetable
• Faculty can request Moodle site on development
area any time throughout the year prior to going
“live”.
• Technical support for instructors and students is
provided by Information and Educational
Technology (IET) Service Desk.
Kwantlen Moodle for Faculty webpage
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 27

28. SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
TRAINING
• Faculty are added to Moodle Learning Community, a
site with training tips, tutorials, demos, and a
discussion forum .
• Moodle Training workshops are scheduled through
the Centre for Academic Growth.
• Customized Moodle training for departments.
• Drop-in sessions and customized workshops.
• One-on-one support through IET Service Desk.
Kwantlen Moodle for Faculty webpage
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 28

29. SUPERB INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
TRAINING
• Moodle administration and training is
HELP provided by Kwantlen's Learning
Technology team.
• Special thanks to Meg
Goodine, Manager Learning Technology
for her relentless patience with my
questions last semester!
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 29

30. BREAKOUT FIVE
What questions arise for us when we
consider the role of Information and
Educational Technology and Education and
Learner Support units in terms of not only
supporting, but also promoting
online/blended learning.
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 30

31. INSTITUTIONAL
Level
TAKE THREE!
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 31

32. ROLE OF SENATE
• 58 pages
• “Outcomes” appears
28 times
KWANTLEN
• “Online” appears
COURSE OUTLINE
once, under Calendar
MANUAL
Description.
A publication of the
• “This course may be
Senate Subcommittee offered online.”
on Course Curriculum
Kwantlen Course Outline Manual
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 32

33. BREAKOUT SIX
What questions arise when we consider the
role of Senate in terms of supporting and
promoting online/blended learning?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 33

34. INSTITUTIONAL
Level
TAKE FOUR!
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 34

35. KWANTLEN’S MISSION AND MANDATE
1.5 pages, 12 paragraphs
• Access, Scholarship, Community,
Mentorship, Stewardship
• “Learning” = 5 matches
• “Online” = no match
• “Technology” = no match
Kwantlen Mission and Mandate
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 35

36. KWANTLEN VISION STATEMENT
20 Commitments
#20 Technology
Kwantlen commits to the
innovative, creative, and considered use of
technology to enhance
.
teaching, learning, and the day-to-day
environment of students, faculty, and staff.
Kwantlen Vision Statement
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 36

37. KWANTLEN STRATEGIC PLANNING
September 1, 2012: new president
Dr. Alan Davis, President and Vice-Chancellor
Annual Goals for September 2012 to June 2013
2. Academic Plan: with the Provost, ensure that the
process for the Academic Plan is well underway to
address the goals of the Strategic Plan and includes:
c. A strategy for the development of Teaching
and Learning, including the use of technology
Dr. Alan Davis Blog, posted September 15, 2012
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 37

38. BREAKOUT SIX
What questions arise when we consider the
role of Senior Administration in terms of
supporting and promoting online/blended
learning?
Alignment with mission, mandate, vision and
strategy?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 38

39. EXODUS Final Thoughts on My Virtual Journey
• Some technology frustrations, but manageable
• Rethinking and re-conceptualizing the course
will improve future classes
• Felt tremendously supported by departmental
colleagues, IET and Learning Technology
• Good to get the classroom adrenaline going
again
• Overall, enjoyed the challenge and the learning
curve
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 39

40. EXODUS Final Thoughts on My Virtual Journey
NOT QUITE A PAULINE CONVERSION
No feeling of making a School of Business or
Institutional level contribution to a “bigger
picture”
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 40

41. WILL I DO IT AGAIN?
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 41

42. YUP!
Panteli Tritchew, Applied Communications, School of Business 42