Learn Together Collaboratory - Next Steps

November 29, 2010

2006

August, 2006 – Research Report by Janice Johnson completed: “Learn Together – Participate, Collaborate, Innovate, Showcase and Share Program”

Themes that emerged from the 2006 report focused on:

1. Collaboration, communication and consultation
2. Recognizing, sharing and learning from existing BC expertise,
3. Working to increase desired professional development opportunities for all, without duplicating existing efforts

2007

2007 Online Program Development Fund included Professional Development as a new category

2008

January 14, 2008 - Meeting #1 brought together SCETUG, UCIPD, and NEDNET, generated ideas for professional development collaboration

February 19, 2008 Meeting #2
Focus: Select strategies and initiatives that can advance professional development of educators across system, establish working groups to move initiatives forward, scope projects out in terms of effort, resources, and funding requirements.

Key Areas for Collaboration
1. Communication and Dissemination
2. Shared resources
3. Leadership, Advocacy, and Celebration (showcase
4. Research (scholarship)
5. Expertise Inventory
6. Learning Paths

Guiding Principles Developed by 2008 Working Groups

• Projects done through Learn Together aim to develop professional development resources to which everyone can contribute and which everyone can use. Learn Together initiatives will address teaching and learning professional development needs of faculty and staff.
• Learn Together is a collaboratory. Projects will be peer-based and managed by the group rather than centrally controlled. Learn Together initiatives will be collaborations based on shared leadership and responsibility with open reporting in and out mechanisms. Opportunities for participation will include development of resources as well as advisory support.
• Learn Together will broaden teaching and learning expertise at all institutions by pooling resources to increase capability and enabling capacity through transfer of knowledge and skills. Resources developed through Learn Together will be open. Grassroots submissions will be welcome along with comments and feedback on usefulness and what works or doesn’t.
• Learn Together will combine and increase access to existing resources as well as innovating different ways of doing things. Learn Together activities will be networked utilizing face-to-face and online methods. Collaborative projects done through Learn Together will be funded and deliverable focused. Learn Together projects will be done in such a way as to produce resources that reward participation and provide incentives for use and contribution.
• Ultimately Learn Together aims to show measurable impact on student learning.

April 7, 2008 – Meeting #3
Focus: specific areas for development

2008-2009 Phase 1 research and development (VIU lead)
• Expertise Inventory
• Events database
• Resources: in particular related to recognition awards, funding sources

August 18-31, 2008 SCoPE seminar: Developing a Professional Development Collaboratory facilitated by Nancy Randall

September 2008, Discussion and feedback session at UCIPD meeting

2009

2009-2010 OPDF Project: Phase 2 research and development (VIU lead)
• Resources: Art of Teaching, External RSS
• Affiliate Sites
• Communities of Practice / Organic Groups

April 13 – May 1, 2009 SCoPE seminar: Evaluation Practices for Informal/Self-Paced Adult Learning, facilitated by Bill Own and Caren Levine

June, 2009 Conference: Improving University Teaching: "Creating Collaborative Online Communities of Practice: Challenges and Opportunities" with Nancy Randall, Tom Carey, Paul Stacey and Andrew Marchand

July 6 - 24, 2009 SCoPE seminar: Exploring Networks of Communities, facilitated by John Smith and Diego Leal (case presented by Andrew Marchand and Paul Stacey)

November, 2009 Discussion and feedback session at UCIPD meeting

2010

August, 2010 Transition of hosting from VIU to BCcampus

January, 2010 Series of one-hour design sessions with “affiliate” groups via Elluminate

February, 2010 –Educational Developers Caucus "The Learn Together Collaboratory" with Andrew Marchand, Paul Stacey, and Nancy Randall

March, 2010 Discussion and feedback session at UCIPD meeting

July – present, 2010
Focus:

• The original design plan (leaving affiliate sites, etc aside)
• Completing basic functionality
• Plan for communication and member engagement (both in contributing the site and in future design direction)

November, 2010 – Short contract with Drupal developer for to improve basic functionality

November 29, 2010 – Learn Together Collaboratory – Next Steps meeting