The Once and Future University: Building Bridges through Online Learning

1. The Once and Future University: Building Bridges through Online Learning Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, PhD FACET Retreat 5.18.2013

2. A Very Brief History… • Caves and Socrates and Guilds – We evolved and adapted by learning just in time, just in place and just as needed • Barbarians and the Roman Empire – The academy as conservatory • Unintended Consequences – Conservatory as Gatekeeping … with students left outside the gates

3. Pressures to Change • Huge Infrastructure • Shifting Student Demographics • Shrinking Revenues • Calls for Accountability

4. Impact of the Internet • Conservatory in the Cloud • Education Defined • Interactivity • Re-definition of Expertise • Customization of Programs and Services • Disaggregation of Infrastructure • More and More Aggressive Competition • Big Data

5. Disaggregation of Infrastructure • Disaggregation of teaching from certification • Disaggregating the elements of instruction • Disaggregation of instructional responsibilities • Disaggregation of faculty roles • Disaggregation of educational services

6. Moving Forward • Bridges, not Gates • Students are capable of learning - if they come to us not ready, it’s a failure of the system more than any personal failing • Core of good instruction has always been student engagement, and good education is good management of the educational experience • Student-centered = just in time, just in place, just as needed • Steve Jobs – Apple is successful because products engineered to get the technology out of the way so people can do what they want to do • Students today are sacrificing more to learn more than any other generation in history.

7. Our Common Objective Can we agree on several key features of “quality academic programs?” • ____________________________________ • ____________________________________ • ____________________________________

8. Which Do Our Constituents Value? • The attorney who knows how to brief a case. • The attorney who can search legal databases, can identify legal precedent, can prepare a client for testimony. • The attorney who has successfully defended 10 clients, lost 5 cases, has settled out of court in favor of her client 30 times. We value competent performance!

9. What is “Competence?” A summary term used to include an action that results in a valued accomplishment Action Accomplishment Jury decision in favor of client. Make strong closing argument.

10. What is Action? The OVERT or COVERT behavior of a performer • COVERT • (Mostly Cognitive) • Develop argument • Interpret patient disposition • Identify evidence • OVERT • (Mostly Observable) • Complete time logs • File documents • Make copies

11. Actions Produce Accomplishments Actions: Accomplishment: • 1. Identify client needs • 2. Identify needs of other party • Negotiate • Develop BATNA Dispute resolution 1. Establish facts 2. Identify legal precedent 3. Collect evidence 4. Prepare argument Successful defense So students can produce these We teach these

12. Actions are NOT Subject Matter • Action • Make an argument • Brief a case • Develop question set • Select jurors • Subject Matter • Torts • Contracts • Rules of evidence • Court procedures Subject Matter: Collection of facts, laws, generalizations, hypotheses, procedures, observations which are related in some way

13. Our Challenge We must develop competence in our students, so they in turn are able to apply knowledge and skills at home, at work, as citizens, for the betterment of society.

14. Education is more than Entertainment Entertainment is “escape from reality” • War Stories • Motivation • Humor • Team experiences * Entertainment has it’s own inherent value, but when delivered alone, can not provide students a “quality education”

15. Education is more than Information Information is “reduction of uncertainty” • Facts • Cases • Knowledge • Subject matter * Information has it’s own inherent value, but when presented alone, can not provide participants a “quality education”

16. The Gold Standard of Education Education is “increase of competence” – when a person can do something she has not previously been able to do. Development of competence requires: • Practice • Feedback * These two instructional elements are uniquely educational and no program can be defined as “quality education” unless both are present

17. Our Common Objective Features of quality educational programs: • Performance-based learning objectives (identify actions and accomplishments) • Practice that prepares learner to successfully master outcomes • Feedback that guides learner to self-correct • Instructional elements that prepare learner to be successful in practice(Motivation, presentation, demonstration)

18. The Secret to Quality Education: Reverse Engineering • Learning Objectives • Learning Assessment • Practice and Feedback • Demonstration and Discussion • Lecture / Presentation • Inspiration

19. Some Help… Clarify by asking: What specific actions or thoughts occur when _____________? What are some examples of _________________? Define more specifically ____________? If soft term is a: VERB (action) - coordinate - understand - manage - know NOUN (accomplishment) - insight - appreciation - aspects - culture ADJECTIVE - Quality product - A few times ADVERB - Quickly return call - Question carefully

20. Brief Summary • Expertise will be measured by competent performance (which is what our students and society value). • Academic programs foster competent performance by providing learners with practice and feedback activities. • Only education develops competence, information and entertainment can not. • Subject matter is necessary but not sufficient for the development of competent performance. • Once we articulate competency outcomes for academic programs, we can measure whether we’ve achieved them through practice and feedback activities. (The only difference between practice and a test is the purpose of the activity.)

21. References Bichelmeyer, B.A. (2006). Best practices in Adult Education & E-Learning: Leverage Points for Quality & Impact of Continuing Legal Education. Valparaiso University Law Review, 40(1), 75-86. Bichelmeyer, B. & Horvitz, B. (2006). Comprehensive Performance Evaluation: Using logic models to develop a theory-based approach for evaluation of HPT interventions. In J. Pershing, (Ed.) Handbook of Human Performance Technology, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: ISPI Publications, 1165-1189.