A Vision for FLEXspace Flexible Learning Environments e
A Vision for FLEXspace: Flexible Learning Environments e. Xchange Lisa Stephens, Joseph Moreau, Mark Mc. Callister, Jim Twetten, Clare van den Blink Proposing a new community of practice and open access, peer-reviewed learning space respository to support the education community What is the FLEXspace Vision? The attributes describing the space can be displayed next to the image in a variety of layouts (Figure 2). The Flexible Learning Environments e. Xchange – FLEXspace is a robust, open access repository populated with examples of learning spaces. It will contain high resolution images and related information that describes detailed attributes of these spaces from institutions across the globe. The FLEXspace business and partnership model must be sustainable over the long-term in order to encourage contributions. To encourage this sustainability the early thinking includes: • External hosting. Contract with a service provider to avoid institutional burdens of hosting a production service within a partner or sponsor institution. The incentive for participation is to showcase innovative design solutions open to peer review ranking and comments. As more contributions are received, the repository will emerge into a very useful planning resource for education and FLEXspace Prototype supporting entities at multiple levels. FLEXspace is currently being tested in prototype. The SUNY FACT 2 Learning Environments Task Group partnered with ARTstor™ for a proof of concept on their new Shared Shelf™ product that was still in Beta (2011). • Create a Sponsorship Model to reduce or eliminate institutional cost burden. It is feasible that vendors and manufacturers of furniture, equipment and services will support this effort in order to display implementation examples to new clients in a non-commercial environment. What is the Value of FLEXspace? • Create competition through “best of class” rankings by online voting systems or peer editorial review boards. Consistent with EDUCAUSE Seeking Evidence of Impact, a small group of committed stakeholders seeks to scale the prototype so it may: • Highlight novel and innovative solutions that demonstrate use of content capture and curricular integration. Share these examples broadly through online and traditional publications. Figure 2: Large Image coupled with side-by-side attributes display • Provide ROI examples of peer solutions • Decrease the facilities planning-to-construction time cycle • Encourage consistent terminology across stakeholder groups (facilities planners, architects, faculty, instructional support, administration and information technologists) Figure 1: Shared Shelf Attribute Collection Page for Record Entry The SUNY Learning Environments Task Group (LETG) completed an environmental scan that found a need for a repository to store and share a broad range of content including: • • • High resolution images Lower resolution images in various formats Video Planning documents and/or blueprints RS 232 source code A taxonomy describing learning environment attributes and pedagogical objectives (active learning, hands-on space, virtual simulation or immersion) Shared Shelf™ enables different types of content to be uploaded and filtered depending on the criteria described. Next Steps & Major Milestones Ensuring a Sustainable Resource • Staff properly! Avoid creative solutions where the service is integrated as a student project or part time responsibility. Create a business model that enables this service to be successful over the long term to build confidence. FLEXspace support may fit into a partner’s business or service delivery model, but it should always remain “a gift to higher education, not a burden. ” • Engage in perfection through production. • Demonstrate a variety of ways to capture Accept that refinements will be made as part of traditional content for repurposing in digital production rollout. Follow a timeline according to environments (course capture, tutorial key milestones, but don’t allow perfection to applications, developmental education) become the enemy of the good – it’s a community Leveraging Partnerships to Create a New FLEXspace Community of Practice • Enable a way to “rate” or “scale” solutions effort. through peer review. A number of organizations have committed to continuing discussions to define a business and partnership model. The immediate goal is to continue the “Listening Tour” and determine the level of interest and support to FLEXspace Community of Practice: Participants from Higher Education, K-12, Museums, expand this vision! Education Continuing Education and Specialized Training Environments who will benefit from this service, Community and sponsors who can showcase application of products in a non-commercial environment Consortium of Colleges & University Media Centers – Contribution of membership interest CCUMC academic and corporate members design, deploy, maintain, and support learning spaces EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative – Contribution of Learning Space Rating System or similar ELI solution to support a rubric to “score” learning environments Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning & Online Teaching – Contribution of peer MERLOT review and partnership model already adopted in their open access learning object repository ARTstor - a not-for-profit hosted database environment that now allows for open distribution ARTstor models creates the service foundation with their Shared Shelf™ product Spring 2013 Demo Prototype & Listening Tour SUNY, CCUMC, NMC, ELI, Sloan-C/MERLOT Summer 2013 Draft Governance Compile Feedback, Form Advisory & Business Plan Fall 2013 Pilot Production, Dedicate Staff Peer Testing, Revision, Communicate Updates Spring 2014 Production Release 1. 0 Listening Tour 2. 0 FLEXspace Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Who do I contact for more information? Any of the current partners listed in the title can help. Lisa. Stephens@suny. edu has agreed to serve as a point of contact while formative steps are underway. How much will it cost to participate in this new Community? This will be determined by the emerging business plan and how levels of sponsorship are defined. If you are interested in serving as a sponsor, please reach out to a FLEXspace member. When will additional information be available? An Advisory Board should be in place by Summer 2013, a Communication Plan will be part of the early organizational efforts. Please be proactive an reach out to a named partner. Who are the committed stakeholders at this time? The organizations below agree this project has merit and have committed cash and/or in-kind resources. FLEXspace Collaborator Acknowledgements: Joseph Moreau, Vice Chancellor of Technology - Foothill-De’Anza Community College District Brad Snyder, Associate Director - Classroom Technology Services – SUNY Cortland Lisa Stephens, Senior Strategist, SUNY Academic Innovation Clare van den Blink, Director of Academic Technology – Cornell University Kim Scalzo, Director - SUNY Center for Professional Development Mark Mc. Callister, Associate Director, Office of Academic Technology – University of Florida Malcolm Brown, Director, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative Gerry Hanley, Exec. Dir. – MERLOT & Sr. Director, Academic Technology Svcs. , California State Univ. Jim Twetten, Director – Academic Technology – Iowa State University Carey Hatch, Associate Provost for Academic Technologies and Information Services, SUNY www. buffalo. edu Conference Presentation Available on You. Tube! Search “You. Tube + CCUMC + Repository” to view the prototype demonstration.
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