Affordable Learning Solutionsand a Taste of MERLOT

Gerry Hanley, Ph.D.California State University Office of the Chancellor

Academic Technology Services and MERLOTOctober 12, 2012

Leveraging Technology to Support Students, Faculty, & Staff

Foothill DeAnza College, CA

In the next 45 minutes, we’ll •Review the components of the Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) Initiative

– Leveraging Content Providers– Creating Capabilities– Developing Demand– Enabling Ecosystems

•Demonstrate how the CSU is implementing the AL$ initiative•Answer questions about how you can applying AL$ to your institutional initiatives

Ready with the right institutional context?

The CSU: Our Dreadful Situation• $800M budget cut in last 2 years with $250M

budget cut likely in November – 35% cut of our state funding

• Tuition Fees more than doubled in the last 3 years• Our Mission: Provide access to an excellent

education• High priority: Reduce the cost of education for

our students because affordability is an barrier to access

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• Nationally, 7 of 10 students report not buying at least 1 required text because of cost.

• 79% of all students state that they would do “worse/much worse” in without their own text.

High costs have multiple effects on our students’ ability to succeed and graduate in a timely manner.

Student Responses to Costs

CSU Provides System Access to No and Low Cost Textbook Alternatives

1. Open Educational Resources: Through ALS site, find over 1,000,000 FREE online instructional materials, including over 2,200 FREE online textbooks that you can use

2. CSU Library Resources: Our electronic library collections provide students FREE access to extensive resources

3. Faculty Authored Materials: Published and distributed in a variety of ways

4. Lower Cost Publisher Content in both electronic and hard copy formats.

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Affordable Learning Solutions Website:“One Stop Shop” To Find Alternative

Content, Tools, Technologies, Policies, Marketing and Deployment Strategies

http://als.csuprojects.org

AL$ Initiative Strategy

DEVELOPING DEMAND

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CAMPUS INITIATIVES

TURN CAPACITY

INTO OUTCOMES 11

Developing Demand: I Want My AL$• “If you build it, they will come”…Assumes

you know what people really want.

• Communication Campaigns Are Critical– Awareness of choices– Overcoming fears and misunderstandings– Opportunities to achieve an advantage

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Developing Demand: I Want My AL$• “If you build it, they will come”…Assumes

people know how to “play ball”• Professional development and training

– Create the human capabilities to OER and digital media confidence and success

• Recognize exemplary people and practices– Be part of a campus priority– Add to a tenure/promotion portfolio

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http://library.csudh.edu/ALS/

Fall 2010 - Fall 2011

105 FacultyMade Digital Choices

6,900+ Students Enrolled

Potential$490,000 Savings

ENABLING ECOSYSTEMS

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Enabling Ecosystems:“You Want My AL$”

• Leadership – “Top to bottom”– Connecting “silos” for students’ benefits

• Business deals – Partnerships vs. Vendors• Campus Policies – can represent the values and

provide “good guidance”– Intellectual property, “textbook” adoption, HEOA

implementation, accessibility

• Responding to legislators intent and actions16

HOW DO YOU MAKE AL$ A PRIORITY OVER OTHER COMPETING DEMANDS

FOR ATTENTION?

Politics matter a lot….

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What Drivers Will Attract Attention?• Affordability - Access to higher ed dependent on “Total Cost of

Education“ (MD)• Higher Education Opportunity Act – Cost transparency that requires

changes in campus business practices (CD)• Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act – timely delivery of accessible

content to students with disabilities (CD)• Consumer demands for digital services & products (MD)• Learning outcomes for accreditation (CD)• OTHERS????

WHAT IS THE COMPETITION FOR ATTENTION? (MD= Market Driver CD=Compliance Driver)

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AL$ Initiative Strategy

Project Management: Methods for Making Your Dreams Real

• Basics of Project Management– Scoping– Staffing– Funding– Nagging

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QUESTIONS?

Thank You

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