Open Education in the Liberal Arts

Appendix: NITLE Survey on Open Education in the Liberal Arts Context

Permalink for this paragraph 0 1. [Consent statement] The purpose of this research project is to understand the strategic implications of open education for liberal arts colleges. This is a research project being conducted by Lisa Spiro and Bryan Alexander at NITLE. You are invited to participate in this research project because you are a senior administrator at a small liberal arts college.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Your participation in this research study is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time without penalty.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 We anticipate that this survey will take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Your responses will remain confidential, unless you prefer to identify yourself.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 If you have any questions about the research study, please contact Lisa Spiro at lspiro@nitle.org or Bryan Alexander at balexander@nitle.org

Permalink for this paragraph 0 ELECTRONIC CONSENT: Please select your choice below.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 I agree to participate in this survey.

Permalink for this paragraph 0 2. How many undergraduate students are at your college?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 3. Speaking generally, how would you characterize the attitude of faculty at your college toward open educational resources and approaches?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Not aware of open education
Not convinced that quality open educational resources are available
Interested but not committed
Committed to open education
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 4. What impact do you think the following aspects of open education will have on liberal arts colleges in the next 5-7 years?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 I don’t know -No impact – Slight impact – Some impact – Significant impact – High impact

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Open textbooks
Open learning objects such as exercises and animations
Interactive open learning platforms such as Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative
Engaging students in producing open content, e.g. Wikipedia entries or digital collections
Open courseware such as MIT’s Open Courseware
Open source Learning Management Systems such as Moodle or Sakai
Using open source blogging platforms such as WordPress
Open courses such as Stanford’s open courses
Open courses + certification, such as MITx
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 5. How would you describe your institution’s engagement with open education?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Nothing at present [directs to question19]
Studying potential approaches
Internal pilot (departmental)
Campus pilot
Campuswide program or service

Permalink for this paragraph 0 6. Using and consuming open education resources: to what extent is your institution doing the following?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 I don’t know – Not pursuing – Considering pursuing – Some faculty are engaged – Piloting in a few departments/program – Implementing across campus

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Using open textbooks
Using open learning objects such as exercises and animations
Using interactive open learning platforms such as Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative
Using open curriculum such as MIT’s Open Courseware
Using open source Learning Management Systems such as Moodle or Sakai
Using open source blogging platforms such as WordPress
Providing credit for open courses such as MITx
Engaging students in producing open content, e.g. Wikipedia entries or digital collections
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 7. Creating open education resources: to what extent is your institution *producing* the following?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 I don’t know – Not producing – Considering producing – Piloting in a few departments/program – Producing in a piecemeal way – Implementing across campus

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Open textbooks
Open learning objects such as exercises and animations
Open source tools for teaching and learning
Open curriculum such as MIT’s Open Courseware

Permalink for this paragraph 0 8. Why did your college decide to pursue open educational approaches?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Not at all important – Slightly important – Somewhat important – Important – Very important

Permalink for this paragraph 0 To lower costs
To foster pedagogical innovation
To provide greater access to education
To provide more learning opportunities for students
To strengthen the campus community
To reach a larger community beyond the campus
To meet ethical obligations
To meet student demand
To meet faculty demand
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 9. What groups are involved in your college’s open education efforts?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Academic dean or provost
Academic departments (please list in “other”)
Individual faculty
Library
Teaching and Learning Center
Academic Computing/IT
Student Services/ Student Affairs
Academic Advising
Registrar
Financial Aid
Students
None of the above
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 10. How did your college launch its open education program(s)?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 11. What off-campus collaborators have been helpful in implementing open educational approaches, if any?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Peer campus institution
Nonpeer campus institution
Professional organization
Nonprofit group
Foundation
Government agency
None
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 12. How is your college supporting open education?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Providing funding
Providing technical support to faculty
Providing technical support to students
Helping faculty to identify relevant open resources
Providing high level administrative support
Developing open tools and resources locally
Collaborating with other colleges to produce open resources
Sending representatives to meetings about open education
Joining organizations such as the Open Courseware Consortium
Instituting an open access mandate
None of the above

Permalink for this paragraph 0 13. What percentage of faculty are using open educational materials (rough estimate)?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 None
1-10%
11-25%
26-50%
51-75%
76-100%

Permalink for this paragraph 0 14. What percentage of faculty are producing open educational materials (rough

Permalink for this paragraph 0 estimate)?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 None
1-10%
11-25%
26-50%
51-75%
76-100% 

Permalink for this paragraph 0 15. What are the biggest obstacles to promoting open educational resources and software at your college?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Not a factor – A minor factor – Somewhat of a factor – A factor – A key factor

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Lack of funding
Lack of time
Low awareness of open education
Perceived lack of quality of open educational resources
Not in the college’s strategic interest
Lack of faculty support
Lack of student support
Lack of administrative support
Too complex technically
Binding contracts with vendors
Lack of appropriate institutional policy
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 16. What’s been the campus impact of open education so far?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 17. What do you think could be the potential impact of open educational resources, software and courses at your college?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 18. How are you assessing the impact of open education on campus? [skips to question 21]

Permalink for this paragraph 0 19. Why is your institution not pursuing open education at this time?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Not pursuing open education currently
My institution lacks awareness of open education
My institution does not see open education as being in its strategic interest
Open education is best pursued at the faculty level, not the institution-level
My institution lacks the resources to pursue open education
My institutional policies do not allow or support open education
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 20. What might shift your college’s approach to open education?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 An authoritative source of information about open education
Collaboration with other campuses to identify high quality open educational resources
Collaboration with other campuses to produce high quality open educational resources
Grant funding in support of open education
Demand from faculty
Demand from students
Demand from the public

Permalink for this paragraph 0 21. What impact do you think open initiatives such as MITx will have on liberal arts colleges?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 They will have little impact
They will extend educational opportunities to those outside the traditional education system
They will directly compete with liberal arts colleges
They will allow liberal arts colleges to expand their course offerings
They will enable liberal arts colleges to develop new business models

Permalink for this paragraph 0 22. How can an organization like NITLE provide support to liberal arts colleges in exploring open education?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 Help develop viable business models
Raise awareness of open education
Help coordinate the production of open educational resources
Help coordinate the production of open source software
Help secure funding for open education initiatives
Connect campuses to thought leaders in open education
Support interinstitutional collaboration
Help colleges find and evaluate open educational resources
Provide strategic guidance on how liberal arts colleges should approach open education

Permalink for this paragraph 0 23. What is the significance of open education for liberal arts colleges?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 24. Any other thoughts?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 25. What is your institutional role on campus?

Permalink for this paragraph 0 CIO, merged organization
CIO, nonmerged organization
Library director
Academic computing leader
IT manager
Faculty member
Other (please specify)

Permalink for this paragraph 0 26. Can we follow up with you in an interview?