Maximizing Campus Impact

» Case Study 3

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Creates Teaching Enhancement Center
Perceiving a need for a single source of information and support for faculty who want to learn how to use technology and how to use it in teaching, the Office of Instructional Development at UCLA established the Teaching Enhancement Center. Here is the story in their own words.

The Situation
UCLA has a distributed set of independent IT resources and the Office of Instructional Development (OID) sought a means to assist the campus by providing resources in the form of equipment and personnel to augment local resources or offer assistance where resources were scarce. The distributed campus works to locate and balance expertise, resources, and approaches across many disciplines and departments, resulting in a dynamic environment, a strong community of varied support and experience, and a situation where best-of-breed solutions are able to flourish.

In addition, OID administers the campus TA training program, course evaluation, faculty development, classroom services, media production and the media library, and these complimentary services enable OID to approach instruction and technology in a holistic manner.

The Action Taken
OID created the Teaching Enhancement Center, a drop-in center designed to embrace the use of technology in teaching. Not only has OID equipped TEC with scanners, video decks, recording equipment and other technologies, they hired a TEC staff with broad experience in teaching and technology. The center staff work closely with the Faculty Development Coordinator, creating a one-stop, drop-in facility where faculty can not only learn about new technologies, but gain an appreciation of their pedagogical application.

The Effect on Campus
In the 16 months since TEC has been opened, our impact on campus may best be measured by our accomplishments. In addition to holding over 400 individual appointments with clients in our Center, we have developed and shared our resources and materials with the campus through our website and participation in a number of cross-campus committees, such as a Digital Learning Objects Taskforce with the library, three Blended Instruction Initiatives with three different departments, and active participation in UCLA’s Sakai pilot project. Thus, the scope of TEC’s work runs the gamut from individual, project-based assistance to larger-scale course redesign.

Tips for Other Centers
Build a staff with great, curious people; provide guidance and direction based on sound instructional technology philosophies and principles; and encourage an environment of sharing and community. We have found that working closely with the IT resources in the various departments helps keep all sides of a project informed and on target regarding both pedagogy and the technology of choice.

Additionally, although it may require more experimenting and dedication, we have found that using open source software has helped the center develop at a lower cost-risk than if we had chosen commercial software. We have seen an associated growth in staff expertise with the need to understand technology in a more comprehensive way.