XplanaZine

Needs-Tailored, or, Needs-Modified Approach:
In order to be responsive to economic development requirements and to share resources and knowledge, universities favor following a “needs-tailored” approach by modifying currently-existing university-generated curricula and degree programs so that they meet rapidly shifting requirements. “Needs-tailored” curriculum can be anticipated by deciding to leave at least 20% of course content as customized content, such as case studies or principles that deal with specific needs of the cohort group or the track.
Steps involve the following:
1. Design curriculum so that 80% is standardized, so that all students are assured of consistent course content, which will allow them to succeed in exit exams and competency / board exams.
2. Conduct needs assessments and surveys at least one semester ahead of time in order to determine what the specific needs are within a cohort group, particularly if there is a theme or a specialized degree track.
3. Research and find readings to help students with the information they need. These can be case studies and additional online readings.
4. Develop assignments and team projects that address the custom content, and which ask students to synthesize core concepts, principles, and apply them to the case studies or special problems.

Quality and Interactivity Factors - the Rationale for Decentralization and Local-level Control:
While it may seem most effective to provide a campus- or system-wide solution via an IT department, usually these approaches do not work.
The problems are as follows:
1) departments lose control of the quality of the course content, and faculty are alienated from the course development process;
2) focus tends to be on the interface and the technical aspects of implementation, rather than on the learning that will be going on;
3) talent and knowledge usually exist on a department level, and it is a great disincentive to subjugate the local talent to a centralized bureaucracy;
4) a small, responsive workstation approach is cheaper than a large office;
5) centralization is effective, but only in the maintaining of servers which house the course management software, or the large, cross-campus databases and programs (such as PeopleSoft);
6) faculty are more likely to be creative when they develop a close relationship with the instructional technologist, the curriculum director, and the implementing staff, and the rewards for risk-taking are greater;
7) individuals can take ownership, departments can maintain quality, and a unique presence or brand image can be developed, with resulting positive impact on brand equity.

Once the programs are in place, universities and units within universities will become centers of life-long learning, innovation, and outreach. As such, they will provide much-needed training, professional development, and higher learning to professionals, traditional college students, women, government and non-governmental organizations and associations, and all life-long learners in rural and urban locations. Thus, one of the primary barriers to economic growth - a lack of qualified human resources - will have been eliminated, and economic development, democracy-building, and civil-society support will be able to take advantage of new human capital.

Strategic Elements for Building Capacity:
Decentralization, with Department- or Unit-level Control: How to Set Up an Online Program Center at the Unit level
Put together a Critical Path with milestones
Select Curriculum Director
Select Technical Director
Set up Program Development Center, with workstations - select technical assistants and instructional designer
Training of Faculty and Technical Assistants
Curriculum Review Committee
Template approval
Network and Technical Requirements Diagramming
Interface “Objects” Review, Interactivity Elements
Curriculum Approved, with course sequence
Putting it all together
SME - Curriculum Director interaction; timetable for course development
Student Support Services Plan
Courseware Interfaces evaluations
Online Resources Plan
Assessment and Evaluation Plan
Timeline for Implementation

Collaborative Partnership Approach
The overall philosophy of the approach is detailed in previous sections. In summary, the approach is, above all, a joint venture, and involves a blend of guiding, mentoring, train-the-trainer, apprenticeship, technology/knowledge transfer, and the establishment of productive and ongoing public and private-sector linkages. The larger unit will share its experience and teach the smaller units’ counterpart how to design, implement, and plan for growth. The small units will share lessons learned in the implementation and needs-tailoring aspects of the program, resulting in a model that can be used in future projects. The end result will be more effective partnering between units, with approaches that integrate conflict resolution, economic development, technology transfer, and appreciation of cultural differences.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
Specific Measurable Outcomes
The following assessments and inventories will be conducted in conjunction with all activities to provide the data needed for planning, curriculum development, linkage development, strategic planning, recruiting, and site locations. All instruments will be developed jointly, and evaluation will be done as a team effort.
Evaluations:
Peer review of curricula
Students
Faculty training in technology and pedagogy
Independent third party subject matter expert review
Training on equipment // technical support
Number of innovative ideas and sustainable new programs generated after implementation of program
Publicity and recruiting - number of inquiries and students enrolling; number of companies encouraging students to enroll in new degree programs
Needs assessments to develop “needs-tailored” solution
Benchmarks:
Programs designed and implemented
Number of library resources accessible via Internet
Number of faculty trained
Number of grants and scholarships donated to help students be a part of the program
Number of students admitted to the new Master’s programs
Attrition (student and faculty) rate
Graduation rate
Number of Linkages established between university and private / public sector
Strength of the methodology for monitoring and evaluating project success; appropriateness and clarity of benchmarks for measuring progress.

Listing of Key Strategic Plan Events

Strategic planning and critical path construction
Train-the-Trainer events
Needs assessments
Impact assessments
Intensive, hands-one short courses
Degree program with blended-solution approach implemented
Faculty exchanges
Seminars and workshops open to the public
Publicity and media review to disseminate information to general public and to technical publications
Program design and modification
Library resources built
Community, business, government needs assessments to align curriculum with human resources development objectives
Transfer of knowledge and technology to smaller units
Use of education networks
Investigation on the impact of the distance education
Optimization of the center
Publications in conjunction with center
Technical innovations

Expected End of Program Status (benefit to ultimate beneficiaries) The most important legacy of this program is the establishment of a new capacity to develop strategic plans and to implement the development and deployment of “blended-solution” online-onsite programs which can be continually tailored and customized to meet the evolving needs and requirements of a society faced with urgent needs for large-scale human resource development.

Following this approach will also leave legacies of infrastructure, curriculum, course content, library resources, access to workshops, and a philosophy of life-long learning which will help students, faculty, and staff achieve their personal, academic and career goals. Indirect beneficiaries include communities, both rural and urban, as well as members of professional associations and members of local and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations dealing with human resource development.
Women and families will benefit because of skills that allow women better access to the business community and which encourage entrepreneurship. They will also benefit because of the downstream impact of the proposed programs, which will mean better service in urban and rural healthcare.

Finally, the business community will benefit, not only from the skills and knowledge gained from the degree programs, but also in the techniques utilized, which can be employed in corporate training programs as well as higher education.