PIERCE COLLEGE TECHNOLOGY MASTER PLAN 2010 2012 Technology Committee & Educational Technology Committee July 2, 2010
INTRODUCTION The mission of LACCD s technology plan is to offer students an information-rich interactive educational environment that integrates technology into the fabric of learning experiences and provides students with the connectivity, access, information, tools, and services they need to accomplish their goals. To achieve this mission, technology at LACCD will build upon the dual values of LACCD: Focus on students Data driven continuous improvement The LACCD identified five key areas to achieve the mission of providing an information-rich, interactive educational environment that integrates technology into the fabric of teaching and learning experiences: Learning The LACCD will leverage powerful technology that provides personalized learning that customizes the pace of teaching and instructional practices. All learners will have engaging and empowering learning experiences both in and outside of college classroom that prepare them to be active, creative, and knowledgeable participants in a globally networked society Assessment The LACCD will leverage technology to regularly measure and report student success, institutional effectiveness, and operational efficiency while using assessment data for continuous improvement Teaching The LACCD will increase the ability of educators to use technology to create engaging, meaningful and connected learning environments. They will be supported individually and in teams by technology that connects them to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences that enable and inspire more effective teaching for learners Infrastructure The LACCD will provide a comprehensive sustainable technology infrastructure including hardware, software, support staff, policies, and processes for students, educators, and staff for learning when and where needed Productivity The LACCD will redesign organizational processes and structure to take advantage of technology in order to improve learning outcomes and use resources more efficiently In alignment with the National Education Technology Plan, the LACCD Technology Plan strives to provide all students with the technological environment that allows for engaging and empowering learning experiences. Based on the theoretical framework provided by the District Technology Plan, the focus of the Pierce College Technology Master Plan is on meeting the college s mission to ensure that students achieve their educational, career, and personal goals. The plan specifically provides a roadmap for supporting current and growing needs of students, instructional programs, support services, as well as planning for full website accessibility and future technology. The Pierce College Technology Plan is composed of two parts. Part I of the Pierce College Technology Plan has two goals that address the underlying physical technology infrastructure 2
and the instructional technological support necessary to facilitate student success and faculty technological competency in the classroom. Part II of the Technology Plan focuses on website accessibility and Distance Education because of its emerging status and unique technological support needs. PART I TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Disparate systems and equipment deployed at each college and across the colleges in the district hinder consistency, interoperability and support with limited staffing and support. Technologies being deployed span multiple job functions. Staff positions and skill sets need to be updated and enhanced through realignment and training. Goal #1: Using Technology Effectively to Advance Learning, Teaching, Student Success and Student Services. Strategy 1.1: Assess our current infrastructure Technology has permeated our instructional programs, and is rapidly changing from an augmentation to our curriculum to an integral part of it. Not only technology based programs are employing technology but also programs like auto, geography, art, and music. This is a paradigm shift that requires the infrastructure to be available not online when classes are in session but 24 x 7. Similarly, our administrative and support services are expanding to online content which also requires 24 x 7 availability, ease of use, quick adaptability and high reliability. Pierce College is faced with the challenge of upgrading and maintaining our dated data communications network to keep pace with the demands of instructional and administrative technology requirements. The infrastructure deployed must support and offer new methods to increase productivity and efficiency, both in the instructional programs and in campus administrative computing. The current Pierce College technology infrastructure is comprised of intra- and inter-building network connectivity that grew and adapted to meet the demand. This also includes, but is not limited to, the shared services computer networking equipment (server equipment). The college s main distribution frame (MDF) is at a location that controls an external connection from a service provider (AT&T) to an internal network device that controls all network intersection and traffic within the campus network nodes (voice/video/data). The college procured the services of Data Link Networks to conduct an independent audit of the Pierce College infrastructure in late 2006 which detailed that its current Cisco equipment infrastructure was at the end of its useful life. The college recognizes that data communications network is a critical process and maintains its commitment by prioritizing the upkeep of this work as it balances other IT workloads. 3
Strategy 1.2: Plan, design, and implement infrastructure upgrades As noted in the LACCD Technology Plan, as education becomes more technology dependent, newer facilities are being equipped with sophisticated Energy and Building Management systems that require access by a variety of service providers, while protecting the college networks. The result of the study by Data Link was a revised infrastructure plan that included the following elements: 1. Identifying and assess end of life equipment and choke points. 2. Developing and proposing a phased replacement strategy. 3. Selecting replacement equipment to support, future budget concerns, if any. 4. Implementing phased removal of choke points and installation of new equipment. 5. Continued adherence to the plan set forth by the assessment. The planning, design, and implementation of infrastructure upgrades are being developed in phases. The graphics in Appendix 1, titled Visio-Current Pierce College illustrates the state of the Pierce College infrastructure from 2000 to 2006. This illustration highlights an infrastructure of a singular device at the center of the network, and the multiple components at the network distribution points that cause multiple choke points within the network. These choke points can be attributed to the degradation of network performance. The aggregate speed of the network with this configuration is approximately 10/100 Mbps (Ref: Appendix 1). Page 2 of Appendix 1 illustrates the transition of the Pierce College infrastructure from unsupported, end-of-life equipment to fully supported network equipment. In this planned step, an additional network core device has been added to promote resiliency. Some network devices were also replaced to alleviate the choke point areas and increase the speed to 1 Gbps at the center (Ref: Appendix 1). Page 3 of Appendix 1 illustrates the final phase of the Pierce College infrastructure with lifetime support network equipment end to end. This illustration highlights that all choke points will be removed, and the network speed will be 10 Gbps at the center and the next closest points and 1 Gbps at the furthest points from the center (Ref: Appendix 2). Implementation of infrastructure upgrades will continue with input from the college s technology liaison director to the various bond projects. The timeline for acquisition of server equipment is tied to renovation of the Campus Center which will serve as the information technology hub of the college by 2012. The current MDF and this new secondary MDF will allow Pierce College to possess a high-level of resiliency and reduce downtime if external connection is severed. A number of new buildings or facilities undergoing major remodeling will open or reopen around campus in the next five years as the culmination of a fifteen-year capital development plan. In each building the communications infrastructure and teaching support technology will fully satisfy faculty and student technology needs. The following projects and projected 4
completion dates illustrate the comprehensive plan to update facilities to meet technology needs: the new student services building, a 50,000 square foot facility housing all student service programs including admissions and records, the heaviest technology-dependent program (opened October, 2009); remodel of the business education building (June, 2010); the new center for the sciences, a 100,000 square foot building (July, 2010); Renovations to the core classroom buildings housing language arts, mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences are scheduled to begin in Fall, 2010 and will be completed in phases over the following two years. (2010-2012) remodel of the administration building (June, 2011); the new library/learning crossroads building, an 80,000 square foot facility including instructional support services for faculty and students and a large open access computer laboratory (Fall, 2012); remodel and expansion of the horticulture complex, including classrooms and a computer laboratory (Summer, 2012); remodel and expansion of the automotive technology building, including modernized classrooms and network intensive workshops (summer 2013); the new green technology building with network intensive classrooms and laboratories (2014); the new digital arts/media complex with media/network intensive classrooms and laboratories (2015). The chart below lists all the construction projects and illustrates the projected numbers of smart classrooms, networked labs, wireless access points, and offices in each building. 5
Estimated Project Counts CLASS ROOMS NETWORKED LABS WIRELESS ACCESS PT PROJECT COMPLETION DATE PROJECT OFFICES STUDENT SERVICES BLDG A/AA 7 4 145 October 2009 BUSINESS EDUCATION A/AA 5 4 7 9 June 2010 CENTER FOR THE SCIENCES A/AA 21 21 35 45 July 2010 MATH A/AA 10 1 14 0 2010 2012 LANGUAGE 2010-2012 SOCIAL SCIENCES 7 8 1 2010 2012 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE 4 0 13 28 2010-2012 ADMIN BLDG REMODEL A/AA 2 17 29 2010-2012 LIBRARY/ CROSSROADS NEW CONSTRUCTION J 15 15 21 90 Fall 2012 HORTICULTURE REMODEL 2 2 7 4 Summer 2012 AUTOMOTIVE TECH REMODEL 7 12 16 2015 GREEN TECH BUILDING 12 20 25 2015 DIGITAL ARTS/MEDIA COMPLEX 13 22 28 2015 INFORMATION TECH MOVE 1 3 4 Fall 2010 COMPUTER SCIENCE 4 4 13 7 2010 2012 LEARNING CENTER 6 5 10 6 2010-2012 LIFE SCIENCES 9 3 15 5 2010 2012 INDUSTRIAL TECH TBD TBD 6 TBD 2010-2012 CHEMISTRY 14 0 18 1 2010 2012 PHYSICS 8 1 17 4 2010-2012 ENGLISH 4 1 7 5 2010-2012 TOTALS 128 86 269 439 The strategy for long-term maintenance and upgrade of infrastructure is tied to the multiple conduit paths and fiber strands being placed throughout the college and covered under a 25 year warranty. All network equipment is covered with a lifetime warranty to guarantee continued support and the elimination of obsolescence. In the case of expansion of network 6
needs, Pierce may purchase additional modules to insert into the network equipment. In 2006, the college began development of a college-wide Annual Academic Program Plan document and process to tie academic program planning to budget planning. Starting in 2010, the college plans to extend the process by incorporating Annual Administrative Unit Plans. Therefore, long-term IT equipment needs will be documented and reviewed annually through the standard college-wide planning process. Strategy 1.3: Establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for IT Service Level Agreements are standards of performance that are agreed upon, and then measured and reported on a regular basis (monthly). SLAs provide the college management and the constituent users with a quantifiable measure of the IT infrastructure and support, and can highlight the need for redeployment or addition of resources. IT, working with the college s Technology Committee, will establish SLAs and a means to regularly measure and report the results. The initial SLAs will focus on high level measurements and then increasingly greater detail as the college learns to utilize these measurements The SLAs can initially address such areas as: 1. Network up time 2. Trouble Ticket resolution time 3. Help Desk response time 4. MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) workstations The process of establishing SLA began in the spring of 2008 and will be in place once adopted by shared governance committees. The SLAs must be approved by the Pierce College Council and the college president. The SLAs will be reviewed and renegotiated annually. Strategy 1.4: Ensure IT staff technological currency and responsiveness As stated in the LACCD Technology Plan, as education becomes more technology dependent, there is increasing need for skill sets and training of staff in the rapidly changing environment. The technological currency of the IT staff and their responsiveness to the college s technological needs is critical to the efficient operations of instructional programs and administrative functions. To understand the technological currency of the existing Pierce College technology staff, an assessment of the staff to determine knowledge growth areas was executed in 2007 by obtaining the education and knowledge levels of each staff person and documenting previous knowledge with future technology industry methodologies. This assessment showed the need to upgrade technological currency of the IT staff in order to maintain Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to support student service, academic, and administrative technology needs. 7
To address the knowledge growth areas, in July 2009, Pierce College entered into an agreement with Microsoft through the LACC District office that allows technical staff to access various online learning modules. The college is developing a plan to provide time for current staff to access the online learning modules for an hour each day at the end of an assigned shift. The learning modules are as follows: Microsoft Server Windows Networking Configuring Active Directory Configuring Microsoft Sharepoint Server Proficiency of the modules can be determined in the following ways: Execution of module exercises Successful completion of practical exercises Completion of Microsoft certification examination, where applicable The long-term strategy for ensuring staff currency is combined with the commitment by the college to make time for on-the-job training a permanent practice. Each staff member will, as part of the evaluation process, establish an annual goal for technological currency. Progress on skills upgrades will be reviewed annually by the IT Manager as part of the evaluation process. Strategy 1.5: IT staffing levels. The growth of technology on the campus continues to be explosive. The total number of workstations has increased from 700 to 1100 over the last 5 years. This trend is expected to continue as we add new programs (Digital Arts/Media, and Green Technology) and traditional academic areas expand their offerings to include more technology. To address the staffing needs the college will rely on the results of the SLAs to identify where and what types of resources are required to maintain the desired performance levels. Starting in 2010, long-term IT staffing needs will be documented in the Annual Administrative Unit Plan and reviewed annually with all other Annual Academic, Student Services, and Administrative Unit Plans through the standard college-wide planning process. 8
The purpose of the LACCD Technology Plan is to meet the learning needs of students in the 21st Century. In alignment with the 2010 National Educational Tech Plan, it integrates technology into learning, teaching, and student learning outcomes. The LACCD is a complex organization with nine colleges throughout Los Angeles County serving over 200,000 students every year, facing similar and nuanced challenges in an environment where technological advances are taking place at an increasingly fast pace. Students live in a world where access to information and resources is 24-7. This requires that competing technology needs are carefully evaluated and deployed to ensure not only that students are fully engaged in college, intellectually, socially and emotionally, but also to optimize the investment of limited resources with a life-cycle perspective. The LACCD Plan is based on the following key assumptions: Students today learn differently than in years past; and technology can help provide diverse learning experiences. Delivering engaging learning experiences and resources for all learners, anytime and anywhere requires state of the art technology with specialized processes, tools and support staff. Leveraging technology will continuously improve learning outcomes while increasing productivity at all levels. Congruent to the LACCD Technology Plan, the Pierce College Technology Plan recognizes the importance of student success and faculty success as powered by technology. Goal #2: Technology at Pierce College meets the present and near future need of students, faculty, and staff for high quality, reliability and accessibility. Strategy 2.1: Promote access for students, faculty, and staff Currently, the college does not provide adequate access for students, faculty, and staff due to limited wireless accessibility, distance education support, and accessible web information, Wireless Accessibility: The college goal is to bring wireless accessibility throughout the core academic areas around campus wherever groups of students, faculty, and staff are likely to congregate. To promote access for students, faculty, and staff, Pierce College executed a pilot program of wireless accessibility in calendar years 2006 and 2007 that initially covered (1) densely populated student area and (2) two academic departments. To date the concept has been proven, and the pilot program of wireless accessibility has been expanded to (10) student areas and (11) departments and/or disciplines. This pilot program used open access wireless provided by Time Warner Communications. Pierce recognizes this is only a interim step and that student verification is required to meet the LACCD standards. The wireless standards for all new construction projects will include wireless accessibility and user verification for wherever groups of students, faculty, and staff are likely to congregate. 9
The college s goal is to have these standards in place by the end of year 2010. The building already completed that do not match these standards will be addressed by spring 2011. College Web Site Information: Web Site information for the college consists of college information, students services, administrative services, academic and departmental pages, and faculty / class pages. The college s goal is to provide students with up to date accurate information an online services to provide them with accessible, timely and accurate information. Pierce has implemented a method for creating, updating, and maintaining this information by providing the capability to create this webpage to those closes to the information. The college s webmaster is responsible for the management of the general web information. The other pages on the website are created and maintained by the respective departments, and faculty with the focus on providing quality content while maximizing security and increasing accessibility. The college has created a web-based department webpage template and a faculty webpage editor and template (PWeb) to allow individual departments and faculty to easily create and maintain their own webpages. Web Site Access: Pierce Web content must be accessible to all users, including persons with disabilities. It is the policy of Pierce College to make reasonable accommodations in order to make all webbased information, services and learning resources on the College s Web site accessible to all users regardless of disability. Pierce College plans to provide equal access to information and information technology in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended and, California Government Code sections 11135-11138, which require that all public agencies adopt Section 508 technology standard as a minimum for information technology. Compliance with the College s accessibility goals is an ongoing institutional responsibility. The College Technology Committee, the Education Technology Committee and the Office of College Compliance are in the process of developing methods for auditing, monitoring and remediation of websites; establishing accountability and documentation procedures; and, a strategy for ensuring that new web sites and web content incorporate accessibility in the design and authoring process. In collaboration with the Pierce IT Department, the Distance Education and Special Services Offices, the College ADA Coordinator is currently creating a web page where staff and faculty can reference information, guidelines and tools, and is developing training sessions on web accessibility. Strategy 2.2: Support campus current technologies including (1) student labs, (2) faculty desks and classrooms (3) staff local and district applications To ensure sustainable support of current campus technologies, including but not limited to, student labs, classrooms, and faculty and staff applications, the college is committed to maintaining a five year technology replacement cycle. Computer Hardware and peripherals: 10
An assessment and inventory of desktop components and peripherals was executed by the current IT Manager and those results were shared with shared governance committees to develop a plan of action to initiate the first year of the technology replacement cycle Tech Refresh. The plan of action constituted the replacement of many of the desktop components and peripherals in a phased approach. Phase 1 of the Tech Refresh plan of action required the replacement of antiquated faculty and staff computers and peripherals that had not been refreshed since calendar year 2005. To date nearly 100 percent of Phase 1 has been completed. Phase 2 of the Tech Refresh plan of action will be comprised of replacing student labs and classrooms with the latest technology. This technology implementation will be observing forward-thinking methodologies to capitalize upon green initiatives and limited or depleting staff resources. (These forward thinking methodologies can be realized with the proper evaluation and execution of the use of blade technology at the desktop level and at the server level. Blade technology is a centralized configuration that promotes the use of less physical equipment will simultaneously providing the necessary processing power to meet the computing needs of a server or desktop environment. An alternate methodology that can be utilized is the use of VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure). This methodology promotes the virtualization of an active desktop from a remote location. A benefit of this methodology is it will allow for faster service and support for multiple student labs. Pierce College is anticipated to have over 50 student, faculty, and administrative laboratories. The reliance upon a centralized solution will coincide with the anticipated non-growth of technology positions for at least 2 to 3 fiscal years. Asset Tracking Inventory: The college shall maintain an asset tracking inventory that includes information on computer purchases. This inventory shall assist in the identification of computers in need of replacement according to the five-year computer replacement plan. The responsibility for maintenance and oversight of this project is shared between Plant Facilities and IT. A new system is being developed that will have the data online via BuildLACCD bond project. Currently, the asset tracking inventory for any equipment purchased with special funds is maintained separately by the program managing the specially funded project. A process is being developed to integrate the various specially-funded asset tracking inventory into the master asset tracking inventory that shall be maintained by Plant Facilities. Strategy 2.3: Implement Smart Classroom technology throughout the campus Today s digital age students learn differently from students a decade ago. They demand classrooms that facilitate active interaction between instructor and fellow students. Smart Classrooms enable faculty to enhance student learning through use of visual aids, audio equipment, document camera, smart boards, tablet pc, and other multimedia. This offers several potential benefits to instruction: all types of learners (visual, auditory, etc.) are given a chance to learn material in a manner best suited to their learning style; up-to-date information 11
and events can be easily presented to facilitate in-class discussion; and instructors can use learning materials developed for any media format without requesting special equipment. The college is engaged in renovation projects that will convert all classrooms into smart classrooms beginning with the Center for the Sciences building that is scheduled to open in August 2010 and continuing each year as other classroom buildings are renovated. By 2015, the college expects to have all classrooms fully converted into smart classrooms. The Smart Classroom Task force created a block diagram and functional description for the most advanced of classrooms with the assumption that components could be deleted for smaller or less complex rooms. The block diagram is show below: A breadboard resembling this configuration is under testing, with the focus on the Digital Matrix Switch box and its programming. It is the intent to have faculty interact with this breadboard for further feedback and refinement. Once this design is finalized, it will become the standard for Smart classrooms as they are designated in both North and South of Mall retrofit projects, as well as proposed new construction of the Digital Arts & Media and Green Technology buildings. Strategy 2.4: Research, test, and implement new educational technologies As noted in the LACCD Technology Plan, the 21st century learning model requires new and better ways to measure what matters, diagnose strengths and weaknesses during the course of 12
learning to improve student performance, and involve multiple stakeholders in designing, conducting and using results of assessment. In all these activities, technology-based assessments can provide data to drive decisions on the basis of what is best for each and every student that in aggregate will lead to continuous improvement across the LACCD. Congruent to the LACCD Technology Plan, the Pierce College Tech Plan addresses the on-going need to research, test, and implement new educational technologies. The responsibility of this strategy is recognized in consultation with various academic committees on campus such as the Student Success Committee, the Educational Technology Committee (for distance education program development), the Technology Committee, and so forth. To capture the research, testing, and implementation of new educational technology needs of the various programs at the college, the required annual academic program plan for each department and program includes a narrative section where programs will highlight their needs such as software maintenance and renewals. These academic plans are reviewed by each school dean and shall be shared widely with various committees on campus, specifically the Technology Committee to ensure proper college-wide budgeting for implementing new technologies and maintaining or improving existing technologies. Faculty with ongoing need to review the newest software developments in their area (such as Agricultural Science, Physics, and Center for Academic Success) are, in consultation with the Technology Committee, given administrative desktop rights in order to research, test, and implement new software such as Kurzweil or Reading Plus. Software Maintenance and Renewals: Software used for teaching, research, service and college support staff shall be updated on a regular basis. Updating will be more frequent in program areas where state-of-the-art technology is critical to effectiveness. A process is being developed so that information for all software that is expected to be maintained by the college is captured and thereafter budgeted within the college s general operating budget to be managed by IT. Strategy 2.5: Technology Training: Conduct training classes for faculty and staff This strategy is the purview of the college s Professional Development program, and its annual program plan (Ref: Appendix 6) outlines the vision of a comprehensive effort to develop a strong professional development program on campus that includes courses and workshops on curriculum development, teaching pedagogy, and utilizing technology more effectively in the classroom. Annual surveys of faculty and staff professional development needs and satisfaction levels are conducted to measure, benchmark and systematically improve college technological proficiency. 13
The College plans to increase the coordination of technology training and support by integrating technology proficiency into the hiring of new employees including technology training workshops offered as part of the Mentor-Mentee program for all probationary faculty. Pierce College continues to support the operation of the current Professional and Staff Resource Center to include a technology education function. The college is engaged in a design-build project of a new Library Learning Crossroads Building. For easy access by faculty and staff, the first floor will house an expanded Educational Technology Support Center (ETSC) that includes the operations of Pierce OnLine instructional technology development and Professional and Staff Development. This building is scheduled to open in 2012. The new center will provide high-end hardware and software shared by all faculty and staff. The new center will provide ongoing workshops to be delivered in different modes, face-to-face, web-based, self-paced, one-on-one, or within a learning community setting. At that time that the Library Learning Crossroads Building opens, the college expects to be in a position to hire more staff who would be responsible for assisting faculty in the training and creation of instructional technology materials within the center s open lab gathering space. Currently, PierceOnLine project staff assists professional development efforts in the training of faculty and staff on instructional technologies by scheduling at least two to three seminars each month. Moreover, PierceOnLine also includes some self-paced animated tutorials that are accessible through the Webpage. The plan is to add more tutorials over time. Evaluation of This Technology Plan: Pierce College will update this plan every two years (2010-2012) with annual reviews done by the Technology Committee and the Educational Technology Committee. The goal is full implementation by the end of the 2014. Last updated: 07/02/2010 14