Our goal is to produce a rate increase so dramatic, consistently 80%, that it is "visible to the naked eye." This increased success rate in basic skills would have the effect of accelerating remediation and increasing the probability of college completion. We believe community college basic skills faculty possess all the wisdom necessary to figure out how to improve these rates, given the right tools. GSCC offers transformative use of a particular social media environment -- a specific set of online tools and processes to capture consolidate and advance effective classroom work. GSCC is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as part of its goal to double the number of young adults in the U.S. with a post secondary credential by 2020. In this chapter we describe the GSCC project, the Guided Digital Environment, and the research we drew on to build it. We include early information and observations on the essential design elements for identifying effective basic skills pedagogy.

 

These fundamental and monumental changes are: the globalization of higher education; the impact of technology on changing definitions of students, faculty and knowledge; and the impact of the marketplace on the basic "business model" of higher education. Using research and observation of the higher education system in America, with special focus on LaGuardia Community College, a large, two-year college located in Queens, New York, this paper describes how each of these three forces will reshape higher education, while identifying factors that may accelerate or inhibit the impact of these influences. This paper draws on the knowledge, experiences and insights of two higher education leaders who regularly interact with countless faculty, administrators, students, and policy makers.

 

Chapter 2 (view excerpt)
Holding the Virtual Space: The Roles and Responsibilities of Community Stewardship

by Brenda Kaulback and Debbie Bergtholdt

 

Chapter 3 (view excerpt)
Education Leadership for a Networked World

by Diana Woolis, Susan Restler, and Yvonne Thayer

 

Through technology, they will be able to solve problems for themselves, find and give help to others, and develop and pass along new ideas. The process could be thought of as just-in-time knowledge generation combined with community support, and it has become possible only with the advent of Web 2.0, todays broadened and enhanced online capabilities.

 

The AGI Jam sought to help a wide range of participants understand the benefits and consequences of what President Obama's administration is proposing, and to organize a community on behalf of every community college in the U.S. The conversation ultimately revealed what participants believe the Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, state leaders and national associations must know to ensure that the potential of the AGI is realized.

American Graduation Initiative Jam participants included an exceedingly diverse group of 484 registrants from 36 states and the District of Columbia. Community college presidents, full-time and adjunct faculty and staff, public officials, foundation program officers, policy researchers, and advocates participated in seven discussion threads moderated by 44 expert moderators and organized around key elements of House Bill 3221. According to the Post-Jam survey, participants are hopeful about the potential outcomes of the AGI and they anticipate that the Jam will lead directly to new ideas, recommendations and resources for community colleges and other stakeholders, policy action (bill revision, recommendations for legislation, lobbying priorities, and advocacy), increased awareness and involvement with the AGI by leaders in the field; and more dialogue among practitioners.

We hope that the Jam has made a contribution to the American Graduation Initiative. We believe that this is one of the most important higher education policy initiatives of our time. If our small company has helped move the ball down the field, we are certain that a large network of such small acts will get it through the goal posts.

 

Wanting to work quickly, deeply, inclusively, and cost effectively, ECS chose to conduct some of its initial work online, and in the summer of 2008 secured the services of Knowledge in the Public Interest (KPI) to do so.

KPI worked with ECS to hold a Jam on Aligning Education, Workforce and Economic Development, focused on building effective partnerships. The Jam took place on October 22 - 23 2008. A survey was developed and administered prior to the Jam, which informed the discussion framework and collected data relevant to the topic. There were three Jam discussion threads:Making the Case for Alignment:

• What's the Return on Investment?


• Creating Powerful Partnerships: Connecting People, Perceptions and Policy


• Building an Effective and Sustainable Strategy

This report is a summary, synthesis, and analysis by Knowledge in the Public Interest of the Jam discussion submitted to the Education Commission of the States.