Swiss Virtual Campus - case study

The Swiss Virtual Campus (Campus Virtuale Svizzera, Campus Virtuel Suisse, Virtueller Campus Schweiz, ABBREV: SVC) promotes learning over the Internet at the Swiss Institutions of Higher Education (Universities, Universities of Applied Sciences, and Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology). Students are no longer tied to a programme of lectures with set times and locations; they can acquire knowledge whenever and wherever they choose.

The SVC programme was launched in 1999 on the proposition of the Swiss University Conference (SUC) and of its planning commission to promote the use of new information and communication technologies in the Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEI). Besides this general goal, the main initial focus of the programme was to produce digital educational units which could be used by students of different institutions and recognized in their curricula. The overall policy goals, as stated in the Research and Higher Education Message 2000-2003 of the Federal government, were to promote the cooperation between HEI, to promote innovation in pedagogical methods and to produce high-quality educational materials. The programme was part of the activities managed by the SUC under the University Act in order to promote cooperation and modernization of the Swiss higher education system.

While the overall goals of the programme were not modified, the second phase (consolidation phase; 2004-2007) entailed a significant change in the implementation strategy, taking also into account the goal stated in the multiyear planning of Swiss universities of the Rectorʼs Conference (CRUS) to have at least 10% of the courses supported by new educational echnologies. Moreover, since it was foreseeable that the federal programme would come to an end (possibly with a third phasing-out period), a general goal of the consolidation programme was that the HEI themselves assume the responsibility in the development of elearning.

This was translated in the goal of developing an elearning competence centre (CCSP) in each Swiss HEI. These centres should consist of professional teams with the technological and pedagogical competences needed to develop elearning courses, with two main benefits: ensuring long-term accumulation of competences and experiences, also beyond the end of the individual projects, as well as a reduction of the development costs through scale effects and transfer of experiences from project to project. Moreover, these centres should permit better integration of the SVC projects in the overall university strategy. Additional funding was also provided to already existing projects to help their maintenance and integration in the participating universities.

Finally, two calls for proposals for new projects were launched in 2004 and 2005. While the general principles were the same as in the impulse phase, the blended learning approach was officially endorsed in the call, while the CCSP of the leading house was charged with the production of the elearning modules in collaboration with the project leader.

At the moment there are 82 courses online, covering a wide spectrum of disciplines. Another 30 from the 4th and last series are in preparation.

The SCV web site is at http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/

SCV cooperation network

The Impulse Programme - initial goals

The Swiss Virtual Campus programme is part of a process aimed at promoting the information society in Switzerland as well as enabling education - in particular higher education - to take advantage of the opportunities now available through new information and communication technology.

In this respect the programme hopes to provide students with virtual mobility that will enable them to play an active role in learning processes and follow high-quality courses on their computer monitors.

The principal concrete aim of the programme is to develop teaching modules that will be used through the Internet in several regular study programs of the Swiss universities.

Consolidation Programme

The Swiss Virtual Campus project is now in the phase of the 2004-2007 Consolidation Programme. This isfinanced by project-linked contributions in accordance with the Universities Promotion Law. The Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and the universities of applied science are participating in the programme using their own funds.

At its meeting of 16 October 2003, the Swiss University Conference (SUC) approved the "2004-2007 Implementation Plan", which lays down the organizational and financial framework of the Consolidation Programme for the new financial period. Basically, the Consolidation Programme reaffirms the aims of the Impulse Program. A certain number of adjustments have been made to take account of the experience gained so far, and to position the Program better within the context of ongoing trends in higher education. They concern project finance and development, as well as program organization. The Consolidation Program involves four main financial aspects:

1. Competence, service and production centres in each university
2. Use and maintenance of projects developed
3. New course development
4. Services for universities and coordination.

Since 2004, operational programme management and the coordination office have been overseen by the Rectors' Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS). Competence, service and production centres at each university receive financial support. The SVC Commission was wound up at the end of 2003.

Project Maintenance Support

The Swiss Virtual Campus Consolidation Programme (2004-2007) gives funding for the use and maintenance of courses of recognised quality (see document below “Execution Plan”). The Competence-, Service- and Production Centres (CCSP) will be responsible for the maintenance funds, in close collaboration with the project leader and partners. Maintenance measures must be coordinated and agreed on between the project leader and the CCSP.

Institution

The present

• (1) Provide a general description of the institution in its current state, putting the e-learning into context.

The Swiss Virtual Campus programme ended on July 31st, 2008. No head and coordination is active at the moment. The local centers are continuing to do use the virtual content. Last update of SVC website : May 08, 2007.

• (2) What is the institution's annual budget?

Des 44 millions de francs de contributions fédérales alloués au CVS (fonds de l‘OFES, de l‘OFFT et du Conseil EPF réunis), 37 millions ont été affectés à l‘encouragement de projet du CVS. Ces montants ont été complétés par les „matching funds“ exigés des responsables de projet, atteignant un volume de financement similaire. On peut ainsi admettre que le volume total maximal des projets CVS oscillait entre 70 et 75 millions de francs.

• (3) How many students does the institution have (a) in total? (b) as full-time equivalents?

Number of Students in 2004 approx. 4/5 from cantonal universities; approx. 1/10 from the ETH domain; approx. 1/8 from UAS

• approx. 9’800 students at cantonal Universities (from 35 projects);
• approx. 1’300 students at the ETHZ / EPFL (from 9 projects);
• approx. 1’400 students at Universities of Applied Sciences (from 14 projects);
• totally approx. 12'500 SVC students at Swiss Institutions of Higher Education; but this number is hardly reached every semester.

33 project teams indicate to have regularly more than 100 students. 27 of these projects started with regular courses in 2003 or before.

• (4) How many staff does the institution have (a) in total? (b) as full-time equivalents?

Approx. 1020 names of persons having worked for the SVC were indicated up to now (the data from one project are missing).

Person-years invested: average: approx. 12 personyears per project; approx. 2/5 financed by the SVC. Totally at least approx. 600 person-years were invested into SVC projects. Before the start of the projects approx. 44 person-years were already invested into the themes of the projects; the SVC financed at least approx. 253 person-years (from one project the data are missing).

• (5) What is the institution's "business model"? (a) public (b) private (c) consortium (d) national programme. If (c) or (d) above, list the other partners (or the members) and for each briefly describe its role.
• (6) What percentage of the institution's students are based outside the home country?
• (7) Describe the institution's approach to virtual mobility.

Considering the official goals and objectives of the SVC programme as they were set in the Federal Message of 1998 and in the two calls for proposals, the degree to which the SVC programme has met its objectives is clearly limited. In particular, the objectives to “set up a virtual campus” or to “develop a substantial offer in distance-learning” have not been met. These objectives have not found strong support amongst the majority of the stakeholders, and this may explain why so few of the SVC projects were aimed at developing distance-learning programmes. As a result, the SVC programme has not been as successful as expected promoting real virtual mobility among the student population.

Percentage of Self Study or Distance Learning 1/4 for each group: 1. below or near 50%; 2. between 50% and 80%; 3. 80% or more; 4. depends on the course

details:

• 2 projects: below 20% ; 6 projects: between 20% and 50%;
• 4 projects: near 50%;
• 12 projects: between 50% and 80%;
• 12 projects: 80% or more. 29 projects could offer more than 80% of distance learning if they wanted it.

11 projects vary from one extreme to the other, according to the course.

• (8) Describe how the institution manages its "brand" (a) in general and (b) in respect of any e-learning aspects.

La taille du projet et lʼampleur de son financement ont inévitablement attiré lʼattention et ont donné un profil plus visible au e-learning.

The past

• (9) Give a narrative description of the institution's history since its foundation, concentrating on key dates, recent years and any e-learning issues.

• Impulse federal programme 2000–2003

Le 8 octobre 1999, le Parlement a approuvé le Message présenté par le Conseil fédéral relatif à l’encouragement de la formation, de la recherche et de la technologie pour les années 2000 - 2003 (Message FRT 2000-2003) et ainsi accepté le crédit demandé dans le même temps en faveur d’un programme fédéral échelonné sur quatre ans et s’intitulant „Encouragement des nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication (NTIC) dans une perspective d’élaboration d’un „Campus Virtuel Suisse“ 3 .

The federal programme “Swiss Virtual Campus” (SVC) was launched in October 1999 as part of an overall process of promoting the “Swiss information society” in general and, in particular, the use of the new information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education.

Over a period of 4 years (2000 - 2003) and with a sum of approximately SFr. 44 million in federal funds, the SVC programme subsidised projects for the development of virtual teaching and/or learning courses (e-learning courses) by Swiss Universities, Universities of Applied Science and the Federal Institutes of Technology. In order to receive support projects had to be developed by the cooperation of at least three academic partners and had to focus on innovations in tertiary teaching “in that they involve complete courses that can be followed independently via the Internet”.

In January 2003 the Swiss University Conference (SUC) commissioned an overall evaluation of the SVC programme. This summative evaluation was intended to analyze the implementation processes, the outputs and the (potential) impacts of the SVC programme, considering the objectives set for the programme as well as the context of the programme.

goal: 50 e-learning projects must be developed 2004 : half of the projects were developed. Ces cinquante projets du programme ont été sélectionnés et lancés en deux temps. Vingt-huit projets ont été démarrés lors de la première série, dans le courant de l’été 2000, et dans la deuxième série du début de l’année 2001, vingt-deux autres projets ont été autorisés.

Tableau n°1: Projets CVS par domaine de connaissances Domaine de connaissances Nombre de projets

• Sciences de l’art et sciences humaines 7 projets
• Sciences naturelles / Sciences de la vie 9 projets
• Ingénierie, mathématiques, informatique 9 projets
• Economie d’entreprise et gestion financière 6 projets
• Sciences économiques et droit 4 projets
• Médecine 11 projets
• Support éducationnel 4 projets

• consolidation programme 2004-2007

Centres of competence, service and production (CCSPs)

• University of Basel – LearnTechNet (LTN)
• University of Bern – Supportstelle für ICT-gestützte Lehre (iLUB)
• University of Fribourg – Centre Nouvelles Technologies et Enseignement (Centre NTE)
• University of Geneva – Réseau e-Learning (ReL)
• University of Lausanne – Réseau Interfacultaire Enseignement et Technologies (RISET)
• University of Lucerne – Center for E-Learning
• University of Neuchâtel – Technologies & Connaissances – Soutien aux pratiques de e-Learning
• University of Zurich – Computer-assisted Teaching and Assessment (CATA)
• University of St Gallen – Selbststudiums- & eLearning Team
• Università della Svizzera italiana / Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana – eLab – eLearning Lab
• University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland – Centre e-learning – HES-SO Cyberlearn
• Bern University of Applied Sciences – InnoTeach – Kompetenzzentrum für neue Medien in der Lehre
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Fachstelle Neue Lernmedien
• Zurich University of Applied Sciences – CSPC e-Learning
• University of Applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland – Competence Centre e-Learning
• University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland – eLearning Services
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne – Center for Research and Support for Training and its Technologies (CRAFT)
• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich – Network for Educational Technology (NET)

External environment

• (10) What is the institution's funding from government as a percentage of annual income?

Pour l’élaboration du „Campus Virtuel Suisse“ (CVS), la somme de 30 millions de francs a été allouée pour les années 2000 à 2003, ces subventions devant être complétées par des contributions des Hautes écoles („matching funds“) à hauteur de 50% en règle générale.

Comme les subventions fédérales (rentrant dans le budget de l’OFES) sont réservées à l’encouragement de projets des universités cantonales, conformément à la loi sur l’aide aux universités (LAU), les écoles polytechniques fédérales (EPF) et les Hautes Ecoles spécialisées (HES) ont dû chercher elles-mêmes leur financement nécessaire à une participation au programme. L’Office fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie (OFFT) auquel incombe la responsabilité des HES a affecté 12 millions de francs au programme CVS, qui proviennent du crédit en faveur des Hautes Ecoles Spécialisées, tandis que le Conseil des écoles polytechniques fédérales CEPF a alloué la somme de 2 millions de francs aux projets des EPF. La dotation comparativement faible des EPF pour leur participation au programme CVS s’explique en priorité par le lancement presque simultané d’initiatives, dans le même domaine, qui avaient bénéficié de fonds considérables (telles que programme-cadre „ETH World“ ou „New Learning Technologies“ NLT).

Les contributions fédérales, d’un montant total à fr. 44 millions (contributions de l’OFES, l’OFFT et du CEPF additionnées), versées dans le cadre du Campus Virtuel ont permis d’encourager cinquante projets des Hautes écoles depuis le lancement du CVS, chaque projet étant développé par au moins trois partenaires académiques, conformément aux critères d’encouragement du CVS. Le programme d’impulsion CVS de 2000 à 2003 a pris fin en décembre 2003 pour être remplacé par le programme de consolidation CVS (2004 - 2007).

• (11) Describe the way that funding is provided for institutions in the institution's country, or state that it is the same as for other institutions in the country.

Le programme CVS est institutionnalisé à l’intérieur d’un cadre légal bien déterminé, la Loi fédérale sur l’aide aux universités (LAU) telle que révisée et adoptée au Parlement en octobre 1999. La LAU traduit elle-même une modification du paysage des Hautes écoles suisses marquée par un souhait plus fort de collaboration interinstitutionnelle et, en même temps, de mise en concurrence de ces institutions. Elle forme le cadre de référence à l’intérieur duquel prend forme le programme CVS et influence de manière significative son orientation et son implémentation.

• (12) Describe the legal status of the institution.

Not relevant because not an institution. The Swiss Virtual Campus is a programme or an initiative encouraging projects, not an institution in the strict sense. Note, the label "Swiss virtual Campus" is a confusing name all the more as its structure is composed of a steering committee and a coordination office, like many other Virtual Campus institutions/initiatives/consortiums. The actors in this programme are the institutions who developed projects (cooperation of 3 institutions at minimum by project).

• (13) List the language(s) that the institution uses for instruction with the percentage of students studying in each. (Bilingual study can also be included.)

Language officially used in SVC are:

• English
• French
• German

Results impulse programme:

Languages approx. 1/10: in G F E 2/5: no translations 1/10: div. languages to E 1/10: translations only into national languages

• 4 projects: all in German, French and English; 10 projects: several languages without translations.
• 5 projects: parts in another language;
• 5 projects: German or French or Italian, with English;
• 3 projects: G F; 2 projects: G F I;
• 7 projects: only E;
• 2 projects: only F;
• 6 projects: only G.

This is the repartition of native languages in the student population: 65% German, 22% French, 7% Italian, 0.4% Rätoromanisch, 0.8% English, 5% other native language

• (14) Describe any specific cultural issues that affect the institution's students or state that that it is the same as for other institutions in the country. Mention any features relevant to e-learning.

Not relevant, we are talking about a country scale initiative.

• (15) Describe the external quality assurance and/or accreditation regime affecting the institution, or state that it is the same as for other institutions in the country. Mention any features relevant to e-learning.

Evaluation of Teaching by the Institutions: institutional evaluation of teaching is not yet dominant.

• 4 projects reported on evaluations of teaching by the institution in intervals of 3 semesters to several years.
• 6 projects indicated to be supported in their student enquiries by the institutional office for the evaluation of teaching or by another support office of the institution.
• 14 projects indicated to evaluate their courses every time.

Standards: approx. 1/10 active users

• 6 projects use e-learning standards like SCORM and / or QTI (IMS)

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In general the SVC projects made considerable efforts to assure quality. Their most important concern is the enhancement of the quality of teaching. On the one hand ponderous peer reviews assured the content quality of the material, on the other hand several forms of student feedback were used to assess acceptance in the future user groups. When applying for maintenance for the SVC Consolidation Program the results of an internal project evaluation have to be presented. The projects are therefore obliged to internal quality assurance. The projects handle this obligation in different ways:

• Some projects, like 991053-SWISSLING, had very intense evaluations with internal evaluation teams, often project partners. Especially the students were intensely asked on their learning experiences, but also further aspects of teaching / learning scenarios were investigated. Nearly all projects have at least started to do such internal evaluations with their students.

• Another form of internal evaluation doesn’t concern the quality of the learning processes, but

of the material. Peer review processes take place in all projects in which several partners use the same material. This is not always done as systematically and supported by the computer as it is done with 991017-DOIT. These processes are mostly seen as something evident, and are not even mentioned. Peer review processes are ponderous, but they contribute a lot to the acceptance of the material by the partners. Often the professors continue to use only their own material, but they are conscious of the whole spectrum of project material, and there are first attempts to use material that has been created by other persons, sometimes also in foreign projects.

• The project 200114-SUPPREM is the only one to follow another strategy. There is no peer

review, referring to the academic freedom of teaching. All parts of the material are available to the partners, and there is already an interest in sharing material.

• (16) Describe the approach to credit transfer with other similar institutions.

It seems accreditation was considered since the bigining as the material, courses developed must be integrated into normal cursus.

Pour terminer cette vue d’ensemble de l’état de réalisation et de mise en oeuvre des projets CVS, il nous reste à décrire l’intégration des cours de e-learning développées dans d’éventuels systèmes de points de crédit. Selon les rapports de projet analysés, les produits e-learning de vingt-quatre projets CVS sont mis en oeuvre dans le cadre d’un système de points de crédit (ECTS). Celui-ci peut se présenter sous deux formes: Soit les points ECTS récompensent le fait même que les modules ou cours de e-learning ont été traités ou suivis avec succès, le cas échéant avec en complément un examen à passer en mode présentiel; soit les modules ou séquences de e-learning sont intégrés en complément à l’enseignement présentiel, en parallèle de ce dernier, et ponctuellement à titre substitutif, dans le cadre de leçons (présentielles) dotées de points ECTS. Dans ce cas, les étudiants ne doivent pas seulement fournir la preuve qu’ils ont traité les parties de e-learning, mais doivent également attester d’autres résultats pour obtenir des points ECTS. Le reporting de projet ne permet pas de déterminer exactement la forme la plus fréquente d’attribution de points ECTS pour récompenser les produits élaborés dans le cadre du CVS. Toutefois, en ce qui concerne l’intégration de ces produits dans des systèmes de crédit, il apparaît que la possibilité est offerte aux partenaires participants d’octroyer un nombre variable de crédits à une offre d’e-learning donnée d’après l’importance et le rôle de cette dernière dans un cursus particulier.

Status in 2004: ECTS Points, Certificates,Exams: Approx. 1/3: more than 8 points; Approx. 1/4: between 4 and 8 points; Detailed: 15 projects offer courses summing up for more than 8 ECTS credit points (= approx. 240 working hours of students). 12 projects: between 4 and 8 credit points; 9 projects: between 1 and 4 credit points. 9 projects are not implemented or the number of credit points is 13 Approx. 1/5: between 1 and 4 points. Approx. 3/10 of all projects have changed the exams and have therefore truly obligatory online parts. still open. 2 projects belong to the category “Educational Support”; therefore they do not offer any courses for regular students. 5 projects indicated the credit points for the virtual offers separately. In 14 projects the use of the online learning environment is obligatory. The other projects do the exams as before. The use of the SVC material cannot be truly obligatory there. (Basis: 47 projects)

• (17) List the main associations that the institution is a member of, with a note as to the relevance of each to e-learning (if any).

Not relevant. SVC is not a member of any institution as SVC is a National programme. Universities participating in SVC are probably the members of several association. This should be elaborated.

• (18) List the main international partners of the institution, in the order of strategic importance, with priority given to collaborations involving e-learning.

Nothing available that can proof international partnership with other institutions.

Strategy

(Do not include annual plans.)

• (19) Describe or provide a document describing the current institutional strategy.
• (20) Describe or provide a document describing the current learning and teaching strategy.
• (21) Describe or provide a document describing the current e-learning strategy.

Do not include or refer to annual plans except as necessary to provide budgetary information.

• (22) What is the percentage of students (a) taking courses wholly or largely delivered by e-learning (b) taking courses where the amount of institutionally supplied/guided e-learning is "significant" (i.e. has an impact on staff or students) and (c) taking courses where the where the amount of institutionally supplied/guided e-learning is insignificant? In each case comment on the answer.

objectif formulé dans la planification pluriannuelle de la Conférence des Recteurs des Universités Suisses (CRUS), à savoir parvenir à au moins 10% de cours assistés par les nouvelles technologies dʼenseignement.

• (23) Give the percentage of the institutional budget that e-learning represents. Comment on how it is measured including the assumptions made, whether it is appropriate and any trends.

considering that SFr 37 millions of federal funds were invested in the SVC impulse programme, the actual “outputs” of the programme (in terms of e-learning products) may seem to be somewhat disappointing. However, there is no ready-to-use benchmark that would help to assess the actual cost of the development and implementation of e-learning programmes in higher education, thus making it difficult to speak precisely in terms of lack of efficiency. In addition, it seems highly probable that some of the framework conditions of the programme (notably the principle of matching funds and the requirement for inter-institutional cooperation), as well as the lack of solid e-learning experience amongst project partners have raised the costs of the different projects.

• (24) Categorise the role (if any) of external funding in fostering the development of e-learning as (a) not relevant, (b) useful, or (c) essential. Comment on the choice.

(c) essential.

La participation des universités au programme est subventionnée dans le cadre des contributions destinées aux projets d’innovation et de coopération selon la loi sur l’aide aux universités (LAU). Celle des écoles polytechniques fédérales (EPF) et des hautes écoles spécialisées a été soutenue respectivement, pour cette première période, par le Conseil des EPF et l’Office fédéral de la formation professionnelle et de la technologie. Les hautes écoles participant aux projets ont dû également contribuer à leur financement.

Structure

• (25) Describe the institutional structure, preferably supplying an organogram.

Impulse programme:

La Conférence Universitaire Suisse (CUS) a été chargée de la mise en oeuvre du programme CVS. Elle était soumise à une obligation de compte rendu envers l’Office fédéral de l’éducation et de la science (OFES) en ce qui concerne l’affection des ressources. La CUS a mis sur pied un Comité de pilotage du CVS responsable de la 3 Conseil fédéral (1998b) : Message relatif à l’encouragement de la formation, de la recherche et de la töchnologie pendant les années 2000 à 2003, p. 35, chiffre 141.23 4 Ibidem Campus Virtuel Suisse: rapport final sur l’évaluation 3 réalisation opérationnelle du programme, de même qu’un service de coordination du CVS, tandis que la Commission du CVS, qui avait déjà été active dans le processus de préparation du CVS, était compétente en matière de l’établissement d’un lien entre celui-ci et les Hautes écoles.

Organization SVC Consolidation Program

Pour cette seconde phase, la gestion opérationnelle du programme a été confiée à la Conférence des recteurs des universités suisses.

In accordance with the Federal Council’s message, the Swiss Virtual Campus is to be run by the existing Swiss University Conference and taken over by the new SUC when it commences operations.

Two bodies were set up to prepare and implement the entire Programme: the SVC Commission and the SVC Steering Committee. The creation of two supervisory bodies ensures that there is close contact with universities, which is essential for the success of the Programme, and that the proposals submitted are given an impartial assessment by recognised specialists. Click here for the structure of the Swiss Virtual Campus shown in a separate window.

The main responsibilities of the institutions are as follows:

• Swiss University Conference (SUC)

Under the agreement between the Swiss government and the university cantons on collaboration in the university field, the SUC provides project-linked funds (Art. 6 Para. 1 Item b) and thus assumes responsibility for the Programme. It approves the Implementation Plan and appoints the members of the Steering Committee and its chair upon the proposal of the CRUS.

• Rector's Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS)

The development of online courses and their integration with university curricula are eminently academic areas. Together with the opportunity to strengthen the engagement of the rectorates at the local level through the creation of competence centres, it was deemed appropriate that the operational implementation of the SVC Programme at the national level should also come under the rectorates. This approach was approved by the CRUS, to which the operational implementation was entrusted as of 1 January 2004. The programme coordination office (administration) will be attached to the CRUS for administrative purposes, in the same way as it is now under the SUC. In addition, the CRUS ensures the link between the rectorates and the Programme, a function hitherto handled by the SVC Commission, which was wound up at the end of 2003.

• SVC Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is responsible for implementing the Programme. Its brief is as follows:

• • to carry out the Implementation Plan for 2004-2007
  • to define the qualitative criteria for project selection
  • to organize submissions for projects
  • to evaluate and select drafts and project applications for universities, and propose finance plans for them
  • to evaluate drafts and project applications for universities of applied sciences and forward them to the OPET
  • to monitor and support projects during their development phase
  • to define the mandates to support the Programme and the development of projects; it can decide to place mandates up to an amount of 50,000 francs per contract
  • to submit reports
  • to inform the public

The Steering Committee consists of 10 members, including the chair and two foreign experts. The State Secretariat for Education and Research SER (former Federal Office for Education and Science FOES), OPET, CRUS und SUC each delegate a permanent observer. Guests may be invited to take part in meetings.

The Committee may set up technical groups. It submits its financial proposals to the CRUS for the attention of the SUC.

• Coordination of the SVC Program

The main task of the SVC coordination office (administration) is to assist the Steering Committee in the performance of its duties and in securing the link with and between university competence centres. Its other tasks include:

responsibility for all matters pertaining to programme organization drafting of qualitative and financial reports budget preparation following up mandates and projects in cooperation with the Steering Committee Event organization.

• State Secretariat for Education and Research SER ( former Federal Office for Education and Science FOES)

The SER is responsible for credit management, auditing and reporting, and issues guidelines for this purpose.

• Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET) The OPET promotes the introduction of eLearning at the Universities of Applied Sciences. The OPET is also represented in the Steering Committee SVC.

• (26) Classify the e-learning support model as (a) hub (b) distributed (c) hub and spokes (d) complicated (e) non-existent. Comment on the choice.
• (27) Describe in more detail the structure for the e-learning operation and how it maps into the institutional structure.
• (28) Describe the committees that oversee e-learning (including the rank and role of the Chair in each relevant committee) and their relationship to the organisational structure.

Learning and Teaching processes

This has a focus on learning and teaching with other aspects viewed from this perspective.

Learning and teaching design and delivery

• (29) Describe how choice of pedagogies and technologies is made for a typical programme that is envisaged to include significant e-learning.

Pedagogical Consulting and Support approx. 1/5: individually organised pedagogical support

At least 15 projects had a pedagogue as a partner or as a team member. At least 4 projects engaged external experts (e.g. independent consultants) for external evaluation and consulting. Many projects mentioned the support centres of the institutions. 8 projects mentioned explicitely to have had positive experiences with IntersTICES, 11 projects with eQuality.

• (30) Describe what scope staff have at delivery stage to refine or in some cases override design decisions made earlier.

Design Rules for the Material approx. 1/5 had a clearly defined concept

15 projects indicated to have developed exact guidelines for the design of the material. For 3 projects this wasn’t relevant because design was done independently by one single person.

Learning and teaching development

This includes materials and IPR.

• (31) How much e-learning content is sourced from outside the institution? Use a scale of 1-5 with a comment (an exact percentage is useful).

The new forms of cooperation are manifold. Very rare up to now is the sharing of courses, of students and of teaching material. First the teaching material has to be developed and finished solidly. Up to now the effort of finishing the development of content material despite delays and exaggerated plans has rather slowed down further cooperation initiatives that would presuppose such material.

Many plans for cooperation fail because of the orientation of the material in the content details. Something that seems to fit may well go too much into detail and be too specialised at a closer look. Usually the material is not yet structured systematically into a general and a specialised part in order to make parts of it usable in other contexts. There is still the problem of examples, anyway. They reach their aim only if they are likely to rise interest and to convince. Unusual examples from foreign domains can restrain the learning success.

Fostering the sharing of online material is tightly linked with technical, legal, pedagogical, social and psychological questions; it is a complex domain.

• (32) Of all e-learning content sourced from outside the institution, what fraction is OER? Use a scale of 1-5 with a comment.

• (33) When staff in the institution develop content, is the content (a) owned by them and licensed to the institution, (b) owned by the institution but with some licensing back to staff, (c) owned by the institution but with no licensing back to staff, (d) unclear or disputed IPR position? Whatever option is chosen, provide a narrative describing the situation in more detail.

Most projects have plans for further cooperations, but no new users yet. Sharing fails for instance because a project has received the right to use a software free of charge, and it would cost for the new partner. Or because copyright questions aren’t clarified enough to take the risk to let a larger target public use the material; they fear lawsuits. Or because they don’t trust the quality of their own material and want to make further reviews.

• (34) When content is sourced for a programme within the institution, how much is sourced from other departments within the institution? Use a scale of 1-5 with a comment (an exact percentage is useful).

• (35) What is the role of student-generated content in the institution's programmes? Use a scale of 1-5 with a comment.

Learning and teaching evaluation and quality

• (36) Describe the quality procedures (a) in general terms and (b) with respect to e-learning.

Student Questionnaires regularly in regular courses. All projects did at least tests with single students. 35 projects indicated to have done student enquiries in regular courses.

• (37) Describe the approach to evaluation of programmes (a) in general terms and (b) where such programmes have significant e-learning components.

• Evaluation of the impulse programme (2000-2003)

Au début du mois de janvier 2003, la Conférence Universitaire Suisse (CUS) a donné mandat au Centre de formation continue de l’Université de Berne (KWB) d’évaluer le programme d’impulsion „Campus Virtuel Suisse“ (CVS). Pour l’exécution de ce mandat, le KWB a travaillé en coopération avec l’Observatoire Science, Politique et Société (OSPS) de l’EPF de Lausanne, tout en assumant la responsabilité du projet.

A set of questions were used to structure the evaluation which took place over a period of sixteen months:

• What are the visions, the goals and objectives of the SVC programme according to its principal stakeholders? What are its expected effects and impacts?

• How do different stakeholders assess the relevance and coherence of the programme? How well do the objectives of the SVC reflect the structural and strategic needs and interests of the institutions concerned?

• What promotion strategies were adopted? What kind of projects were promoted?

• How are the implementation and management of the programme to be judged? What procedures and rules governed the realisation processes of the SVC and its projects? How well did they function?

• What are the most significant results, effects and impacts of the SVC programme? How well has the SVC programme met its objectives?

• How are SVC project results used? How well are they integrated in the curricula of participating institutions?

To address these evaluation questions the following methods and procedures have been applied:

• Analysis of SVC documents and online materials, as for example, SVC execution plan, calls for proposals series 1 and 2, project proposals, project reports, reports on e-site visits, websites of SVC and its projects etc.;

• Semi-structured interviews with 48 key persons and stakeholders of SVC (members of the SVC Steering Committee, the SVC Commission, representatives of the SUC, the federal offices concerned and of participating institutions);

• E-mail questionnaire to project leaders and coordinators (response rate: 50%);

• Review of the 2003 project reporting (24 intermediary and 13 final reports);

• Review of the 15 project submissions for maintenance support.

Consolidation programme:

Evaluation of SVC is being carried out by Professor Robin Mason of the UK Open University. This phase starts with a meeting in April 2008 and continues with interviews of key officials and stakeholders in June 2008. An evaluation report is available and have information of interest:

Meta Learning and Teaching processes

Communications

• (38) Describe how the institution communicates good practice in e-learning within itself, focussing on communications across internal boundaries.
• (39) Describe how the institution communicates its good practice in e-learning to organisations outside.
• (40) Describe how the institution communicates good practice in e-learning from outside organisations into its own organisation.
• (41) Describe recent occasions on which institutional leaders or managers have made presentations with significant reference to e-learning.

Value for money

• (42) Describe the annual planning procedure (a) in general and (b) how it handles e-learning aspects.
• (43) Describe the decision-making process for a typical academic programme, with particular reference to how e-learning aspects are handled.
• (44) Describe the decision-making process for a typical large IT project such as selection and installation of a new VLE.
• (45) Describe the approach to budget management with particular reference to the staff versus non-staff issues in budgeting for e-learning.
• (46) Describe the procedures in the institution for assigning or negotiating teaching workload to/with staff, taking account of non-traditional styles of teaching as well as classroom teaching and taking specific account of e-learning.

Staff

Teachers, lecturers, trainers and equivalent support roles

• (47) Describe the approach to development of e-learning technical and pedagogic skills among staff, taking account of the different needs of different categories of staff. Set this within the context of staff development generally.

Technical consulting and support more than 1/2 individual

• 8 projects indicated Edutech as an important consultant and support. 9 projects referred to support structures of their institution.
• 7 projects didn’t need technical support because of their own competencies.
• 11 projects indicated to have profited from the SVC mandate Edutech (http://www.edutech.ch).

• (48) Describe (a) the current level of staff competence in e-learning and (b) the expected level of staff competence in five years time. In each case use a 1-5 scale with a comment.
• (49) Describe the extent to which staff attitudes to e-learning are favourable or not. Use a 1-5 scale with a comment.
• (50) Describe the way that the institution rewards and recognises staff with competence in e-learning, in (a) monetary and (b) non-monetary terms.

Management and leadership

This subsection concerns leaders (Rectors, Vice-Chancellors, etc) and academic and support service managers (Deans, Directors, etc). These do not need to have specific knowledge of e-learning details but must have the necessary strategic, management, costing and foresight capability to preside over decisions on key e-learning issues such as procurement of a new VLE, development of a new distance learning programme, rebalancing the library and its staff more towards web 2.0 and less to books, etc. This will require appropriate manager and leader training.

• (51) Describe the approach to development of e-learning-related skills among (a) managers and (b) leaders.
• (52) Describe the current level of (a) management and (b) leadership competence in e-learning related skills appropriate to their levels. In each case use a 1-5 scale with a comment.
• (53) describe the extent to which (a) management and (b) leadership attitudes to e-learning are favourable or not. Use a 1-5 scale with a comment.
• (54) Give details of the job description of the most senior manager/leader in the organisation who spends a significant portion of his/her time on e-learning matters (e.g. the Director of E-Learning).

Students

Contributions to the Project from Students: 10 projects have integrated contributions from students into project material.

• (55) Describe the approach to development of e-learning skills among students, taking account of the different needs of different categories of students. Set this within the context of students' more general information literacy and communication skills.

• • 72 % understand quickly how to learn with the virtual learning offering.
  • 26% rate the item negatively or are undecided.

• • 63% of the students estimate that their learning processes are supported by the virtual learning offering.
  • 36 % rate the item negatively or are undecided.

• (56) Describe (a) the current level of student competence in e-learning on entry to the institution and (b) the expected level of student competence on graduation from the institution. In each case use a 1-5 scale with a comment.

A line is writen in the report for this purpose. But the matching information cell is empty. ???

• (57) Describe the extent to which student attitudes to e-learning are favourable or not. Use a 1-5 scale with a comment.

The small number of statements on learning with virtual learning offerings could mean that students are open and do accept the implementation of eLearning.

• (58) Describe the extent to which students understand the demands on them placed by e-learning systems (e.g. for assignment handling).

72% consider the learning goals to be stated clearly. 18% are indecisive or consider the learning goals as unclear.

• (59) Describe the current approach to handling student plagiarism, both prevention strategies and detection strategies.
• (60) Describe the current (i.e. at last survey) level of student satisfaction with the e-learning aspects of their courses. Use a 1-5 scale with a comment.

60% consider the learning offering as appropriate to achieve the declared learning goals. 35% are undecided or disagree.

Technology

(61) For each of the following technologies relevant to e-learning describe how much it is used on a scale of 1-5 and add a comment if appropriate.

Edutech was in charge to provide support to SVC with technological matters.

• VLE and/or content repository

Plate-forme nationale (WebCT Vista) auprès de SWITCH: Comme une bonne partie des projets CVS est destinée au WebCT, une plate-forme nationale WebCT Vista a été créée auprès de SWITCH sur mandat du CVS. Celle-ci compte mille „seats“ dans un premier temps, disponibles pour les projets CVS correspondants. En fonction des résultats de cette première plate-forme, une sera, possiblement, ouverte.

• email or bulletin boards
  • Course e-Mail
  • Discussion-Forum
• automated assessment
• Web 2.0 tools especially blogs, wikis and social networks oriented to the institution
  • textbooks
  • Collaboration : 12% use the virtual offerings for collaboration and 15% only partly
• e-portfolios
• laptops - and comment on student ownership issues
• audio or video podcasting or streaming - and comment on student ownership issues
• mobile devices (not laptops) - and comment on student ownership issues

And finally:

• Provide a description of any other technologies with significant use in the institution.

• • Flash Notes: Flash Support for SVC Projects
  • 19 projects have developed software.

Futures

A la demande du président du Comité de pilotage du Campus Virtuel Suisse (CVS), nous vous transmettons quelques informations sur la situation et l'état actuel de la négotiation concernant la réalisation d'un "service national de plateforme":

Le Comité de pilotage du CVS a soumis à la Conférence Générale (Conférence des Recteurs des Universités Suisses CRUS, Conférence Suisse des Hautes Écoles Spécialisées CSHES, Conférence Suisse des Recteurs des Hautes Écoles Pédagogiques CSHEP) la proposition qu'un service national de plateforme soit offert par SWITCH à partir de janvier 2008. Il est prévu que la plateforme WebCT Vista et une plateforme en logiciel libre soient hébergées. Une répartition du financement entre des contributions fédérales fixes et des frais d' exploitation variables en fonction du nombre d'utilisateurs doit permettre une utilisation peu onéreuse de l'offre. La CRUS, la CSHES et la CSHEP plaident pour la mise en place d'un service national de plateforme à partir de 2007 et recommandent à SWITCH de négocier avec le Comité de Pilotage du CVS pour réaliser l'hébergement et l'opérationnalisation des plateformes correspondantes. Le Comité de pilotage du CVS dispose de licences auprès de WebCT Vista jusqu'à la fin 2007 et négocie pour le moment avec SWITCH pour l'acquisition de licences à vie. Les négociations doivent être conclues entre WebCT, SWITCH et le Secrétariat d’Etat à l'éducation et à la recherche SER. La Conférence universitaire suisse CUS doit approuver formellement la décision. Nous espérons qu'une décision sera encore possible cette année. La fusion de WebCT et de Blackboard a peu d'influence sur le service de plateforme à court et à moyen terme. A long terme, une modification concernant les produits software est possible.

• (62) Describe the expected changes as they relate to e-learning within the institution's current strategic horizon (from the institution's strategy documents).
• (63) Describe any changes further downstream that the institution is now considering or concerned about.
• (64) Describe how the institution handles the foresight aspects of its operation with regard to e-learning.

After the Swiss Virtual Campus

Already at the beginning of the consolidation phase it had been determined that the costs for funding eLearning projects should gradually be integrated into the normal budgets at the institutes for higher education. The Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities (CRUS) confirmed this plan in September 2007 and emphasised that in the future the development of eLearning as an inherent component of teaching would lie in the sole responsibility of the institutes for higher education. With this in mind, all stakeholders have prepared for the transition and the handing over of projects to the two major stakeholders: the centres of competence, service and production (CCSPs) and the foundation SWITCH, both of which will offer a package of central services for the teaching staff after the SVC phase.

CCSPs The centres of competence, service and production (CCSPs) at the various institutes of higher education have been implemented or strengthened in the SVC’s consolidation phase and will essentially continue to function in the post-SVC phase and promote the development and the use of educational technology. Although the size and organisational structure of the CCSPs may vary among the different institutes of higher education, the services they offer can be classified into two major categories: support in didactic or technical questions as regards implementing eLearning tools, and support for the executive boards at the institutes of higher education regarding the strategic integration of new educational technology to improve the quality of academic teaching.

SWITCH SWITCH has always been a preferred contact of the SVC. Particularly within the framework of the mandates assigned by the steering committee of the SVC, SWITCH has developed a broad range of services for the eLearning community. Over the course of time, this collaboration has evolved into the «eduhub»8 concept, first initiated by the SVC and consequently elaborated and implemented by SWITCH. This concept enables SWITCH to regularly offer the Swiss eLearning community an entire package of activities and central services9. One of the more important activities was setting up the «Educational Technology Working Group» which provides a platform for various representatives of the CCSPs and the stakeholders who are responsible for new educational technology at the institutes of higher education. The working group aims to promote educational technology in academic education in Switzerland by cooperating mainly on a national level. Other goals include political lobbying and international networking.

Teaching staff However, beyond establishing the central services that are now available, it is obvious that the success of eLearning in the post-SVC phase and in the coming years will also depend on teachers and lecturers, their enthusiasm and commitment, and their conviction of the benefit of new educational technology.

• (65) Describe how the institution handles advanced development oriented to e-learning (e.g. by a "sandbox" lab, innovation centre, etc).
• (66) Describe how the institution analyses and takes into account present and future markets for its offerings.

A big challenge for the next few years will be to use, maintain and disseminate these results without direct federal funding within ordinary teaching assignments and supported by the existing service units within institutions of higher education (IHE). The use of existing material for further users should be profitable for the projects.

• (67) Describe how the institution analyses and takes into account present and future competitor suppliers for its offerings.
• (68) Describe how the institution analyses and takes into account the views of other stakeholders, including but not restricted to employers, local authorities and the social partners (unions).

References and reports

Add what you can.

Impluse phase:

• Evaluation report of the impulse programme (2000-2003)

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/evaluation/Impulsprogramm_fr_total.pdf (French version with summary in English)

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/evaluation/Impulsprogramm_dt_total.pdf (German version)

• Documentation "The Swiss Virtual Campus and the Swiss Universities" for the pavillon at the exposition Learntec 2003

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/brochures/Learntec_03_E.pdf (English version) http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/brochures/Learntec_03_D.pdf (German version) http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/brochures/Learntec_03_F.pdf (French version)

Consolidation phase:

• Execution plan 2004 – 2007 - French version

http://www.virtualcampus.ch/docs/svc_cp/Execution_Plan_f.pdf

• Execution plan 2004 - 2007 - German version

http://www.virtualcampus.ch/docs/svc_cp/Execution_Plan_d.pdf

Swiss Virtual Campus - Consolidation Phase – 2004-2008 - CCSPs, projects and mandates Overview

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/SVC-Brochure-En.pdf (English version)

Campus Virtuel Suisse - 2004-2008 - CCSP, projets et mandats - Tour d'horizon

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/SVC-Brochure-Fr.pdf (French version)

Konsolidierungsphase - 2004-2008 - CCSP, Projekte und Mandate - Überblick

http://www.swissvirtualcampus.ch/docs/SVC-Brochure-De.pdf (German version)

Swiss Virtual Campus Status Report 2004 Consolidated Results of the Mandate “SVC Status Reports and Project Monitoring” concerning the Projects of the Impulse Program 2000−2003

http://www.virtualcampus.ch/docs/mandates/SVC%20Mandate%20Status%20Reports.pdf

• Evaluation report of the consolidation programme (2004-2007) - French, German and English version

http://www.cus.ch/wDeutsch/publikationen/SVC/SVC-Evaluationsbericht-2004-07-online.pdf

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SVC- Lessons learned - impulse programme

SVC- Lessons learned - consolidation programme

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