TCCTA Blog

Board to Study Electronic Texts

There will likely be a great deal of discussion over the next couple of years about electronic textbooks for students in Texas higher education. The issue has been the subject of a number of posts at this site, often describing new technological developments that could potentially stem the rising cost of traditional texts. In some situations, books cost students more than tuition and fees.

A bill has been sent to the governor that requires the Coordinating Board to study how to save costs in higher education. The board must submit the study no later than January 31, 2011. Significantly, the bill would also require the agency to "conduct a study, and recommend polices, regarding the use and availability of electronic textbooks in Texas, and in other states."

The bill is HB 4149, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs). Here's the text of the measure in its enrolled form.

The study would also include a new focus on the "results of a pilot program conducted by the University of Texas at Austin and address methods to encourage the use of electronic textbooks."

Questions Abound as Adjournment Looms

In these waning days of the Regular Session of the Legislature, there are more questions than answers for community and technical college educators. Bills on several key issues of concern (please consult previous posts for background) must pass soon or they will be dead for two years—absent their inclusion in any prospective Special Session. On the critical issue of proportionality, the outcome will also depend upon the revenue numbers included in the appropriation bill in its final form, as well as any amendments and riders added from the floor.

TCCTA Lobbyist Beaman Floyd is at the Capitol day and night as the Session draws to a close. He will inform the state office of any important developments as they occur. Adjournment is scheduled for June 1. 

Much of the logjam of bills (especially in the House) is due to partisan issues that are unrelated to matters affecting two-year schools directly. Some of these controversies have been, at least temporarily, resolved, so the floodgates have now opened. Even though the official deadline for consideration of many bills has passed, it is very common at this point for language from "dead" bills to be pasted into "live" bills that still have a chance. (One transportation bill, according to media reports, grew so quickly and became so gigantic that staffers were unable to print it in time for House consideration.) 

Please consult the TCCTA Web site frequently for updates. 

TSTC Makes History with Virtual Classroom

Texas State Technical College has produced its first graduate trained entirely via Second Life, the three-dimensional, computer-animated "virtual" world maintained by its 18 million worldwide users. The student, Julie Shannan, became the "first-ever student in the state, the nation, and the world to earn an accredited academic certification via Second Life," according to a recent article in Texas Government Insider. 

Many professors use the site for instructional purposes. According to the Second Life site, "Harvard, Texas State, and Stanford are just a few of the many universities that have set up virtual campuses where students can meet, attend classes, and create content together." But apparently this is the first time a school has fashioned an entire curriculum around it. TSTC is a two-year, multi-campus institution.

Ms. Shannan's certificate from TSTC's digital media design program will prepare her for a career in the competitive field of graphic design, the article stated. Interestingly, she already holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas. 

Below is the (slightly abridged) text from the entire piece. Contact information for those who are interested is also provided. 

TSTC, housed entirely within Second Life, allows students and instructors to interact as avatars from the comfort of their home, according to Chris Gibson (bottom right), associate vice president of Educational Technology at TSTC.

[Ms. Shannan] said the program has allowed her experiences she would not have been privy to at a traditional college or university.

"In my second life, I have explored the inside of computers and servers, collaborated with people across the world, traveled to world-class art museums...explored a tsunami from the ocean floor," she said during her commencement address.

The recent graduation service - the first of its kind - was filled with the ceremony and pageantry of a real-life event, complete with faculty members' avatars decked out in full cap-and-gown regalia. Representatives from Linden Labs, the company that developed the Second Life platform, joined TSTC faculty, staff and students for the celebration.

"We made the ceremony very grandiose," said Gibson.

"I got as choked up at this graduation as I have at any of the other services I have been a part of at TSTC for the past 13 years," he said of the online commencement.

But for all the technological trappings and virtual allure of Second Life, Gibson said TSTC's program is really more about retooling the traditional classroom educational model.

"We want to change learning from being process-driven to a much more meaningful experience," he said.

The approach allows the virtual program's 67 instructors to become what Gibson terms "facilitators of knowledge." The Second Life model, he said, "opens the door for us to be able to tap experts in fields we would otherwise not have access to."

The digital media program, which holds evening classes Monday through Friday, has hosted representatives from Fortune 500 companies and renowned photographers, among other notable figures - most of whom TSTC would not have been able to afford to bring to the campus for guest lectures.

Shannan, who holds a bachelor's degree from The University of Texas, plans to continue with the online program and become one of the first students to virtually obtain an associate's degree, which requires 60 credit hours.

Other academic tracks, including general education college courses, will be added to TSTC's Second Life roster, according to Gibson. Some of them may be implemented as early as next fall.

For more information about TSTC and its programs, click here, or contact Mary Dickson at mary.dickson@sweetwater.tstc.edu.

"Homework" Gets Complicated

Savvy faculty members are already well aware of Web sites that allow students to purchase term papers and other research projects online. But they may be surprised to learn that a number of commercial sites have dialed it up a notch. Students can now access specific homework problems and actual questions given previously on tests—all organized by course number and institution. 

A recent article in the New York Times (registration) profiles several of these sites. Some observers say it's merely a digital extension of "study groups" who work together on common assignments. According to the article by Lisa W. Foderaro, "Now their study buddies are just as likely to be commercial Web sites with step-by-step solutions to textbook problems, copies of previous exams, reams of lecture notes, summaries of literary classics, and real-time help with physics, math and computer science problems."

One of most successful commercial sites is Coursehero, which says in its promotion:

Our Social Learning Network was built to provide students and key learning partners like professors a platform to share, meet and collaborate while accelerating their comprehension of course-related theories and concepts. We are committed to providing you immediate access to a growing wealth of study materials and an unparalleled academic network of students, professors and other key partners.

Why do you care? Because you want the best grade possible and at times need a 24/7 resource that’s responsive to your needs.

An interesting feature of this site is that it's organized by school. A number of Texas community colleges are listed, for instance. Some of the educators interviewed in the Times piece say, at the very least, professors should think again when repeating homework assignments and test questions from semester to semester. 

How Not to Close the Gaps

California's community colleges will slash enrollment by 250,000 students next year if cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are adopted, the system's leaders announced on Wednesday. The announcement comes in response to a proposal that would help close the state's massive budget deficit by cutting support for community colleges by 11 percent.

The issue is covered by Josh Keller of the Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription).

If the budget cuts are enacted, the 110-campus system (more than double the size of the one here in Texas) will ultimately fire thousands of faculty and staff members, community college officials said in response to the proposal. The California community college system is the nation's largest, enrolling about 2.7 million full- and part-time students each year.

The system has never considered an enrollment cut of such magnitude in the modern era, officials told the Chronicle. A drop of 250,000 students would mean cutting more than the entire enrollment of the University of California system.

Campus Firearm Bill Passes Senate

A bill that would allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus passed the Senate Wednesday on a 19-12 vote. The measure has been the subject of previous posts. 

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio), would permit college students who are at least 21 and licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring those weapons into campus buildings. Sen. Wentworth has stated repeatedly that he introduced the bill because of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech.

According to an amendment, university hospitals and athletic facilities would remain gun-free zones. Public institutions would not have a choice in the matter at the local level. The bill, SB 1164, applies to all universities and colleges in the Texas, but private institutions would be able to opt out.

The bill now goes back to the House, where a companion measure died last week by missing a preliminary deadine. Legislative rules do allow the House to take up the new Senate version if they get it done before midnight Tuesday.

A link providing legislative contact information is available under TCCTA "Legislative Resources."

From an article by Janet Elliott in the Houston Chronicle:

Exactly half of the House members, 75 of 150, have signed on as supporters of the bill, a legislative priority of the Texas State Rifle Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.

Only 11 U.S. universities allow handguns on campus. In Texas, college students are split on the issue and several university administrators have expressed reservation.

Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, tried to amend the bill to allow all schools to opt in if their governing boards wanted to allow concealed guns on campus. Colorado took that approach, she said, with some universities allowing guns and others not.

“This is a common-sense approach to the concealed handgun issue. Allow local control,” she said. Her amendment was defeated.

Katie Kasprzak, a recent graduate of Texas State University, testified in favor of the bill before legislative committees.

She completed the required course and shooting test to get licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but wasn’t able to carry it at night when she walked alone on campus.

“If someone wants to protect themselves, they should be guaranteed that right whether they are on a college campus,” said Kasprzak.

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said the bill could confuse university police, who now know that a person with a gun on campus is violating the law.

“When there is an alcohol-related tragedy on campus, you don’t hear claims that giving students a 12-pack is the solution,” he said.

“Yet, when it comes to gun-related incidents, we seem to think that putting more guns in the mix will lead to a good, rather than bloody outcome,” Ellis said.

Tax and Salary Data Online

It is hard to imagine a more uncertain time for elected college trustees to project their budgets for the next academic year, but do it they must. For faculty members, this may also be the time of year when prospective salaries and benefits are on the table.

A couple of documents are worthy of perusal as boards convene and educators make their case. Please keep in mind that the surveys below may not represent the most current information, particularly given the global economic meltdown—plus the sundry unresolved issues as the Regular Session of the Texas Legislature draws to a close. A lot has changed in the last few months and no school can begin to estimate its budgetary prospects for the next biennium until final adjournment on June 1.

One important variable to consider involves the appraised value of the taxable property within each college district. This figure in turn drives the local debt and tax rate. Comparative figures for Texas community colleges are available here, courtesy of the Texas Association of Community Colleges. The chart is current as of fall, 2008.

Another important source of information is the TCCTA survey of salaries and benefits, published each December. Here is the 2008 survey, which will reflect data reported to the association in a host of categories for the 2008-09 academic year. Please examaine the figures and narrative carefully, as it is difficult to compare "apples to apples," since each school has its own unique menu of benefits. Using the site, members can click on each responding college for a summary of benefits not immediately apparent on the comparative chart.

Getting Real With Online Instruction

It's not difficult to find advice and commentary on matters of pedagogy. But when it comes to online instruction, opinions are all over the landscape. Some love it, claiming it's the perfect remedy for declining resources and the intellectual proclivities of the younger generation of "digital natives." Not surprisingly, practitioners and those seeking efficiency are often the most enthusiastic cheerleaders. Others think online teaching is way overblown—and downright harmful for youthful students who need more oversight and personal guidance. Most faculty are probably somewhere in the middle, finding it useful for certain students and in particular circumstances. Everyone recognizes that it's here to stay.

Rob Weir of the "Instant Mentor" section of Inside Higher Ed. has written a great piece outlining the good, the bad, and the ugly. More importantly, he includes practical tips in concise and thoughtful prose. It's clear that this particular commentator has been there and done that. 

Those who teach online—or merely considering it—would do well to read the brief article. It's available here at no charge. 

Merit-Based Grants Appear Unlikely

The Texas Grant program now awards financial aid to students primarily based on need. Many policy makers, including Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes and Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), have advocated a need-plus-merit formula for the grants, arguing that students who have already demonstrated success in high school have a better chance of making it in college.

According to media reports, the proposal appears to be dead. Sen. Ogden told the Austin American Statesman, “I’m disappointed. I think financial aid should have two components to it: need plus merit.”

As similar proposal in the House, sponsored by Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin), also is doomed, according to the article. Now the Coordinating Board will simply study the issue. 

The program could potentially be important financially to community colleges if the Legislature appropriates revenue for "incentive funding." Schools would receive money for succeeding in transfers, in the awarding of certificates and degrees, and with "at risk" students. If the odds of success are better with one approach over the other, financial aid strategy could prove significant in ways that have large implications for institutions. Critics of the Texas Grant program also point out the that the grants are under funded and the money runs out very quickly. 

Here's the text of the piece in the Austin American Statesman:

An effort to give priority to higher-achieving students in awarding financial aid under the state’s main grant program has fizzled.

“The bill’s dead,” state Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, said today.

Ogden, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was referring to his proposal to put higher-performing students at the head of the line when it comes to awarding money from the Texas Grant program.

Currently, students with the greatest financial need have priority, although officials with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board say there is also a first-come, first-served flavor to the process.

The question of which approach to take is significant because the Legislature has provided sufficient funding only for about half of all eligible students to receive a grant, which can be as much as $6,080 a year for a student attending a public university.

Ogden said he didn’t have enough votes to pass the bill, especially this late in the legislative session.

“I’m disappointed,” he said. “I think financial aid should have two components to it: need plus merit.”

The House refused to go along with a similar proposal that was debated on Tuesday and Wednesday in that chamber. Instead, House members modified the measure by Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, to simply require a study of the issue by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

E-Books Target Colleges

Last week Amazon unveiled a larger version of its Kindle e-reader in the hopes of luring college students. 

As with its predecessor, the new Kindle DX can wirelessly download books or periodicals from Amazon's online store. However, the new reader will have a larger screen and costs $489 compared to the current $360. When you consider the cost of college textbooks (and the attempts by the Legislature and Congress to address the issue), one can easily project a growth industry. Assuming the downloads are a great deal cheaper than purchasing paper texts, a freshman could start saving money very quickly. Presumably other companies could provide competition if the trend proves profitable. It looks like the devices are getting more user friendly and are attracting favorable reviews from bibliophiles and educators.

The Texas Legislature is already moving in the direction of e-books for public school students.

A recent article on the Washington Post (a partner with Amazon) describes he various advantages. 

Here's a key passage regarding some schools that are taking the bait:

Five universities will soon be trying out the device on their campuses in limited test runs. This fall, the University of Virginia will make the Kindle DX available to MBA students at its Darden School of Business, said Ken White, vice president of communication and marketing at the school.

Students typically have to use stacks of books and paper in their studies, he said, "and if we could eliminate all that paper, we would be extremely happy."

Princeton University's chief information officer, Serge Goldstein, said that as more academic material is available online, more students are hitting the "print" button because they still prefer reading long texts on paper, rather than on a computer screen. The school's paper costs totaled $5 million last year.

Princeton is still deciding which students and classes will be the beneficiaries of its upcoming Kindle test program, but it might not announce that information ahead of time. The school's administrators don't want to risk nudging students into taking a class just because they want the gadget.

"We want to reach students interested in the course, not students interested in the Kindle," said Goldstein.

Other universities taking part in the program are Arizona State, Case Western Reserve and Pace, where yesterday's news conference took place.