Conclusion - Anyway, Anyplace, Anytime

Reading this book by Terry O'Banion opened up my perceptions of the way colleges function and the goals they have to help students learn and succeed. O'Banion provides enough evidence to believe that educational reform is needed at this time. By providing examples of Sinclair Community College, Jackson Community College, Lane Community College, Maricopa Community College, Palomar College, and the Community College of Denver, O'Banion has demonstrated that change can happen and creating a learning college IS POSSIBLE!

Terry O'Banion cannot say it better when he says that "colleges that change their basic systems to focus on learning by expanding learning options for students, by engaging students as full partners in the learning process, by designing educational structures to meet learners needs, and by defining the roles of learning facilitators based on the needs of learners, will create an educational enterprise that will help students make passionate connections to learning, one whose accomplishments will be worth great celebration in the institution and throughout the society. The learning college that places learning first and provides educational experiences for learners ANYWAY, ANYPLACE, AND ANYTIME, has great potential for fulfilling this dream" (p. 249).

LAUNCHING A LEARNING COLLEGE

"American society is in a key stage of transformation from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, and all social institutions are - or will be - affected by the change. Many institutions, especially those of business and industry, have been actively involved in responding to these changes for some time; others, such as educational institutions, have begun to respond only recently and in most cases with a reserved enthusiasm. It appears that considerable benefit will accrue to those educational institutions that can successfully navigate the change while those that do not may atrophy or be consigned to the "rubbish" heap of history" (p. 225).

O'Banion asks crucial questions that is answered by his book:

1. So how does an institution begin the long and complex process of changing its culture to one that helps students make passionate connections to learning?

2. What can leaders do to launch a learning college?

It was said "if schools and colleges are to be redesigned, we must begin massive efforts of brainstorming and creative thinking, grounded in political, psychological, and financial realities. Only then will we be able to build anew" (p. 226).

Here are the steps needed "to build anew":

1. Capitalize on a Natural Trigger Event - a number of activities that constantly unfold in the life of a college can be used for "the trigger event." Example was Maricopa.

2. Give the Faculty a Test - involve all college constituents in an assessment of current values, missions, programs, needs, processes, and structures.

3. Round Up the Innovations - promote active and contextual learning; collaborative learning as expressed in learning communities; improve assessment and outcome measures; increase focus on the customer; flexible structures, improved teaching; application of Continuous Quality Improvement; application of technology; experimentation of resources; application of new models for decision-making.

Steering the Learning College Once it has Been Created

• Build a Critical Coalition - the coalition that is to guide the learning college must be powerful enough in its representation and in its understanding and commitment to withstand the forces that resist change.
• Create an Emerging Vision - the vision statement for the learning college is the guiding star by which the staff will steer their activities.
• Involve all Stakeholders - the "new" science of management and leadership that prescribes flattened organizations, open communication, and empowered participation makes a strong case for involving all stakeholders in major reform movements.
• Ensure Appropriate Support - appoint and project manager and provide support for the project.
• Create an Open System of Communication - the project manager needs to ensure that mechanisms are in place for the communication that is needed.
• Consider Consultants and Established Processes - using external consultants is helpful when addressing the entire faculty and staff; they can escalate learning for stakeholders, challenge reluctant participants, and help identify other resources.
• Pay Attention to Language - examine official documents and daily language to assess the current emphasis of the institution.
• Reallocate Resources - reengineer and downsize resources when needed.
• Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate - evaluate activities and assess student outcomes
• Commit to the Long Haul - be realistic about the time it will take to create this new enterprise.
• Celebrate Changes and Accomplishments - develop a culture of celebration to recognize the milestones of special achievements.

"Creating a learning college is, in part, a journey into the unknown" (p. 247).

DO YOU DARE TO EMBARK ON THIS NEW JOURNEY?

Becoming A Learner-Centered College

Learning is a process which is lifelong for everyone and should be measured in a consistent, ongoing manner focused on improvement.

- Learning is both a product and a process.

- The student is the center of learning.

Everyone is an active learner and teacher through collaboration, shared responsibility and mutual respect.

- Everyone is responsible for personal learning and change, and we are responsible for sharing with each other.

The learning process includes the larger community through the development of alliances, relationships, and opportunities for mutual benefit.

- Everyone must think and act in a more collaborative fashion with the larger community of which we are only a small part.

Learning occurs in flexible and appropriate environment.

- Everyone must open his/her mind to embrace new forms of learning and delivery systems.

New Paradigm of Learning

Here is a set of guiding principles and philosophies for educators planning to move toward the new paradigm of learning:

• Keep the Focus
• Expect Conflict, Unhappiness, and Pain
• Be Open to Honest Criticism
• Involve Everyone
• Promote Constant Communication
• Double Your Time Estimates
• Provide Coping Strategies
• Provide For "New" Learning
• Use Specialized Language Sparingly
• People Will React Differently
• Control Rumors.

I believe these are great lifelong principles that people should live by.

LEARNING NEVER ENDS!

"Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned" (p. 145-146).

I think this is the strongest quote yet of the book. What do you think of this quote? I hope you agree...

A Community of Learners

The Core Knowledge Design:

"We must create an environment in which students can succeed and in which they develop, along with a healthy self-interest, an understanding of the sociological and cultural necessities for preserving the community" (p. 140).

A Community of Learners for Students: the learning community is centered around student interests and aspirations.

A Community of Learners for Faculty: using the development model will help target areas for improvement and utilize professional development as the mechanism by which the targeted areas are changed for the better.

A Community of Learners for Departments: identifying responsibilities of operations and sharing information and knowledge obtained by those operations.

A Community of Learners for Cross-Functional Teams: look at the broader picture. Operational learning of working on a routine process gave way to a level of conceptual learning or reframing the problem.

A Community of Learners for Planning Boards: developing patterns of interacting.

A Community of Learners for the Board of Trustees: setting limitations and accepting actions within limitations. Shifting learning and teaching to teaching and learning.

A Community of Learners for Jackson County and Beyond: inform citizens in the design of the community's desired future and to implement that design for continuous improvement.

Quality Initiative and the 7-S Model

Sinclair Community College and its Quality Initiative effort is designed as the primary strategy for making further progress toward becoming a learning college.

Shared Values: are commonly held beliefs, mindsets, and assumptions that shape how an organization behaves – its culture. Shared values are what engender trust They are an interconnecting center of the 7Ss model.

Structure: Structure is the organizational chart and associated information that shows who reports to whom and how tasks are both divided up and integrated. In other words, structures describe the hierarchy of authority and accountability in an organization, the way the organization's units relate to each other.

Strategy: are plans an organization formulates to reach identified goals, and a set of decisions and actions aimed at gaining a sustainable advantage over the competition.

Systems: Systems define the flow of activities involved in the daily operation of the organization, including its core processes and its support systems.

Style: refers to the cultural style of the organization, how to behave in achieving the organization's goals, how to collectively spend time and attention.

Staff: refers to the number and types of personnel within the organization and how companies develop employees and shape basic values.

Skills: refer to the dominant distinctive capabilities and competencies of the personnel or of the organization as a whole.