NCCC Electronic Learning Compliance Initiative

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Principal Investigator: Lisa Dubuc, Niagara County Community College The Niagara County Community College (NCCC) eLearning department is seeking funding to launch a new initiative designed to assess and assist faculty in ensuring that all online courses meet the compliance requirements set forth by the Higher Education Act (HEQA), Middle States, and the American Disabilities Act (ADA). NCCC will expand upon the efforts already set in place by the SUNY FACT2 Advisory Council and the Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence (COTE) Competency Development Team. Specifically, funds will be used to initiate the Electronic Learning Compliance Initiative in an effort to better gauge existing compliance problems and to create an action plan that will allow NCCC eLearning faculty to better learn about accessibility and their legal obligations when creating content for distribution online. Ultimately,the College will be able to offer customized professional development opportunities, workshops, online “tips of the week”, blog posts, and/or online webinars and videos designed to address main areas of concern. Co-PI’s and Key Partners: Donna Simiele, eLearning Technologies Integration Specialist, Niagara County Community College Reports and Resources:

The Necessity of Accessibility Online

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Awarded Grant: $10,000 Principal Investigator: Michael Case, Alfred State This project would center on providing a day long Accessibility conference on our campus open to participants inside and outside of our institution. The morning session will consist of a presentation by an accessibility expert focusing on challenges unique to online learning. The break out sessions will occur in the afternoon and will focus on how faculty can make a variety of material types accessible. In addition, all sessions will be recorded and, if the presenters are willing, combined with their materials to be compiled and converted into a Accessibility Guide that will be available on our website. Ongoing training and support for faculty on accessibility software and procedures is the lasting byproduct of this conference with the goal of all online courses being accessible thereby aiding faculty development, retention, and student success. Co-PI’s and Key Partners: Melanie Ryan, Student Disability Services Coordinator, Alfred State Ellen Sidey, Instructional Designer, Alfred State Reports and Resources: Mid-project report

Developing a Common Online Mapping Platform for Interdisciplinary, Place-Based Undergraduate Research

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Principal Investigator: Colleen Garrity, Genesee Community College This project aims to develop and sustain participation in a common online mapping platform for interdisciplinary projects focused on content-rich, place-based undergraduate research in the Genesee River basin. The project establishes pathways for faculty and student participation and collaboration in GIS across disciplines, creating and supporting a community of practice that integrates mapping with place-based learning opportunities. The project also seeks to identify a fundamental technical means of integrating GIS software capabilities with web authoring software in order to easily create and share maps online. The development of this proof-of-concept collaboration and simultaneous IT multimedia integration can serve as a model for undergraduate research and technology integration for other oft-overlooked rural areas or ecoregions. Co-PI’s and Key Partners: Ken Cooper, Associate Professor of English, SUNY Geneseo Kristina Hannam, Associate Professor of Biology, SUNY Geneseo Elizabeth Argentieri, Special Collections Librarian, SUNY Geneseo Reports and Resources:

Adapting MOOC Courses to the Needs of Existing Educational Structures

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Awarded Grant: $17,500 Principal Investigator: Cyndi Burnett, Buffalo State Coursera has recently announced that they want to integrate their platform with Learning Management Systems (LMS) in order that universities can incorporate MOOCs as part of their accredited course offerings. If successful, this development offers a huge opportunity to dramatically expand access to educational content, across the entire SUNY network, while still maintaining rigorous academic standards. The International Center for Studies in Creativity is currently running a MOOC, based on its 205 level Introduction to Creativity course. The faculty would like to enhance the content in order to offer it as an alternative to the seated 205 course. The efficacy of this alternative format would be established through comparisons with student performance on the seated courses. Co-PI’s and Key Partners: John Cabra, Associate Professor, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State Selcuk Acar, Assistant Professor, International Center for Studies in Creativity, Buffalo State Reports and Resources: Mid-project report