UW System has funded UW Colleges participation in the APQC/SHEEO study:

Benchmarking Best Practices in
FACULTY INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Supporting Faculty Use of Technology in Teaching

That six month study sponsored by 53 institutions of higher learning resulted in the identification of five 'Best Practice' institutions. For more information on the study contact Dick Cleek.

The 'best practice' institutions are:
Virginia Tech at http://www.vt.edu/
University of Central Florida at http://www.ucf.edu/
California State University - Center for Distributed Learning at http://www.cdl.edu/
Bellevue Community College at http://www.bcc.ctc.edu/
College Boreal at http://www.borealc.on.ca/

These pages are well worth a visit!
 
Each of these institutions was the subject of a detailed site visit and analysis. From those visits and analyses came 14 findings, spanning five themes:

SECTION ONE:  CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

Finding Number One:   Organizations that are responsive to their external environments are drawn to technology-based learning solutions.

Finding Number Two:  Many best-practice organizations take a “total immersion” approach to technology involving the entire community of teachers and learners.

SECTION TWO:  TEACHING AND LEARNING ISSUES

Finding Number Three:  Best-practice organizations keep their focus on teaching and learning issues, not the technology itself.  However, faculty members must reach a minimum comfort level with the technology before they can realize the deeper educational benefits.

Finding Number Four:  There are no shortcuts—best-practice organizations provide sufficient time for planning and implementation of technology-based teaching initiatives.

Finding Number Five:  Curriculum redesign is not “taught” to faculty members, but rather “emerges” through project-oriented faculty development initiatives.

SECTION THREE:  ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

Finding Number Six:  Faculty incentives come in many forms—among the most powerful motivators is a new-found pride in teaching.

Finding Number Seven:  A project-team approach can produce a high-quality product and provide the faculty relief from “technology overload.”

Finding Number Eight:  A variety of departments coordinate faculty instructional development services.  Centralized structures and funds support overall organizational strategies, and decentralized structures and funds support “just-in-time” technical assistance.

SECTION FOUR:  POLICY AND FINANCING ISSUES

Finding Number Nine:  Best-practice organizations have steadily moved toward strategic investment and firm criteria for funding projects.

Finding Number Ten:  Best-practice organizations do not wait or depend on external funding for their faculty instructional development initiatives.

Finding Number Eleven:  Faculty spokespeople and mentors are critical to effective dissemination strategies.

Finding Number Twelve:  Effective partnerships for instructional development can leverage resources and improve quality.

SECTION FIVE:  PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

Finding Number Thirteen:  Best-practice organizations use faculty and student evaluations to inform and adjust instructional strategies.

Finding Number Fourteen:  Most best-practice organizations have not attempted to justify technology-based learning on the basis of cost savings.  Improvements in learning effectiveness, relevance for the workplace, and widening access have been the key motivators.

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