Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Higher Education Committee

HB 1946

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background:

Technology Transformation Taskforce in the Community & Technical Colleges

Beginning in 2006, the Technology Transformation Taskforce of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges conducted an 18-month analysis to identify ways to improve education through the effective use of technology. The Taskforce conducted extensive surveys, focus groups and interviews with students, faculty, staff, and education and information technology experts and educators from across the country and around the world. It also analyzed the community and technical college system’s successes and mistakes in the deployment of information technology during the past 25 years.

The Taskforce issued a report in 2008 that dealt with three major areas of technology deployment: student learning, student services, and administration. In all three areas, the Taskforce found a need for greater uniformity across the 34 community and technical colleges in the system and within the broader P-20 education system. This plan also recommended a shift from locally developed software and hosting services.

Information Technology Terms

Open Textbook (and other course material): An open textbook is an openly-licensed textbook offered online by its author(s). The open license sets open textbooks apart from traditional textbooks by allowing users to read online, download, or print the book at no cost. For a textbook to be considered open, it must be licensed in a way that grants a baseline set of rights to users that are less restrictive than its standard copyright. A license or list of permissions must be clearly stated by the author. Open textbooks are increasingly seen as a potential solution to some of the challenges with the traditional textbook publishing model.

Hosted application: A hosted application, also known as Internet-based application, web-based application, online application and Application Service Providers (ASPs) are software applications where the software resides on servers that are accessed through the Internet instead of the more traditional software that is installed on either a local server or on individual computers.

Web conferencing service is a service that allows users to share documents, make presentations, demonstrate products and services, and communicate as if they were 'face-to-face' with people at almost any location via a personal computer using an internet connection.

Summary of Bill:

Common Learning Technologies

All institutions of higher education are required to use common online learning technologies, including those currently managed by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). All institutions must be fully migrated to the common system by July 1, 2012. The SBCTC will adjust current licenses to accommodate the additional schools and convene a workgroup to determine a shared fee structure.

Technology Workgroup

The K-20 network must convene a workgroup to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of education relative to the use of technology. The group must include representatives from each of the public baccalaureate institutions, six community or technical colleges, and one representative each from the Higher Education Coordinating Board, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, the Department of Information Services, and the Council of Presidents.

The group must take the following actions in developing the plan:

Investigate efforts in other states regarding online learning technologies, personalized online student services, integrated administrative tools, shared library resources, methods for sharing digital content, methods for pooling and sharing enrollments in online classes, and methods for ensuring quality of online programs and classes.
Develop a process and timeline for implementing the recommendations of the various investigations.
Focus on statewide capability and standards to create effective use of common resources.
Identify the metrics that can be used to gauge success.
Conduct a comprehensive audit of existing IT resources currently being used at all public institutions of higher education including employees, infrastructure, and licenses. Failure of an institution to participate must be noted in the workgroup's plan.
Recommend strategies to reduce duplication, increase quality and increase student access.
Recommend governance and funding models as well as accountability measures.
Provide a preliminary report to the Legislature by December 1, 2009 and a final report by December 1, 2010.