Guidelines: Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable (TLTR) - Originated 1994, revisions 2012

see tlt.gs/tltr  

To achieve the best in teaching and learning through more effective use of information technology while controlling costs, a college or university needs continuing communication, cooperation, and collaboration among representatives of a wide range of faculty and academic support services to facilitate better planning, decision making, and support for faculty and students. Exchanging candid information among and within institutions helps develop more realistic goals, measurable against more realistic benchmarks. Consequently, each campus TLT Roundtable should have these 6 characteristics (adapted to reflect local circumstances -- especially local politics and culture):

1. Two Categories of Faculty Represented
2. Four+ Services Organizations Represented
3. Chief Academic Officer Engaged
4. Student Views Available
5. Inter-Institutional Information Exchange & TLTR Coordinator
6. Long-Term Institutional Commitment  

Additional description of each of the 6 characteristics:  

Two Categories of Faculty Represented

Central to each TLT Roundtable is the active representation of faculty members who have already begun to use information technology in their teaching; and equally active representation of faculty members, who have NOT yet begun to use information technology in their teaching. (Preferably, including faculty leaders from both groups.) Faculty representation might also include tenured/un-tenured, and full/part-time.

Four+ Services Organizations Represented

Active representation of key service/support organizations within the institution. (Minimum 4: library, computing/video/telecommunications, bookstore, teaching’ learning center or faculty development group - if there is one.) It is also desirable to include representatives from other relevant campus service organizations (e.g. Student affairs, facilities management, disabilities, development) and from other relevant administrative divisions, or faculty governance organization - everyone who can help understand current trends and support future efforts to improve teaching and learning via information technology.

Chief Academic Officer Engaged

Active engagement of the Chief Academic Officer. (Possible, but not necessarily, chairing the group; on some campuses it may be more practical to have a close colleague represent the CAO some of the time.)

Student Views Available

Through student representatives (or other means more appropriate for the institution) the needs, interests, and capabilities of undergraduates and graduate students are available to TLTR participants.

Inter-institutional Information Exchange & TLTR Coordinator

Identification of a coordinator for the campus TLT Roundtable who will be responsible for communicating with the TLT Group and other campus Roundtables. Commitment to exchanging relevant information with other campuses, industry representatives, funding agencies; especially through participation in annual TLT Group events, the TLT Group World Wide Web site and online discussions, regional activities, and collaborative inter-institutional projects.

Long - Term   Institutional Commitment  

Issues related to teaching. Learning, and information technology will not disappear or be "solved" in a short time. Consequently, the anticipated lifespan for each local TLT Roundtable is several years. (Even though the TLTR Program seeks to help each local TLT Roundtable achieve some specific objectives within its first year of operation.)