Abstract:

This oral presentation will provide information about SPP University-a virtual university-that is currently being developed and implemented by the Regional Resource Center Program (RRCP). The RRCP consists of six Centers across the U.S. whose mission is to provide high quality technical assistance to U.S. States and Territories in the implementation of the federal requirements of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the RRCP works to assist States in the development, planning and implementation of the State Performance Plan (SPP) to demonstrate compliance and results-oriented performance for children and youth with disabilities in accordance with federal laws. Specifically, presenters will share the goals of SPP University-these include: the creation and dissemination of actionable solutions to address challenging SPP issues by utilizing tools, products, and services developed by RRCP Priority Teams; the promotion of analytic skills and abilities of State personnel to understand the interrelated characteristics of SPP indicators, including the use of critical inquiry and hypotheses testing strategies that lead to solution generation; the facilitation of the exchange of information among all nationally supported technical assistance centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The presenters will also provide an overview of the content development processes and protocols used for SPP University, principally the role of the RRCP Priority Teams working in collaboration State education staff, and other contributors as deemed essential by the team. Conference participants will learn about how Moodle is being used as the platform for the generation of tools, products, and services that include: social networking opportunities to promote sharing of ideas, experiences, and solutions among users; a tutorial series for those who need to learn basic information or refresh their knowledge about SPP requirements; learning modules to provide users with in-depth knowledge about specific SPP performance indicators; learning modules to provide users with the skills necessary to conduct an integrated analysis of SPP indicators in order to generate improvement activities; tools (e.g., rubrics, templates, checklists) that can be used in the development and implementation of the SPP and evaluation of improvement activities. Conference participants will learn how the RRCP is using SPP University as a virtual center of learning and instruction, employing the application of web-based instructional modules accessed through the Moodle platform, utilizing video and audio podcasting, web-based collaboration and social networking tools, and other forms of instructional delivery that have been proven effective in promoting adult learning. Conference participants will also learn about the challenges with regard to the implementation of SPP University as well as opportunities for replication.

Keywords:

Virtual university, moodle, adult learning.