By joining the National Learning Infrastructure Initiative, institutions, corporations and organizations make a commitment to work collaboratively with others to understand and demonstrate how the application of information technology to the instructional process can increase access, contain costs and improve student learning. They understand that the goal is not merely to use information technology in instruction but rather to do so in ways that address the major problems facing American higher education.

EDUCAUSE's role is to serve as a catalyst to bring together the affected parties to create joint solutions to these problems. The purpose of each semi-annual NLII meeting is to promote cooperation among participating institutions and organizations. Our objective is to spawn mini-consortia that are anxious and willing to take on smaller, more specific projects that deal with creating a national learning infrastructure. Clearly, a major NLII membership benefit is having easy access to the best national thinking and expertise on these issues.

Request for Partners (RFPs)

To enable a large group of institutions and organizations to take collaborative action, we are implementing a process that is a play on the idea of an RFP--in this case, RFP stands for a Request for Partners. Any participating institution or organization (or combinations of them) may issue an RFP to all participants. Each RFP identifies an issue, a developmental project, a problem to be solved, a demonstration or proof of concept idea related to the themes of the NLII and solicits partners to join a working group.

NLII meetings are built around these various projects and mini-consortial efforts. The idea is to float various subjects of interest to the members to see which ones fly and have enough interest to generate participation from folks in all of the sectors. By experimenting and by reaching consensus on what works and what is useful, we will identify those applications of information technology which are most effective in addressing higher education's problems, those which move us toward a national learning infrastructure.

How does the RFP solicitation process work?

Any participating institution or organization may initiate an RFP. RFPs must be in writing and follow the prescribed format described below. The RFP developer sends the RFP to EDUCAUSE; EDUCAUSE provides feedback if necessary to sharpen ideas and suggest likely participants. EDUCAUSE then circulates the RFPs to all participating NLII members.

What are the advantages of implementing an RFP Process?

This process provides a structure for us to initiate the exploration of ideas and to establish working groups. It allows ideas to "bubble up" from participants. It allows participants the opportunity to test their views about what issues are most important--i.e., if no one responds with interest, it's a pretty good sign that the issue is not significant. It also moves us from the wanting to "do something" about these issues to explicating more precisely what it is that we can do--i.e., it forces us to concentrate on actionable ideas.

What is the relationship of RFPs to the semi-annual meetings?

Our intention is to make NLII meetings different from meetings and conferences that are sometimes characterized by uncritical sharing or reporting of individual projects. NLII gatherings, in contrast, will be devoted to meetings of working groups that are formed in response to the RFPs. Institutions and organizations will be able to decide whom to send to a particular meeting based on the specificity of the working group topics. Working groups may also meet in the interim between the semi-annual meetings as needed.

What criteria do RFPs need to satisfy?

• Does the project idea focus on instruction?

• Does the idea require partnerships or collaboration? Does it go beyond the ability of one institution or organization to implement it alone?
• Is the idea strategic? Is there a clear relationship between the proposed idea and the major goals of the NLII? Does it move us forward toward those goals?
• Is the idea "actionable" by participating members? For example, changing the promotion and tenure system in higher education is not an actionable item; demonstrating the efficacy of an alternative learning environment is.
• Is the idea scalable? Can it be adapted by large numbers of similar institutions?

What are some examples of NLII RFPs?

Based on preliminary discussions with some of the NLII Founding Members, we can anticipate some of the topic areas of initial RFPs. You will note that some are policy-oriented, others are product-oriented. These are meant to be suggestive of the kind of activities we wish to encourage.

• Creating mathematical and interlingual distributed learning environments
• State and multi-campus investment strategies: evaluating and facilitating investments in technology that increase learning productivity and cost effectiveness
• Reengineering instruction in introductory mathematics and science courses: the studio model
• Academic productivity: what does it mean, how do we measure it, how does information technology contribute to it?
• Reengineering instruction in the humanities: a distributed learning model
• Creating a new marketplace for building and refining high quality course materials across the spectrum of higher education
• Developing multi-media materials for remedial education
• Cost/benefit models for evaluating technology-mediated environments
• New partnerships in telecommunications: new roles for higher education and the corporate sector
• Multi-campus system issues: creating statewide infrastructures
• Establishing quality standards for distance education programs
• Student records for nomadic education

What common formats will NLII RFPs follow?

RFPs must be in writing and should be limited to four pages. (Additional information may be sent to those who respond to the RFP with interest.) RFP proposals must address the following questions:

• Who is the sponsor?
  (a sentence or two about the institution/organization/company issuing the RFP)
• What is the purpose of the project?
• What is its relation to NLII issues and themes?
• Project description
• Who should participate
  (i.e., those with the ability/expertise to contribute/act)?
• A resource strategy
  (e.g., in kind contributions, corporate sponsorship, grants)
• What is/are the anticipated outcome(s)?
  (Outcomes might include white papers for policy areas or conceptual problems, demonstrations, products, etc.)
• Who should be contacted for more information?
  (name, address, telephone, email address)

Will the NLII keep the members informed about RFPs and other exemplars?

An obligation of each RFP project is to report its activities and results to the members of the NLII. EDUCAUSE will circulate these reports and will also showcase other instructional exemplars as a service to NLII members.