ETEC 520
Planning and Managing Learning Technologies in Higher Education
"A drastically different perspective."
This is the final course for me, alongside 590. I am very glad I left this one to the end, as it is providing me such a different perspective! Throughout the program, I have focused on courses hinged on pedagogy, teaching, learning, and technology. This one addresses the necessity of cross-disciplinary collaboration, from the perspectives of faculty, department heads, institution executives, up to government, to transform education. This course has thrown open a new door for me, one which I am currently tentatively looking through.
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As I have progressed through the program, I have realized I take a very “faculty” oriented perspective. That is, I look at the world from a teaching and learning perspective. This is actually a very big part of my identity. However, this course is forcing me to look at the perspectives of various stakeholders, including those from different areas of the same institution. There is a disconnect between the values, wants, needs, and cultures in these varying areas (Bullen, 2006). For example, E&IT operates on a cost- centre, business model, while faculty absolutely does not. Instead, we operate from an autonomous position, answering mostly to ourselves and protected by collective agreements. When it comes to implementing e-learning initiatives this divide in cultures is a huge obstacle.
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An e- Learning Readiness Audit
Below is a project in which I developed an e-learning readiness audit tool to be used in assessing higher-education institution’s readiness for a shift, or transformation in education. What I learned in this process, is that the various stakeholders in the process of selecting, justifying and implementing e-learning are not only not always seeing eye-to-eye, but they are often not communicating at all! Each area is doing what it thinks is best in terms of technology and e-learning, assuming everything will align. Unfortunately that is not the case. Each area has started, which is positive, but effective collaboration is needed in order to advance the technology and e-learning agenda.
More on Challenges to Exploring e-Learning
Even though there is much work to be done, this is an exciting time to be an educator!
Where to Next?
References:
Bullen, M. (2006). In B. Pasian & G. Woodill, Plan to learn: Case studies in elearning project management (1st ed., pp. 169-176). Canadian eLearning Enterprise Alliance.
Therien, J. (2017). An e-learning readiness audit: NorQuest College. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia.
Bullen, M. (2006). In B. Pasian & G. Woodill, Plan to learn: Case studies in elearning project management (1st ed., pp. 169-176). Canadian eLearning Enterprise Alliance.
Therien, J. (2017). An e-learning readiness audit: NorQuest College. Unpublished manuscript. University of British Columbia.