Dispelling Misperceptions

I’ve met a lot of new people in the last two weeks. A LOT of new people. And more than anything else it’s highlighted what an incredible degree of diversity and opportunity there is in the faculty. There are some amazing people from wide-ranging backgrounds here and it’s been a constant reminder of what drew me here in the first place. It’s also been an invaluable source of fuel to propel me through what has been an exhausting schedule recently.

That said, I’ve made some observations about perceptions of me and my role that I’m trying to overcome.

First and foremost, I’m being seen by some as exclusively a tech, and I think it’s causing some significant apprehension and resistance about what I’m here for. Some people seem to think that I’m pushing homogenous, one-size fits all technical solutions, whether they are relevant and appropriate for the local context and culture or not. So I’ve had to spend some time dispelling the concerns that I’m a harbinger of imposed change through unwanted technology.

The approach I’ve been taking, which I wholeheartedly believe in, is to engage in a seemingly never-ending series of meetings, in which I go out to each instructor, group of administrators or head of school and ask them about the way things are and the way they’ve been – in a holistic sense, not a technical one – and basically start to develop an understanding of what the local academic culture is like, what the course structures are like, and especially what the people are like.

I don’t see my role as simply installing technology in the classroom and that’s the end of it. I think it’s critical to understand the uniqueness of each individual and each course; develop an appreciation for the perspectives of staff, and those of students; what the learning goals of the courses are, and what the objectives of the students are; and certainly what the technical abilities and preferences are – of all parties involved.

It’s in someways a concern for the elearning sector – if it can so be called – that the natural reaction from many academics is defensiveness as soon as the phrases "educational technology" or "elearning" are mentioned. To me that says there is an unspoken assumption or belief about what the intention or mission of elearning is, or a fear that advocates of educational technology are somehow out to get them or undermine their status or social position.

So I try to get to know them as people first, and as educators and learners. I try to identify what their problems are, what their concerns are or what their ideas are. I tell them what I’m here for; that it’s not to push technology, gadgets or the web, but to help support the learning and teaching process, perhaps help resolve issues they’ve been having via a technical solution; or to facilitate the exploration of an innovative idea. That technicians play a crucial role in helping universities run smoothly, but that I’m not one of them.

In framing the discussion that widely and my role that broadly, it’s been amazing how quickly defensiveness turns to casual discussion. I know some people are afraid of technology; know some people hate it and want nothing to do with it. That’s not for me to judge, nor is it my role to battle against them in the name of innovation.

Change and innovation are actions to be embraced, not initiatives to be imposed. Yes I think change and innovation are important and indeed necessary, but I don’t think they can be achieved and sustained by force.

This does mean the change process will take longer, but in the end I think relationships based on trust and respect will produce a more willing and creative environment where people feel more comfortable and confident to experiment and explore new ideas.

The technology is the easy part..

Posted via email from Mike Bogle