Idiomatic Implementation of Technology – The Obstacles

Now we have a plan, which I am extremely excited about (see post Technology Professional Development Isn’t for Cowards). But what do we do with it? We want to implement it, of course. However, there are obstacles. Since our previous author has given us an excellent plan, Tilak has also been thoughtful to anticipate some of these obstacles. Still, I’m a woman with a plan, and I’m sticking to it, I always say. (Note: I never say this. As a matter of fact, I may actually be mixing metaphors here. Regardless, if we don’t think carefully about these issues, it’s like swimming upstream without a paddle.)

But wait! Those obstacles. The bumps in the road will give us problems if we don’t address them. As an ESL instructor, I knew that I couldn’t prevent my students from learning if I tried. I could basically do no harm, and my students were going to learn English do matter what I did. That unique situation seems to apply to very few disciplines, and I’m sure that it does not apply to technology integration. While there is value in adhering to a plan, it’s also important to not remain so rigid we miss the opportunity for growth and also create more obstacles along the way. Because really, we don’t want to bite off more sliced bread than we can chew.

Tilak mentioned the support of administration as well as certain attitudes by instructors as necessary to successful implementation. But let’s expand on this. And what about the students? Where do they fit into the plan? More than anything, we shouldn’t count our chickens before all the eggs are in one basket.

The current article called, “Exploring factors that influence adoption of e-learning within higher education,” by Emma King and Russell Boyatt (2014), supplements what we learned in the last post. Now we have a plan, what next? The following are fictional scenarios that address how aspects of infrastructure, instructors’ attitudes and student exceptions can create or alleviate problems for technology integration.

Dear Valued Colleagues,

Tuesday, March 20 at 4:00 the Faculty Senate will meet, in the spirit of shared governance, to discuss a mission statement for the integration of technology. We will also discuss structure and a timetable for adoption. At this stage in the process we will focus on generating ideas. During our next meeting we will propose and vote on the structure and timetable. The eLearning Department will facilitate the process through the implementation of the integration and beyond.

Regards.

Hello Barb,

Did you get the email about the meeting next week? I’m not sure what to think about it. Is it even worth our time to go?

J

Jan,

I don’t see why it wouldn’t be. I definitely think it’s to our benefit to have more structure. They should have been having other options for us all along other than just the workshops they give. Perhaps some online resources as well.

Barb

Agreed. I’m not sure how realistic it is to expect more of us, however. The publish or die pressure is more than enough stress without additional requirements of our time.

J

There is value in expressing these issues with administration. I’ll see you there.

 

Jon: heyyyyyy!

Sarah: sup?

Jon: u wanna work on the project?

Sarah: my place?

Jon: we have access to the library online right?

Sarah: i think do u know how to use the site?

Jon: maybe . . . we can figure it out

Sarah: later then

Jon: byyyyyyeeee

Sarah: btw, that’s suuuuuuper annoying

 

Some things to think on:

1. Did you do some research to see what your school technology integration plan was? What are your thoughts about it if you did?
2. What are some things that would make it more helpful for you to use more technology?
3. What attitudes do your students have about technology use in their coursework?

Tools I used:

Pixaby for the photos.

References:

King, E. and Boyatt, R. (2014). Exploring factors that influence adoption of e-learning within higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(6), 1272–1280. DOI:10.1111/bjet.12195

Tilak, K. S. (2014). Professional Development of Teachers and Effective Technology Use. International Journal of Educational Research and Technology, 5(3), 51-55. DOI: 10.15515/ ijert. 0976-4089.5.3.51-55

Again, thanks to Mark for proofreading.