HE Understanding academic resistance to the adoption of new learning technologies. Bond University

1. Understanding Academic Resistance to the
Adoption of New Learning Technologies
Nick James
Bond University
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

2. ACCREDITATION
STAKEHOLDERS
REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT TEACHING
T&L SCHOLARSHIP
TEACHING TOOLS
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

3. ENTHUSIASTIC
PRAGMATIC
RESISTANT
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

4. Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

5. Gender Founding year
of school
Total no of
students
Location
ADTL1 Male 1970 – 1990 Approx. 3000 City central
ADTL2 Female 1970 – 1990 Approx. 2500 City central
ADTL3 Male 1950 – 1970 Approx. 3500 City suburban
ADTL4 Female 1970 – 1990 Approx. 1800 City suburban
ADTL5 Male 1990 – 2010 Approx. 400 Remote
ADTL6 Male Pre-1950 Approx. 2000 City - suburban
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

6. discourse
knowledge power
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

7. Educationalism
A higher education discourse
characterised by an emphasis
upon the importance of student
learning and upon teaching by
academics in a manner informed
by orthodox educational
scholarship.
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

8. A student-centred
approach to teaching is
more appropriate than a
teacher-centred or
content-centred
approach
Reflective, evidenced-based
teaching are preferable
to approaches based on
tradition or common
practice or the demands
Student engagement,
formative feedback,
authentic and fair
assessment, transparency
in learning objectives,
and the alignment of
objectives, teaching and
assessment are of
fundamental importance
approaches to
of employers
Teaching should be
defined as the facilitation
of learning rather than
the transmission of
Student wellbeing and
the transitions into and
out of higher education
are at least partly the
responsibility of
academics rather than
solely the responsibility
of students
knowledge
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

9. Propagation of educationalism
Initially the propagation of
educationalist ideas within higher
education depends largely upon
the voluntary adoption by
academics.
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

10. Propagation of educationalism
But these ideas are often ‘co-opted’
by managers and
administrators.
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

11. POWER RESISTANCE
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

12. Academic resistance
Trained in analytical thinking and inured to critique, academics are
unlikely to passively accept changes they regard as detrimental.
Academics are also intrinsically motivated by the nature of academic
work. They identify – often passionately – with the tasks and goals that
comprise the academic endeavour, and are therefore likely to resist
erosion of valued aspects of their work.
Gina Anderson, ‘Mapping Academic Resistance in the Managerial University’ (2008) 15(2) Organization 251, 252
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

13. Academic resistance
[T]here are members of staff in my experience who believe quite
passionately that once they are employed as a law teacher, even if it’s
at level A, but certainly if they are employed at level C, D or E, that
nobody should be questioning anything that they do or don’t do within
their own courses. That it’s like a private domain and ‘How dare you tell
me what I should teach or how I should teach or how I should assess.
And by the way don’t ask me to teach all those skills because there’s
so much other stuff going on in this curriculum or in this course, and
they’re all so terribly important that I can’t possibly do anything else.’
[ADTL5]
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

14. Academic resistance
Active forms of resistance include:
• Public resistance
• Direct resistance
• Refusal
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

15. Academic resistance
Passive forms of resistance
include:
• Avoidance
• Qualified compliance
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

16. Ignorance
Uninformed
anti-educationalism
Academic
workloads
Academic
identity
Academic
freedom
Fatigue
Informed anti-educationalism
Neophobia Insecurity
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

17. Reasons for resistance
I think … lots of academics don’t like being told what to do. They’d
much prefer just to be able to do what they want to do. They believe
and they probably do have the students’ best interests at heart. I don’t
have any worries [that] any of the academics aren’t concerned about
students’ wellbeing and making sure they get a good subject delivered.
But I just think they’d prefer to do it on their own terms, how and when
they want to do it. [ADTL2]
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

18. Reasons for resistance
People are very conscious that there is this division of their time
between teaching and learning and research, and then community
contribution. So there is this tension, ‘If I have to spend more time
on my subject and in my teaching preparation and preparing new
exams every semester, then that’s less time that I have to be
finishing an article or doing some further research.’ [ADTL2]
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

19. Reasons for resistance
[V]ery often in legal academia we have colleagues who really have no
idea about quality practice in learning and teaching and yet they believe
that they know it all. … ‘What can an educationalist tell me for heavens
sake? I’m a lawyer. I know my work. I know how to teach students. I’ll
stand in the class and give them stories and anecdotes and that’s good
teaching.’ They just seem to be trapped into a mindset which precludes
them from recognising that their own teaching practice is often severely
limited. [ADTL5]
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

20. Persuasion rather than compulsion
Transparency of motives: Why
Education about educationalism
Sensitivity about academic realities
Emphasis upon the benefits
Engagement of the heart
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

21. A NEW (OLD) REGIME OF
TRUTH
REGULATION OF
TEACHERS
GOOD TEACHING
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

22. We are scholars and professionals.
We discover truths and disseminate understanding.
We aspire to be exceptional.
We seek opportunities to improve.
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

23. ART
EXCELLENCE
ASPIRATION
REGULATION
CORPORATISM
VOCATIONALISM
ANTI-EDUCATIONALISM
SELF INTEREST
INSECURITY
IGNORANCE
FEAR
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014

24. Thank you
Blackboard Learning and Teaching Conference | Bond University, Gold Coast| 26 – 28 August 2014