The document discusses tensions that arise when implementing new technologies in educational institutions. It notes tensions between supporting current systems versus innovating, between technologies and pedagogies, and between the present and future. The author argues that learners often adapt more quickly to new technologies than educational institutions can keep up. The role of the learning technologist is to help break down resistances and lead institutional change from the middle out by addressing these tensions. The author provides an example of a project they led that started small but grew to transform the curriculum by having hundreds of students produce videos for their international politics course.
Web & Social Media Analytics Previous Year Question Paper.pdf
ALT-C 2015 presentation - From the Middle OUT
1. From the middle out
Peter Bryant
London School of Economics
@peterbryantHE
http//www.peterbryant.org
Breaking down functional tensions and
resistances between stakeholders to lead
institutional change
3. The use of technology is the exclusive privilege
of the technically adept, the young or the
innovator
Technology is a ‘nice to have’, not
an essential, integrated part of the
action
Learning has been and always will be
the same and new technology simply
enhances and builds on the successes
of the past
The blurry myths of technological change
4. The ‘harsh’ reality
The agility of society and learners to adapt and innovate their
learning with and through technology often far outstrips the
ability of the educational institution to keep up
Existing practice
and innovation
are pitted
against each
other as a
contest to the
death
Investment is rarely commensurate with
outcome and impact
Learning, teaching and role of the learning
technologist have changed
6. Our experiencesTwo major projects – Greenwich
Connect and Futures
• Tensions between systems
support and innovation
agenda
• Delivering on our previous
promise of ‘solutions in a box’
• Tensions around who owns
‘pedagogy’, ‘technology’ and
‘learning’
• Get the current stuff right
before you start ‘playing’
(Boys/Girls with toys problem)
• Shifting the pioneers to the
business as usual
10. VISUAL
INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS
RENEWAL
Assessment diversity
Employability skills
INNOVATION
Funded pilot with staffing, quality semi-pro equipment,
designed resources on storytelling and filmmaking,
producing videos by 15 students
ASPIRATION
Reused resources, repeated project for 30 students
TRANSFORMATION
All 1st year IR students to do VIP (300 students)
Development of ‘media for social science course’
Hinweis der Redaktion
Learning has changed
21st century skills, apps to solve problems (and problems found by apps), media consumption…closed systems,
Teaching has changed
Peer led and student co-creation, expanding outside the networks and boundaries of the class, EDx use at MIT, ending of broadcast mode, enhanced role for gaming, DIY coding, social media use
Learning Technology has changed
Skills of integration, cloud, UX leading to working with staff to adapt, change, innovate and transform their teaching and learning.
The VLE of 2015 needs to be able to do that, some of the Moodle competitors have moved towards ‘some’ of these
We argue that the role of learning technologists as agents and leaders of change at a strategic level is often compromised by tensions and actions arising from implicit internal practices or explicit external relationships. In both cases we found that as teams who led learning technology initiatives we continually found ourselves in untenable positions, arguing for the ongoing support and efficacy of institutional systems that may run counter to engaging the institution in more innovative pedagogical approaches. At the same time, functional tensions arose over who owned ‘pedagogy’, ‘technology’ and ‘learning’ institutionally, and whether there was a role for collaborative stakeholder experimentation and evaluation as opposed to reactive project and systems support.
Scaled projects that have institutional impact
Connected approaches the cross function, discipline and faculty
Activity that is part of a strategic vision
The learning technologist and the educational developer working together as advocates of change
Alignment of policy to practice
This would be a role where the learning technologist argues, lobbies, supports and resources change and where they work to break down functional barriers and siloes between academic and professional services, in order to seek change through the development and celebration of a collective identity. A role which shapes and integrates a shared orientation and argues for the need to challenge the status quo and to address change through practical action (James and van Seters, 2014) and where they flip the support of practice at a local level to one where they advocate and lead change at an institutional level.