Technology has all the answers – but we have to start thinking about whether we’re asking the right questions Technology disruption has impacted on the library and information profession more than most organisation sectors. It has created a wealth of opportunities to improve how we carry out our work, it has also brought with it a lot of threats and highlighted weaknesses. We now have a myriad of digital tools to help us help others but do we know what they really want given the wide choice of solutions? Within the learning technology community they never stray too far away from pedagogical theory as to why a technology is adopted to help with teaching. Library and information specialists need to take leaf from that book and ask questions when adopting a new tool for teaching, research and dissemination. In this presentation Andy will discuss some of those questions and hopefully give a few answers.

1. @ANDY_TATTERSALL
TECHNOLOGY
HAS ALL THE
ANSWERS
but we have to start thinking about whether
we’re asking the right questions

2. Pioneer CDJ https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-gb/product/player/cdj-2000nxs2/black/overview/
THE DJ HYPE CYCLE
ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY CO-EXISTS

3. QUESTION THE TECHNOLOGY

4. How often will you use the technology?
Who created it and who owns it?
Can you export your content?
Are they on social media and do they post regular updates?
Is it intuitive to use?
What do you get with the free version?
Is there an alternative?
Has it been around for long?

6. Learning technologists think of the pedagogy when
adopting a new technology - we have to do the same

7. Where do you sit within your organisation?
What are the competing messages from elsewhere?

8. Network
regularly
USE YOUR PLN
Find out what else is going on in your
organisation
Marketing
Corporate IT
Other Libraries
Academic Departments
Professional Support Services

9. A coffee with the right person can
be as good as a conference
IAN PALMER
Faculty IT Manager
DR GRAHAM
MCELEARNEY
Senior Learning
Technologist
RUTH MACMULLEN
MALLALIEU
Scholarly Communications
Licensing Manager

10. Common
Problems
• Duplication of platforms
• Issues relating to third party software - support, data
security
• Hybrid platforms (Mendeley and Figshare both host data,
Research Professional and Mendeley both promote funding
sources)
• Limited time for personal research and development
• Technologies can come and go
• Users have different needs/levels of technical
competencies

11. It's OK to be a bull at a gate

12. Not everyone loves RSS as much as you
do

13. SWOT ANALYSIS
Some technologies will come with a
myriad of questions (many of them not
asked yet)
JUST USE IT
Some tools are just simple and can solve
big problems, save money and be easy to
use

14. Author your docs anywhere
Collaborative (anyone can contribute to a piece of work)
Free
Can be hyperlinked and shared
Version control
or.....
Open to abuse (if not shared properly)
Cannot always access offline
Organisations like the NHS can't always access it
Google is not accessible in some countries
Collaborative (anyone can delete a piece of work)
Lacking quality reference management integration (Paperpile)
SLA limited (free)
One step
forward....

15. The advance of technology is based on making it
fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's
part of everyday life.
Bill Gates
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/bill_gates

16. https://www.toptools4learning.com/home/

17. @Andy_Tattersall
a.tattersall@shef.ac.uk
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