2013 acode learning technologies leadership institute presentation

Leading and managing change in using learning technologies

Professor Shirley AlexanderDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching, Learning and Equity)University of Technology, Sydney @SAlexander_UTS

Some approaches…

Leading change• Looking in• Looking out• Looking back• Looking forward

Managing change• Technocracy

vs• Dynamism

• Lasorda’s Law

Technocracy• the “one best way” • bring the experts together, establish

standards, impose a single set of values• technocrats celebrate their own

knowledge and hoard their expertise• vision is a combination of excitement and

fear – with the reassurance that some authority will make everything alright

• maintenance of belief that society can be effectively managed through effective leadership and expertise

• require beaurocracies to organise and run them.

• also often have the power to veto member’s ideas

Postrel, V. (1998) The Future and its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress, Free Press: New York.

Dynamists:

• Planning not needed – solution emerges from the interaction of all the individuals

• Draw on biological metaphors, variety, experiment, feedback and adaptation

• Central value is learning – an open-ended process• Emphasise progress can happen with free

experimentation and learning• Have room for a wide range of enterprises• Believe that we learn from choice, competition and

criticism• View eccentricity and criticism as part of trial and error

learning• Let many different ideas compete and co-exist• Have strong opinions about the best way to do things but

realise they may be wrong• Accept that what is best for one may not be for another• Moral vision emphasises individual flourishing • Happiness is freedom to learn, to stretch ourselves, to try

new things


• “We look for feedback loops rather than a central planning and directing body” (eg ants follow scent emitted by ants who have found food, birds fly in v formation with no particular leader)

• Self-organising systems get down to the fundamental principles and continually self-organise around those.

• Need a vision, turn into goals into broad, simple, well-understood principles that allow people to make decisions without micro-management.


Who are the learners?

How to design the curriculum?

Which learning spaces support

curriculum and

technologies?spaces

Which technologies support

aims?

What students want

•Engaging, interactive F2F classes + podcasts of them•More F2F time with academics•More feedback (+faster turnaround)•When casual academics are employed, they should be paid more (to attend all classes etc)•Faster turnaround on email and UTSOnline (Bb) questions•Bring back office hours

Classroom audits

Weekly comparison shows that attendance decreases slightly each week over the course of the semester (approx average of 3% per week)

Credit: DEGW

Learning spaces: importance to students (2007)

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Learning spaces: student perception of performance (2007)

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1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55 58 61 64 67 70 73 76 79 82 85 88

Learning spaces: importance vs. performance

3.5

3.5

Performance

Imp

ort

ance

(4.65, 3.7) My classes are held in sufficient, well equipped lecture theatres, classrooms and other learning areas

(4.5, 3.4) There are adequate spaces on campus for me to work with other students on group assignments

(4.4, 3.3) There are sufficient quiet places to study on campus

(3.9, 3.4) There are sufficient spaces for me

to use my laptop on campus

Low

Low

High

High

2007

2008 student photo diaries

Student Feedback: Informal space that does not work well

• The area outside the computer labs at building 5.

Reasons:- Too noisy (during the day)- Bad lighting.. Really bad lighting- Not suitable for serious study or

undisturbed discussions (during peak hours)

- However it is a good quite place to study alone for the night.

BadBuilding 2 level 4 Atrium

• This whole building creates a very dark feel to it, due to the lack of lighting and use

of dull colours

• Also the space in the middle as shown isn't utilised properly, engineering

students don’t have many places to study . Some tables and couches could be placed

there to utilise the open space




curriculum and

technologies?spaces


aims?

The UTS model of learning

1. An integrated exposure to professional practice through dynamic and multifaceted modes of practice-oriented education

2. Professional practice situated in a global workplace, with international mobility and international and cultural engagement as centre piece

3. Learning which is research-inspired and integrated, providing academic rigour with cutting edge technology to equip graduates for life-long learning

Integrated exposure to professional

practice

• Work-based learning• Work integrated learning

– Internships– Practicum etc

• Volunteer activity, Shopfront projects etc

• Field trips - real and virtual• Simulation and role plays -

in class or online• Problem-based or issues-

based approaches• Multi-media case studies -

including student produced work

• Guest lectures or podcasts by professionals

Aut

hent

ici ty

at work site

at uni




curriculum and

technologies?spaces


aims?

http://www.review-edu.com/

http://spark.uts.edu.au/




curriculum and

technologies?


aims?

Creating a Sticky Campus

Example outcomes

8/18/10

Credit: Anna Zhu

Learning spaces: importance vs. performance

3.5

3.5

Performance

Imp

ort

ance






Low

Low

High

High

2007

2012






DR CHAU CHAK WING BUILDINGEAST ELEVATION

pic.twitter.com/eeH9Ip1S

http://t.co/eeH9Ip1S

http://t.co/eeH9Ip1S

⬆cost of higher education

⬇Govt funding? Is the investment worth it

disaggregation

Things take longer to happen than you think they will and then …

they happen faster than you think they could.

Larry Summers

Former President, Harvard

LEARNING 2014 Learning2014

supporting innovation in the design of learning

making sensetestingaction receiving

feedback

reflect

questions

accessingideas

content

learninggoals

LEARNING 2014

flipped learning

LEARNING 2014

remote laboratories

LEARNING 2014

simulations

access to information and resourcesLearning2014 website

case studies

videos

downloadable resources

Learning2014 seminar series

Future Learning Fellows

test out new approaches

Learning2014 grants

Communities of Practice

flipped learning

OER

inquiry-based learning

Future Learning Fellows

Receive feedback

Social media

Student feedback

Peer review

reflect

blogs

Learning2020

Learning2020 projects• a more nuanced timetabling system

• change in workload models

• salary scales

• appellation - ‘Lecturer’ ‘Senior Lecturer’?

• student expectations

• credit recognition

Complementary projects• Systematic embedding of graduate attributes

• Data analytics

• Assessment review

http://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/teaching-and-learning/learning2014/overview

2013 acode learning technologies leadership institute presentation

Education