In her post, Anne- Marie Scott brings up the issue of the business of learning technology and the need for staff development of digital skills to ensure that the educational sector has control over the learning technology instead of businesses that create learning technology controlling education. She puts forth a need/ opportunity for learning technologists to develop learning technologies and publish them as an open source when possible, understanding that money and resources are needed for this to happen.
I work as an instructor at a private training college offering online programs with no instructional designers or learning technologists employed and no money or resources allocated to support staff in developing their digital skills. We teach from the black box Ann- Marie was talking about. From a role perspective, as an instructor with these institutional limitations, I need to consider what I can do to develop my digital skills and those of my students despite the barriers and lack of learning technologist support.
First, I would identify my needs regarding knowledge and skills and my student’s needs. Exploring open educational resources (OER) and free micro-credentials available that match these needs would be necessary. I need to consider how much time I would allocate to learning and the specific benefits of improving the student learning and experience.
Would my colleagues be interested in developing their skills? I might consider discussing options with the administration about using open resources for faculty development to ensure all faculty are supported in their roles and are digitally literate. This might bring forth conversations of commitment to students and faculty and the long-term vision of the programs offered. As an instructor, I need to consider whether it is my place to make suggestions to the administration and whether they would be welcomed in this setting.
Hi Gill,
Thanks for sharing your perspective on digital skill development in your setting. This is an interesting situation that many educators face in higher ed and the K-12 system – not just for digital skill development but for many other skills necessary to do their job effectively. There is not enough support from upper leadership/administration to implement the training needed in all areas of development. I see this heightened in our post-covid world in the K-12 setting, where educators need more skills and resources to help their students learn effectively (i.e. mental health, trauma-informed, and regulation – in addition to skills such as those required to support digital literacy). As the need for more skill development increases, at some point, skill development areas need to be prioritized. There are only so many hours in the day. Wouldn’t it be nice if our education systems were designed with expert staff in all areas to support these types of needs?
Hi Gill and Leah,
Tim brought up a similar issue in his post – it seems like something top of mind. How do you build internal capacity and digital literacy (or as Gill wrote in her post on leadership, digital fluency) into our teams? I asked a similar question to Tim – from a change management perspective, where can you start? Gill you talk about developing your own skills, but how do you start advocating for a systems change (and take on the leadership role :)? Leah, I wonder what this looks like in K-12 – as PD is usually directed from admin and/or the district – how do you get the time to focus on new skills that might not be on anyone’s radar? I know in BC in the post-secondary sector digital literacy is very top of mind at the ministry level and they are just releasing a digital literacy framework that includes criteria/compentencies for learners and faculty. I wonder if that is also happening in K-12? Gill I wonder how you can use this framework in your own setting? Some really important issues to think about.
In my experience working with the K-12 system, I would say that PD is often directed to emergent needs and is not often forward-thinking. In Alberta, there is an increasing focus on precursors for learning (i..e. physical and mental health and well-being) as an equitable approach to academic success. Many school authorities have focused on digital citizenship, but I have not heard much about a digital literacy framework, but my work does not cross into that territory, so it could exist.
Thanks, Leah and Michelle!
Leah- it sounds lovely. I must admit the different schools I teach at and their approach to professional development or skills needed are very different. One lies in the ideal realm, and the other does not.
Michelle- to answer your questions about systems change and use of the framework- I have plans:). Part of that plan elevates my skills and knowledge supported by research to advocate for change. I have discussed with the administration about creating workshops for teachers to help them increase their digital literacy, create assessments that increase student digital literacy and introduce the team to UDL to help foster a more well-rounded DLE and space for our students. That framework will be an important part of supporting what skills we focus on and support what I am advocating for. It can leverage the programs we offer if we are speaking to ministry guidelines as a private college. Some recent events showed a major gap in digital skills/ need for training and support, which has led to a positive response to my suggestions. Proposals to come….
I have also discussed hiring practices with HR and seeking instructors with experience and training in delivering courses online. The mindset is that teaching in Zoom is the same as the classroom F2F, and we are just not in the same room. We have recently had a change in key roles; with that, there is an openness to listen.
Week 3: Activity 1 – How does data help with change?
From a leadership role in the above scenario, more data in decision-making and change is needed to address instructional design and operating programs in a digital learning environment (DLE). However, what data is necessary for administrators to be willing to change?
From an administrative buy-in perspective: data presenting best practices for teaching in a DLE, the differences of teaching synchronously in a DLE from a face-to-face environment and success factors, frameworks for instructional design in a DLE such as UDL that foster accessibility and create environments where international students have success (our student profile). With this type of data, the administration would have the information to assess the current curriculum, design and practices that need to be taught and improved across programs.
Data from instructors: assessment of digital literacy and feedback answering questions such as: What do they struggle with in engaging students in a DLE? What are their issues regarding the LMS and current course designs/ delivery? What skills do they want to learn? What would help them be more successful in the current environment? What skills do they see their students needing to improve/ needing that the current program does not deliver?
Data from students- assessment of digital literacy and feedback answering questions such as: What do they struggle with in the current DLE? What do they like about the current DLE? What tools or practices would they find helpful to improve their abilities to be successful?
These questions are not exhaustive, but by collecting and assessing data and triangulating the results, the administration would be informed about what is working, what is not, and opportunities to make changes and improvements to the DLE. The results can be used to gauge when planning key success indicators that evaluate change efforts. This includes elevating the digital skills of staff and students.
A perspective that is shifting for me is how I use some of the learning analytics available to me via the LMS. I often check student activity to see if they have opened the readings that inform their assignments. I often integrate elements of the readings into the assignments (with transparency). When students struggle with those parts but have never opened the readings, I assume they have not been doing the required work, which is often the case. But what if I connected with students to discover why they have not done the readings? Are they having access issues that I am unaware of? Are there other ways I can encourage students to do the readings in my lesson design and activities rather than leaving them with self-study sections for assignments? Do they know how to use the readings as a means of research to support their studies? The shift here is from what my students are doing wrong based on data analytic activity to how I can use that data to inform my practice better and reach my students.