Report says innovation about teaching first, tech second
The executive summary to Marie Jasinski’s research for the Flexible Learning Framework on the environment necessary to embed e-learning into mainstream practice made for an excellent read this morning and a great start to my week.
The key messages for me were:
1) Early adopters or innovators are not necessarily the best leaders when it comes to introducing new technologies into an institution. They often have a very different reasons and expectations when adopting new technology that that of the mainstream.
2) It’s about teaching and learning – not the technology. No matter how fun, bright and shiny a technology, if the mainstream can’t immediately see the benefit to their teaching practice, they aren’t going to engage with it.
3) Great technology can’t help bad teaching.
4) The RIPPLE model for implementing e-learning – resources, infrastructure, people, policies, learning, evaluation and support – encapsulates the current wisdom that to make significant change, all aspects of an institution need to be involved.
5) Learning outcomes are a key enabler of innovative e-learning practice and technology infrastructure is a key barrier.
The executive summary, full report and complementary multimedia resources are available on a new Flexible Learning Framework web site – innovate and integrate – located at http://innovateandintegrate.flexiblelearning.net.au
Thanks to Carole McCulloch for spreading the word about this in the E-learning Networks edna Group!