“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler
Many tell Alvin Toffler is an amazing forecaster and that all he has predicted is has happened. He dedicated a great deal of his work in depicting our fundamental systems connectedness - economy, politics, religion, culture. From this linkage analysis he then predicted, out of many, the:
“ acceleration of daily life, the decline of the nuclear family, the spread of loneliness and rise of religion, the Tofflers decades ago also anticipated cloning, virtual reality, niche markets, information overload, work-at-home, product customization, the “de-massification” of the mass media, the threat of terrorism and many other features of contemporary life”. Source: http://www.alvintoffler.net/?fa=bios
Now I would like to draw a convergence point between Toffler’s philosophy and a reality picture of why distance learning is still stumbling in growth. At crossing the decade anniversary line, many higher education institutions are re-analyzing their distance learning strategy for many reasons – web2.0, portability, technology rapid advancement and others.
One of the main reasons why distance learning is not yet in a growth slope is faculty resistance – represented mostly by low adoption. Despite many see WHY as a leading question of this recurrent fact, I’ve searched some sharings and testimonials on HOW higher ed institutions are tackling this resistance.
Robert G. Knipe (Campus Technology) – “Faculty position announcements state up front that experience with distance learning technologies is preferred. the adoption of technology for teaching and learning is among the criteria for promotion, every credit course section is automatically given a course shell in the course management system. Faculty don’t have to request the course shell, New full-time faculty are given a one-course release from their standard five-course teaching load their first semester to participate in a unique and free Instructional Design course. Favorite training opportunity is a summer Blackboard “boot camp.” Although faculty are not paid to attend, many come back year after year. The week-long boot camp consists of full day sessions which focus on various aspects of the course management system.Over the course of a week, time is given to exploring Blackboard tools available. Not only are the technical “how to” points covered, but time is spent on discussing “why/why not put courses online.” veteran faculty share their stories of successes and failures: what worked and what didn’t.”Need-based diffusion strategies (V.H. Carr Jr.) - Need for recognition and process involvement, Need for vertical support structure to overcome technophobia, Need for well-defined purpose or reason, Need for ease of use and low risk of failure, Need for institutional/administrative advocacy and commitment, Meeting these needs is an essential part of any successful diffusion strategy. First-time success, On-going peer support, Real task activities, Ownership and identity on the Internet, Variety of incentives.
Factors influencing faculty adoption of distance learning - Time for online teaching and/or development, rewards and incentives for online teaching, leadership to drive the online teaching initiative, resources (money and technology), knowledge (tech skills).
Factors impeding faculty adoption of distance learning(Wittman) – The following factors are presented in this paper as faculty-centered issues factors impeding faculty adoption of distance learning. Leading the pole position is (1) Control of Curriculum; (2) secondly is Level of Administrative Support, (3) third comes Institution Reward System, (4) Annual Performance Review, and (5) fifth is Promotion and Tenure.
Conceptual Framework for Faculty Adoption and Sustained use of Instructional technology in Traditional Classroom - Faculty Beliefs and Attitudes perceived Ease of Use, perceived Usefulness, Feel Supported, Feel Valued, relative advantage, Compatibility, Image, Performance Impact. Faculty support(by rewards, incentives and professional development), Organizational support (Administration Culture, Mission Statements, Budgetary Control, Resources / Infrastructure, Intellectual Property Policies Clearly Defined)
Recommendation for Institutions (Pamela Nicolle) page 125/134- Community of P ractice – 1. Brown-Bag seminars focused upon sharing technology tips and practices; proven to be effective within classes. 2. Informal departmental meetings at specified times for sharing of information. 3. Informal lunch meetings as a come and go event for discussions on teaching practices. 4. Departmental support in the recognition of faculty who are willing to share information and knowledge concerning teaching with technology.
