Page 154 - Innovative Professional Development Methods and Strategies for STEM Education

Introducing Educational Technology into the Higher Education Environment

the programme can add value to other higher education institutions who grapple with staff development
challenges when introducing new educational technologies. The professional development framework
described in this chapter, relies on a number of critical components to ensure success.
At first, the buy in and support of the university’s top and middle management structures is essential.
Whilst the programme is unlikely to be successful without the support of the Dean and Deputy Deans of
a Faculty, it is essential to also ensure that the Heads of Departments and Section Heads are on board.
Secondly the identification of the right Partners is of the utmost importance. Not only should Partners
be foreward-thinking, passionate about teaching, and enthusiastic about participating in the programme,
but the modules that they develop should also be selected based on their strategic importance in the
Faculty. Selection of the modules should explicitely consider existing challenges, for example large
classes or low success rates.
Thirdly, the programme should make provision for the full range of supporting resources, fulfilling
hardware, software and connectivity needs. During the development phase, Partners must have access
to high end computing equipment, preferably in the form of mobile technology, to ensure that they can
work any time and anywhere. All the required software programs that may benefit the development of
the module, should be licenced and available on such a mobile device. Furthermore, 24/7 access to a
stable and fast Internet connection is a minimum requirement.
During the implementation phase, lecture halls and other spaces where staff have face-to-face contact
with their students should be equiped to handle the modality in which the module is presented. For ex-
ample, data projectors, sound systems and computer laboratories should be available when required, and
should be well supported by trained technical staff. Students should also have access to all the required
technologies, albeit in or outside of class, in residences, in computer laboratories, and/or in the library.
Fourthly, since academics are typically torn between their teaching, research and community service
as competing key performance areas, time constraints for development work are often a concern. The
successful introduction of any new educational technology however, relies heavily on staff having the
time to develop their teaching and learning materials thoroughly. As such, the framework discussed
above, allows for ‘teaching sabbaticals’ where a staff member gets dedicated time off for the purpose of
developing their technology-enhanced module.
The fifth important component of the framework is empowerment. In order for staff to fully embrace
the enhancements that adding educational technologies bring to a module, they need to be empowered.
This component of the programme could include workshops and seminars, but also encourages peer
teaching. Each of the Partners comes with a unique set of expertise and effort should be put into getting
these Partners to share their knowledge and skills, and to teach the others in the group. Empowerment
should also overtly focus on educational theory, sound instructional design principles and teaching with
technology.
Without support a programme such as the Partners@Work would not be successful. As mentioned
above, management backing is essential, however, provision should also be made for significant IT and
logistical support as well as instructional design support. If the research component is included, additional
reseach support is also required, especially in the case of novice researchers.

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