Models of Change and Innovation and the Implications for Faculty Development

Possible model:

Programming for faculty at all stages of change

Stage Programming
Non-Use Information on innovations. Department-based staff or liaison programs to reach faculty who do not come to/ not aware of central support unit.
Information Gathering Information on innovations. Department-based staff or liaison programs to reach faculty who do not come to/ not aware of central support unit.
Initial Use Workshops and just-in-time training focused on learning the technology itself for initial users - must address faculty need to learn the technology before faculty are ready to think about instructional implications.
Adaptation Instructional Design Support and development assistance when faculty are ready to look at innovative uses and improving instruction.
Re-evaluation

Instructional and technical assistance for major modifications in use of technology.
Assistance in conducting scholarly research on impact of innovations.
Support for faculty to attend conferences and professional development opportunities for faculty to learn more about innovations and to present their own innovations.

Programming for all personality types:

Type Programming
Innovator Support for cutting edge technological innovation.
Early Adopter Programs to overcome barriers to technology use (see below) that may have bothered innovators less.
Early Majority Early Adopter models and mentors in different disciplines.
Late Majority Early Adopter models and mentors in different disciplines. Clear information on benefits and drawbacks of innovation.
Laggard Accept that these faculty exist! It will take time (or even be impossible) to get all faculty to use an innovation.

Overcome barriers so that more faculty are able to progress beyond initial use stage by providing

    • adequate access to technology
    • well-equipped classrooms
    • release time for learning and course development
    • development assistance to save faculty time & where they lack knowledge of the development tools (i.e. multimedia production)
    • adequate technology and instructional design (i.e. vision) support.
Accept that technology is not for all faculty - must provide a relative advantage. Goals such as 'every faculty member will have a WebCT site for their courses may be unrealistic and waste resources'.

 

(c)2002
Sharon Alayne Widmayer
Instructional Designer
The George Washington University
sharon@soundsofenglish.org
MATTS 2002