Edited by Jonathan Turner, Monday, 17 Mar 2014, 09:41
Innovation in your context Activity 6
On the basis of your own experience:
◦Do you sense that your innovations (as supporters of learning) have been valued, encouraged, supported?
◦What evidence do you have to support your view?
After the last course I completed H808 which focused on eportfolios. After completing the course I rolled out an eportfolio project for my college. The eportfolio project was a college strategic priority from up above so I was expecting support, in fact this was kind of why I jumped on the chance to put into action what I’d learned in H808.
I did get institutional support from the college director, in fact I was given time release to train other teachers in eportfolio use and then later on students. I also got support from the Ed Tech department and with my input on pedagogy and their technical know-how we made an iTunes course on how to set up the eportfolios in question.
BUT there was a disconnect between espoused institutional support and on the ground results:
Many colleagues saw the initiative as a flavor-of-the-month deal and never tried to implement beyond the exigencies of the project
It was my first experience rolling out this type of project and it was flawed
Ss failed to see value in the eportfolios, especially given that one of the central tenants of eportfolios, reflection, is absent from their own learning cultures
So the upshot is that at an institutional level the eportfolio roll was seen as a success, we produced a product (an eportfolio course) and Ss set up portfolios, I was able to present the project to colleagues around the country and my own professional profile was raised, BUT there seemed to be a lack of deep level engagement that has left me dissatisfied with the project.
From the perspective of your context:
◦How widespread is innovation in your organisation?
My institution thrives on innovation. We are constantly changing at a rate unimaginable in most other contexts. Here in the UAE everything has to be bigger, better and shinier than before and education is no different. But like the famous desert mirage most of the innovation seem to disappear when you get up close to them. We are big on bells and whistles and spend millions on them, but the underlying Cartesian knowledge transmission model of education is still king. Of course this is a rather cynical view and over time there may be evidence of change to better reflect my institution’s motto of “Learning by Doing”, but the way that innovation is introduced and then dropped only to be replaced by the latest thing often seems to the effect of pedagogy being overlooked because we are all so busy learning the APP of the month!
◦Are there policies or statements that relate to innovation? If yes, how are they implemented?
Innovation is reflected in a number of ways:
First an institution wide prize and the most prestigious of its kind, the Nikai Award for innovation.
Next the institution has combined innovation with research and has produced institutional guidelines for its strategy. This 22 page document talks about research AND innovation and how it should be approached across the institution.
Innovation appears on the first page of the institutions flagship Strategic Plan - “Innovation, research and science and technology will form the pillars of a knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy”
The institution has 6 “primary strategic directions” and number 5 is “Encourage innovative initiatives” in the direction itself innovation is mentioned twice “Elevate attention to innovation, creativity, and technology transfer” and “Become the hub for innovative activities within local communities”.
However what’s not clear is how these strategies are implemented. J
◦What implications, if any, does this have for your attitude towards innovation?
I already know that my employer loves innovation, but I also know that innovations usually don’t last so I see it is a chance to come up with and implement short term projects for the experience and then get ready to move onto the next initiative as it arises. I often acquire funding or at least managerial support for this, but I’m not always convinced of the long term effect on students' learning.
Week 2 Activity 6 Innovation in my context
Innovation in your context Activity 6
On the basis of your own experience:
◦Do you sense that your innovations (as supporters of learning) have been valued, encouraged, supported?
◦What evidence do you have to support your view?
After the last course I completed H808 which focused on eportfolios. After completing the course I rolled out an eportfolio project for my college. The eportfolio project was a college strategic priority from up above so I was expecting support, in fact this was kind of why I jumped on the chance to put into action what I’d learned in H808.
I did get institutional support from the college director, in fact I was given time release to train other teachers in eportfolio use and then later on students. I also got support from the Ed Tech department and with my input on pedagogy and their technical know-how we made an iTunes course on how to set up the eportfolios in question.
BUT there was a disconnect between espoused institutional support and on the ground results:
So the upshot is that at an institutional level the eportfolio roll was seen as a success, we produced a product (an eportfolio course) and Ss set up portfolios, I was able to present the project to colleagues around the country and my own professional profile was raised, BUT there seemed to be a lack of deep level engagement that has left me dissatisfied with the project.
From the perspective of your context:
◦How widespread is innovation in your organisation?
My institution thrives on innovation. We are constantly changing at a rate unimaginable in most other contexts. Here in the UAE everything has to be bigger, better and shinier than before and education is no different. But like the famous desert mirage most of the innovation seem to disappear when you get up close to them. We are big on bells and whistles and spend millions on them, but the underlying Cartesian knowledge transmission model of education is still king. Of course this is a rather cynical view and over time there may be evidence of change to better reflect my institution’s motto of “Learning by Doing”, but the way that innovation is introduced and then dropped only to be replaced by the latest thing often seems to the effect of pedagogy being overlooked because we are all so busy learning the APP of the month!
◦Are there policies or statements that relate to innovation? If yes, how are they implemented?
Innovation is reflected in a number of ways:
First an institution wide prize and the most prestigious of its kind, the Nikai Award for innovation.
Next the institution has combined innovation with research and has produced institutional guidelines for its strategy. This 22 page document talks about research AND innovation and how it should be approached across the institution.
Innovation appears on the first page of the institutions flagship Strategic Plan - “Innovation, research and science and technology will form the pillars of a knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy”
The institution has 6 “primary strategic directions” and number 5 is “Encourage innovative initiatives” in the direction itself innovation is mentioned twice “Elevate attention to innovation, creativity, and technology transfer” and “Become the hub for innovative activities within local communities”.
However what’s not clear is how these strategies are implemented. J
◦What implications, if any, does this have for your attitude towards innovation?
I already know that my employer loves innovation, but I also know that innovations usually don’t last so I see it is a chance to come up with and implement short term projects for the experience and then get ready to move onto the next initiative as it arises. I often acquire funding or at least managerial support for this, but I’m not always convinced of the long term effect on students' learning.