Change, technology and higher education: are universities capable of organisational change?

Stephen Marshall

doi:10.1080/09687769.2010.529107

Abstract

Technology and change are so closely related that the use of the word innovation seems synonymous with technology in many contexts, including that of higher education. This paper contends that university culture and existing capability constrain such innovation and to a large extent determine the nature and extent of organisational change. In the absence of strong leadership, technologies are simply used as vehicles to enable changes that are already intended or which reinforce the current identity. These contentions are supported by evidence from e-learning benchmarking activities carried out over the past five years in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.Keywords: organisational change; e-learning maturity modelDOI: 10.1080/09687769.2010.529107

Highlights

Educational technology is a field based on change. (Surrey 2005, 933)Investment in technology systems by universities is driven by the expectation that increased use of technology will improve the quality and flexibility of learning (Bates 2001; Bush 1945; Cuban 2001; DfES 2003; Oppenheimer 2003; Ryan et al 2000)
This paper explores evidence from e-learning benchmarking activities carried out over the past five years in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand in an attempt to understand the nature of university change in response to technology
Future technological developments will probably change the nature of the student experience and possibly disrupt the university as an institution of society, making existing organisational models and pedagogies unsustainable (Hedberg 2006)

Summary

Stephen Marshall*

University Teaching Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand (Received TCaAyLloTr_aAn_d5F2r9a1n0c7is.sgm 30 January 2010; final version received 30 September 2010). Technology and change are so closely related that the use of the word innovation seems synonymous with technology in many contexts, including that of higher education. This paper contends that university culture and existing capability constrain such innovation and to a large extent determine the nature and extent of organisational change. In the absence of strong leadership, technologies are used as vehicles to enable changes that are already intended or which reinforce the current identity. These contentions are supported by evidence from e-learning benchmarking activities carried out over the past five years in universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Introduction

Organisational change as a theoretical construct

Must universities change and should change be a response to technology?

Findings

Conclusions