Digital Transformation Principles Driving Journeys toward Educational Resilience

Abstract

The implementation, support, and ultimate success of digitally-informed innovations to teaching and learning practices requires focused intentionality whose approach is grounded in academic rigour, practical experience and organizational maturity. The success of technology-supported innovation in higher-education teaching and learning practices, driven by external factors like COVID and the resultant economic challenges, will be explored in relation to teaching faculty and administrative leaders developing and maintaining positive motivation towards change including addressing major organizational challenges. // Innovation, Change and Transformation // As Senior Instructor Emeritus, Ron Murch has more than 45 years of experience with the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. Ron maintains that digital transformation requires faculty members to adopt the requisite innovations in practice and technologies as imagined by the Technology Acceptance Model and expanded upon by two key principles - each new practice or technology must have recognizable and positive value for the individual who is changing; and it cannot be too difficult for the adopter to work with. // Guiding Principles // Dr. Peter Chatterton is a Chartered Physicist and digital innovator. He worked in roles such as critical friend, evaluator and change management consultant with the UK Government’s multi-million £s HEI digital innovation and transformation programmes during 2000-2020. From this experience, Peter asserts that HEIs can be both creative and effective at digital innovation. However, scaling-up and embedding such innovations to build long-term resilience and effect digital transformation across the institution invariably faces numerous challenges. These are explored through the lens of seven key guiding principles for digitally transforming learning programmes for open and flexible learning. // Commitment and Motivation // Michael Barr is Chief Information Officer at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary, Alberta, and a doctoral student in higher education management at the University of Bath, UK. Building on a theory of behavior in organizations, Michael explores the motivation process and its impact on the construction of strategic plans and the organization’s ability to deliver successful outcomes. He draws upon 28 years’ of IT practitioner experience to ground his scholarly work with practical advice and considerations for undertaking digital transformation of teaching and learning practices.