Questions to consider

Now it's time to consider some key questions based on what we've covered in this lesson.  We've asked these in earlier pages and this is just a reminder. Please answer these in your own personal learning journal.

1. Do you have management responsibility in your current role? If so, what categories of staff do you have responsibility for? Does it include administrative and professional colleagues as well as academics?  

How comfortable are you with the relational aspects of leading a team? Is this something that you feel comes naturally, or does it cause some degree of stress? Have you had previous experience of managing or leading a team?

What kinds of leadership have you experienced in the past, i.e. from those who were your managers or department heads?

2. Who is responsible for deciding which key technologies your institution purchases and provides? Is it an individual, or is there a committee or other group?  If you are not sure, it is worthwhile finding out.

  • Are decisions on major systems (e.g. the LMS/VLE, campus-wide general productivity software (eg MS365, Google Workspace) undertaken through consultation? Who is consulted, and in particular are students also included? 
  • How frequently are such systems reviewed or replaced?
  • What factors are taken into consideration when making such decisions (financial, pedagogic, interoperability, support...)? If you don't know, which do you think should be considered and what would be your priority?
  • What scope do you have to make purchasing decisions regarding any software or digital resources which are specific to your own discipline? Is there an adequate budget for these and is there technical support provided centrally or locally?

3. Does your institution have a specific 'Digital Strategy' or is it clear where aspects relating to technologies and digital resources feature in other strategies, such as that for teaching and learning?

4. Read the Value Compass document (it is brief!) and write your reflections on it, both regarding the value in having such a statement, and whether it had given you any ideas about your own role and how you and your team might consider how to engage with technologies in the future.

Are you aware of any similar framework in your own country or institution? To what extent are your institutional strategies underpinned by clear values rather than being focused on operational matters only?

One of the outputs from the Value Compass work was the development of a gameLinks to an external site. designed to promote discussion and debate. Do you think that something like this could be useful to you in supporting the development of your team's engagement with digital teaching issues? Or could you see it being useful in consultations with your students (see the example on ChatGPT detection tools and student workLinks to an external site.)? 

5. Do you think running a workshop like the one described would be feasible in your department/unit/team?  

What particular considerations would you have to take into account for your team and context?

Can you see other ways in which you might be able to gather this kind of information from your own team?

Do you, personally, have experience of running this type of workshop? Would you feel comfortable doing so, or would you prefer an 'outside' facilitator?

6. Can you think of appropriate partners with whom you could engage to help with the up-skilling of your team in the different areas of DigCompEdu?

What potential activity, workshop, or other approach to CPD do you think would be useful with your team?

Try and use the CUTE Canvas to plan out an activity, or small scale development project - if you haven't yet got firm ideas, just try an example based around running a training session on Area 6 of DigCompEdu.