1	What is the web address of Perdition? Scott E. Siddall Denison University
2	Where are we headed with technology in higher education? Might technology lead to eternal damnation and loss of our academic soul? This is not about technology It is about people, managing risks and change, and academic values Technology continues to change our society “Change alone is unchanging.” Heraclitus
3	Personal reactions to change Change from within can be positive (motivation) Change from without can be resisted (pressure) Reaction to the will of others? Challenges our identity, comfort, beliefs - James O’Toole, Leading Change “Change means movement. Movement means friction." Saul Alinsky
4	“The change agent is running out of gas” Unflinching pursuit of a tradition can be as risky as something unknown “I don't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." John Cage
5	The irony of academic change Change the lives of our students Perceived as resisting change as institutions, individuals “Changing a college is like moving a cemetery” paraphrased after Mark Twain
6	The academy is about…. Scholarship, creativity, intellectual and social growth Learning from differences Discovery, creation, synthesis and distribution of information Tradition and change
7	A balancing act To maintain our traditions AND To embrace change in discovery and understanding outcomes for our students
8	Then along comes technology And our traditional processes seem threatened But are they? “Change strengthens tradition. Change is a challenge and an opportunity; not a threat.” Prince Phillip of England Why? Because our traditions are defined by our VALUES not our processes We are the guardians of our institutional values
9	Drivers of change besides irresistible technology Increasing competition for students, faculty Meeting needs with limited (declining) budgets Growing expectations - students, parents, others High costs of information, technology and expertise New student demographics, styles of learning Increased competition from alternative providers
10	Higher education in 2050
11	Accelerating change Driven by new patterns of information use, distribution Networks break down barriers Positive feedback loop in technological development Steady change has given way to accelerating change “It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.” Isaac Asimov
12	More changes to come? Learning takes place many places and times Learning is not an isolated process Students teach, faculty learn One-approach-fits-all assumptions are out Basis of classroom authority is changing Lectures will endure in new formats but not dominate
13	Perhaps the most profound quote in the rhetoric of change “Your mouse has moved. Please restart Windows for the change to take effect.” Anonymous
14	But should we use technology? Enhances information access Increases student motivation, engagement Accommodates different ways of learning, knowing Creates partnerships, opportunities to collaborate Changes content through visualization, simulation Promotes a new “balance of power” in classroom Encourages new methods of assessment Improves communication skills Greater opportunities for complex, interdisciplinary study
15	Do we have time to use technology? Technology = more of my time Technology = risky Does my institution value my experiments even if they produce negative results? Where is the gain? Where is the assessment?
16	What were the issues of the past 20 years? Word processors replaced typewriters E-mail replaced letters then phone calls LCD projectors are replacing overheads and TVs Web browsing is replacing visits to the library Productivity processes ≠ teaching, learning
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18	Digital incunabula Inventors create technology solutions Innovators discover ways to use them Solutions with no known problem Incomplete technology solutions Public beta testing Brittle software Designed for marketing
19	Benchmarking St. Lawrence’s Efforts Faculty development programs Support for technology projects Events: symposia, workshops, summer institutes – getting the word out Library initiatives: GIS LTAs: low-tech applications New initiatives: visual literacy, Arts Technology Center
20	The Challenge Look out a decade, beyond video clips, web projects, PowerPoint presentations Your class of 2013 is already in 7^th grade Sustain your leadership with strategic planning for technology Listen to your early adopters Explore low (and high) technology applications Collaborate on campus and beyond Ensure that technology planning “We will manage change by creating more change.” Peter Drucker
21	So what is the web address of Perdition? http://www.statusquo.edu We must explore, take risks, fail, learn from failures and model the behaviors our students need. We must commit the resources needed to sustain and enhance the characteristics of our institutions that we value most.
22	"Return to home" Return to home