Module 5:

I would challenge the assumption “ that people have positive attitudes toward experimenting with new technologies in the workplace...”  In reality, especially in the higher education setting, most faculty are prepared as experts in their discipline with little or no training in education or technology.  Consequently many university professor teach the way they were taught.  Therefore experimenting with new technology is outside more professor’s comfort zone and thereby come with risk and the potential for failure.  This may change over time, as younger individual who studied in technology rich environments join the ranks of the university professoriate.  The other factor that is a barrier to experimenting with new technologies is the high priority placed on research and scholarship at some universities.  The ARCS model is focused at attracting attention and motivating individuals to learn something and is a useful model for leading change or introducing new technologies among a group of potential resisters. 

In 2002 I was asked to lead our college transition to online teaching.  Initially a number of faculty were interested because of the perception this would take less time.  Initially faculty simple uploaded existing content from their classroom version of the course.  Needless to say this was not highly effective for student learning.  However, it was also clear, that faculty who believe they are good teachers were not ready to be “taught how to teach online”.  So I used my own teaching sites as a model and followed the ARCS model for motivation.  I share these course sites which got the attention of a group of faculty. Then I worked with individual or small groups to help them make some of the thing I had created relevant to the subject matter they were teaching.  Because the faculty was using their subject matter expertise and designing something new with the technology, they developed confidence in their own abilities.  As students provided positive feedback a sense of satisfaction was experiences.  These initial innovators then shared their new found technology knowledge with other (a sign of their confidence and satisfaction) and thereby attract their attention and stimulated their motivation to experiment with new technologies.

References:

Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ARCS model of motivational design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2 – 10.

Moller, L. and Russell, J. D. (1994), An Application of the ARCS Model Design Process and Confidence-Building Strategies. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 7: 54–69. doi: 10.1111/j.1937-8327.1994.tb00650.x

The Principal’s partnership.  Available at:  http://www.principalspartnership.com/motivation.pdf