Ideating Effective Dx Institutional Mapping and What Falls Short

Alexandra Salas, Vice President for Digital Learning & Innovation at Neumann University

Online learning, a saving grace during the pandemic, perseveres as leverage for campuses nationwide. While research has focused on examining challenges facing e-learning, there has been less attention afforded to the organizational systems that support it, despite a need to survey how online can most effectively be engaged as it is intrinsic to the future of education. Done well, holistic adoption and strategic partnerships could help to neutralize disruptive perspectives about the value of education compounded by precipitous enrollment declines, pandemic aftershocks scrutinizing technology preparedness, business processes, and budgetary realities no longer offset by the $76.2 billion in federal emergency funding that filled financial gaps.

 While the pandemic was a time when institutions launched or increased investment in online education, provisioned in some cases with the support of federal monies, once the scare of COVID subsided, inclinations to return to the way things were have come at a cost. Nevertheless, those successful have optimized resources and developed ecosystems and processes to buttress this learning modality. Joshua M. Gaul, associate vice president & chief digital learning officer at Edge, notes the importance of “a collegewide online learning strategy that defines the standards and processes, as well as assigning accountability and expectations. Online learning is a serious business that can be a lifeline for a struggling institution. But it can't be spun up on a whim. It needs planning and support from all areas. Whatever organizational structure a school decides, it needs policies and procedures in place to drive the management of it.”

What organization structure best supports digital transformation (Dx) taking place in higher education is a recurring and critical question. ‘Keeping up with Dx helps higher education institutions operate effectively, stay competitive in an increasingly digital world, and prepare learners for the digital workplace.’ Organization refers to physical location as well as leadership and reporting structures that are ideally suited to advance online learning albeit, an extension, a separate virtual campus or division, an integrated campus, plus policies and procedures outlining expectations and supports.

"The call to action for the future of education of which online is very much a part demands for alignment between organizational change and institutional objectives"

Shuffling business units or paying lip service to change only delays the dismal outcome that has resulted in mergers and closures. A recent article about ‘Cultivating Institutional Agility’ published in EDUCAUSE noted:

“It's increasingly clear that a weakness in our university culture is in our ability to move from idea to implementation... Operational units like IT and facilities may need to take the lead in demonstrating how to get stuff done so that we can stop complaining about the old 'hard to turn a giant ship' metaphor."

According to Jason Drydale, senior director of instructional design and program development at the University of Colorado System's Office of Digital Education (2021) who published ‘A multi-case study of instructional design teams’  online learning the official journal of the Online Learning Consortium (OLC):

“Where designers are situated within an organizational structure can enhance or inhibit their ability to lead online learning initiatives and build influence with faculty and administrators.

Valary Olenik, president-elect of the United States Distance Learning Association, and speaker and gamification consultant, shares a story with a moral higher-ed should contemplate:

I used to work in a skyscraper that had flexible steel cables that ran vertically through the building... The structure was made stable by building in flexibility that allowed for necessary movement...[In] higher education the rigid reporting structures that have been in place for decades are coming under increasing strain from the rapid changes in demographics, technology, and culture. Those that have adopted more flexibility through redesign and more dotted line connections...seem to be on the best path to helping students...without buy-in from all stakeholders, everyone will retreat to their area of immediate control which prevents change and can lead to structural failure.

The call to action for the future of education of which online is very much a part demands for alignment between organizational change and institutional objectives. To the contrary, the gears of progress will grind and contribute to the painstaking confusion of undoing and redoing without advancement. Transition from the comfort of the familiar is not easy and requires a genuine firmness of purpose and commitment to do. Without it nothing moves forward. With it, the possibilities are possible.

Financial

Gamification

Digital Transformation