Information communication technology and the management of change in two educational institutions
Successive governments for decades have extolled the power of education in providing the answer to national problems. Recently published government reports (DfEE, 1998; DfEE, 1999a; DfEE, 2000a) suggest that through Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE), educational success for more and different types of students can be achieved, at no additional cost, through the deployment of new technologies in learning and teaching. This research explored issues of change as two educational institutions responded to the Leaming Age agenda (DfEE, 1998) which clearly articulates a role for FE and HE in providing and creating a culture of attracting more students from groups whowould not traditionally have thought about continuing their education. Both sectors have been charged with providing more flexible learning opportunities to create the culture change. Two educational institutions were used in this research, one from the FE sector, and the ·other from Higher Education. The cases for study were selected on the basis of their apparent similarities particularly in relation to the use oflnformation Communication Technology (ICT) to support the structural delivery of educational provision. In the Further Education College, change was instigated through a top dawn structural process that led to the introduction of a Resource Based Leaming Centre. In the Higher Education Institution (HEI) change was driven by a bottom up strategy focusing on pedagogic issues. Interviews with staff at various levels of seniority and analysis of student participation through technological means coupled with the analysis of responses to a student questionnaire, enabled an evaluation of each approach. These evaluations coupled with a consideration of government policy were evaluated within a Marxist reductionist approach using correspondence theory (Bowles and Gintis, 1967:23) and concepts of cultural hegemony (Gramsci, 1981:34). Additional support was drawn from management theorists who write convincingly about 'chaos theory' in relation to recent organisational change (Fullan, 1999; Lewin, 1993; McNay, 1995). This research revealed that neither of the approaches to introducing change as adopted in the chosen institutions was without problems. In both cases managers and lecturers seemed unable to communicate effectively or agree the parameters of change. The use ofICT to support pedagogy was not understood nor had changes in learning and teaching been thoroughly articulated during the planning stages. Issues of communication and understanding became central as the research developed, with linguistic ambiguity apparent in relation to the use ofICT to support national policy. Recommendations arising from the research focus on the need for a clearer articulation of terminology associated with change management issues involving ICT so that issues of pedagogy and structure can be given equal import in institutional change management. It is also suggested that approaches to leadership which put considerations of teaching and learning in a central position in school management training, be adopted in the university and college sectors.
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