From the middle out

Peter BryantLondon School of Economics

@peterbryantHEhttp//www.peterbryant.org

Breaking down functional tensions and resistances between stakeholders to lead institutional change

Tensions

Affordances v ResistancesTechnologies v PedagogiesNow v FutureSystems v CloudService v Strategy

The use of technology is the exclusive privilege of the technically adept, the young or the

innovator

Technology is a ‘nice to have’, not an essential, integrated part of the

action

Learning has been and always will be the same and new technology simply enhances and builds on the successes

of the past

The blurry myths of technological change

The ‘harsh’ reality

The agility of society and learners to adapt and innovate their learning with and through technology often far outstrips the

ability of the educational institution to keep up

Existing practice and innovation

are pitted against each

other as a contest to the

death

Investment is rarely commensurate with outcome and impact

Learning, teaching and role of the learning technologist have changed

Traditionalapproachesfor change

Our experiencesTwo major projects – Greenwich Connect and Futures

• Tensions between systems support and innovation agenda

• Delivering on our previous promise of ‘solutions in a box’

• Tensions around who owns ‘pedagogy’, ‘technology’ and ‘learning’

• Get the current stuff right before you start ‘playing’ (Boys/Girls with toys problem)

• Shifting the pioneers to the business as usual

FROMthe

MIDDLEOUT

The learning technologist in middle out

RENEWALINNOVATION

ASPIRATIONTRANSFORMATION

VISUAL INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

RENEWALAssessment diversity Employability skills INNOVATIONFunded pilot with staffing, quality semi-pro equipment, designed resources on storytelling and filmmaking, producing videos by 15 studentsASPIRATIONReused resources, repeated project for 30 studentsTRANSFORMATIONAll 1st year IR students to do VIP (300 students)Development of ‘media for social science course’