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I believe for an administrator to ensure a successful technology integration at a program level, teacher collaboration and training should be two primary focuses. Teacher collaboration should be part of the process before deciding and moving forward with the new technology. While the administrator holds the power to make the decision, the teachers will be the primary users and should be consulted. Making a unilateral decision that affects everyone often diminishes trust and the teamwork and commitment that could be built from a more collaborative approach. In a collaborative approach, “key stakeholders must be involved at all levels in the process” (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013, p.163). When people don’t feel they had a voice in the decision or a seat at the table, responses can include actively challenging or passively ignoring the new initiative (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013). Our program suffers at times from a disconnect between our director and our professors. Her unilateral decisions sometimes do not make sense to the faculty and create frustration and discord. However, when topics are discussed in staff meetings, even when non-unanimous decisions are reached, more acceptance is still present because they were a part of the process, and all the voices were heard. I have seen that it makes a difference moving forward in morale and attitude toward whatever was decided.
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The second critical administrator take-on is providing technology training, which must continue during and after the technology integration. Within the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), training falls under Facilitating Conditions, one of the “four core determinants of intention and usage” (Venkatesh et al., 2003, p. 425). Facilitating conditions are “defined as the degree to which an individual believes that an organizational and technical infrastructure exists to support use of the system” (Venkatesh et al., 2003, p.453). The results from research with UTAUT show that facilitating conditions influence technology use (Venkatesh et al., 2012; Venkatesh et al., 2016), specifically that “the effect of facilitating conditions on behavioral intention is more pronounced for older women. This particular group of consumers views availability of resources, knowledge, and support as essential to acceptance of a new technology” (Venkatesh et al., 2012, p. 172). So, this may not be as important to everyone, but it is to me and the other female digital immigrants I work with.
Are these administration take-ons some of the most important to you?
SOURCES:
Caffarella, R. S., & Daffron, S. R. (2013). Planning programs for adult learners: A practical guide. Jossey-Bass.
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer Acceptance and Use of Information Technology: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J., & Xu, X. (2016). Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology: A synthesis and the road ahead. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 17(5), 328-376. https://er.lib.k-state.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/unified-theory-acceptance-use-technology/docview/1794948207/se-2?accountid=11789
