Time to Think... Making an Impact!

Don't you think the idea of impact is interesting?  By definition impact is a verb which is described as the act of two objects colliding or the effect that one thing or person has on another.


As educators most of us can identify with the idea of making an impact on others.  Many of us entered the profession inspired by the positive impact that teachers made on our lives and therefore we were driven altruistically to make such a positive impact on the lives others.

But, as in physics, when two bodies collide one often knocks the other off course.  How often has that happened to us recently?  How often have we been knocked off course and how much effort has it taken for us to get back on course?  How often has that happened to our students?  Some might suggest that coronavirus knocked us off course.  I'm not so sure.  

Now, to be clear, I'm not saying that a sensible and safe response to coronavirus was anything less than absolutely essential.  The number of people who have lost their lives to this virus is nothing short of a global tragedy.  Moreover, coronavirus and the response strategies of governments and educational institutions around the world has had an impact on every teacher I know.  But the asteroid that crash landed and left a crater in the middle of my life took the form of a self perpetuating functionalist illusion that life must somehow carry on as normal when it is anything but normal.


I would bet that there are other teachers, trainers and educators out there who are working until silly o'clock and even when they step away from their laptops are finding they can't switch off from the anxiety that they've somehow omitted something from their next day's to do list.  Yet under these circumstances we are expected to creatively use the resources at our disposal in order to ensure that our students reach their educational destinations within the normal timescale.

I would bet that there are students out there who find themselves in a position of trying to engage in full time education while at the same time they are unable to physically remove themselves from an environment that provides constant distractions and interruptions that simply wouldn't be present in a normal, traditional campus based setting.   Learners who have been thrown into a situation that they weren't prepared for, are having to deal with the constant pressures of keeping up with classes, workload and all the while managing life pressures and time pressures simultaneously.  It's entirely understandable why in these circumstances learner attrition rates could quickly increase.  

Amabile et al (2002) writing for the Harvard Business School highlights that this level of time pressure can have two effects:

1.  At low to moderate levels time pressures can serve to motivate staff and encourage creativity.

2.  At high levels time pressure can serve to impede creativity completely because there is simply not enough time to think clearly.

If, as I do, you subscribe to the view that we as teachers are under extremely high levels of time pressure, is it therefore also true that the impact of our institution's chosen response strategies to coronavirus has robbed/is robbing us of the time we need to think clearly?  

The work of Jordan (2015) points to the fact that time is a major consideration in the design of online learning experiences.  Interestingly there appear to me two major considerations:  time and assessment.  It points out that learner attrition rates increase the longer the online learning experience endures.  Her research recommends the modularisation of learning with better signposting of routes between modules enabling learners to truly tailor the direction and pace of their own learning journey.  But that would require major systemic change.

There is also another perspective to consider here to consider.  If the actions of educational institutions are simply reflecting the needs of society, is there a problem with how society views education?  Is it simply the case that in order to serve the economy, no matter the circumstances and wider context, educational establishments are required by society to farm out job ready graduates in a never ending functionalist conveyor belt?


I understand that, owing to the ongoing pandemic, the economy has been devastated and that in order to recover we will need to produce a workforce with 21st century skills capable of operating in an agile way alongside the new threat of covid-19.  But equally in repeating this business as usual mantra we run the risk of alienating learners and alienating experienced teachers who are working hard just to stay afloat in a sea of arguably unrealistic expectation.

References

Amabile, T. M., Mueller, J. S., Simpson, W. B, Hadley, C. N., Kraemer, S. J. and Fleming, L. (2002)  Time Pressure and Creativity in Organizations:  A Longitudinal Study [Online].  Available at: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=11879 (Accessed 29th November 2020).

Jordan, K. (2015) Massive Open Online Courses Completion Rates Revisited:  Assessment, Length and Attrition [Online].  Available at:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278302633_Massive_Open_Online_Course_Completion_Rates_Revisited_Assessment_Length_And_Attrition (Accessed 29th November 2020).  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Reflection on Metaskills

Image
Introduction Have you heard about metaskills?  This is a framework that the SQA have devised that allows us to reflect on many of the skills and qualities that we have.  It also allows us to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses highlighting what we might want to improve on.   When I reflected on this framework I realised that my self-management, social intelligence and ability to innovate didn't just magically happen overnight.  They emerged over time.  So I wanted to write this with a view to sharing my own experience and to highlight some ways that other people might consider developing their metaskills too.  So here are two things that I'd like you, the reader, to think about.   1.  Focusing on the Important Bits. As a student when I began studying maths, I really found it hard to focus.  Maths was boring and hard, and there were lots of distractions around.  I wanted to be able to go out with my friends, play some music,...
Read more

H818 Conference Presentation: Mobile Blogging - A Course for Educators

Image
Downloadable Copy of Transcription Downloadable Copy of Presentation Slides Abstract The potential of mobile technology to enhance learning and teaching practice has been recognised in various academic studies (Xiao (2020); MacCallum et al. (2017); Mohammadi et al. (2020)) and the learning opportunities afforded through the use of mobile devices are complimented by a number of learning theories including connectivism (Siemens, 2004 as cited by Manchester University, ND) and social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978 as cited by McLeod, 2019) .   In contrast however, policies on learner behaviour management coupled with issues relating to the individual and collective identities of educators have led to resistance in the adoption of mobile technology within learning and teaching practice.   Indeed removal of mobile devices is still used as a punitive action against learners where the devices themselves are deemed a classroom distraction by educators.   Yet, studies address...
Read more

Waiting

Image
Just reflecting today on time, generally, and how much of it we spend waiting.  So here's a little poem I call, "Still waiting..." Waiting with baited breath for a new opportunity. Waiting for some response to my application form. Waiting for feedback from my teacher. Waiting... tick, tick, tick.   Waiting for the next bus to arrive so I can get home. Waiting for test results to determine the step. Waiting to meet the next group of people to come through the door. Waiting... tick tick, tick. Waiting for my true love to call me. Waiting for the fairy-tale to happen. Waiting for a letter to tell me some good news instead of bad. Waiting... tick, tick, tick. Waiting patiently on my own in a Waiting room. Waiting on customers to place their orders. Waiting for the end of the day so I can go home and do it all again tomorrow. Waiting... tick, tick, tick I'm still waiting.  
Read more