Policy-Driven v. Crisis-Driven Decision-Making

Sustainable Development in Educational Technology

Presented by Elson Liu2003 Educational Technology Coordinators Conference

Western Michigan University

http://www.geocities.com/liuelson/Education.html

Problems…..….....QuestionsCrisis-drivendecision-making

Policy-drivendecision-making

2.Implementation3.Firefighting

4.Lack of resources5.Complexity

1.Technological change 1.What do we adopt? When?2.How do we make it work?3.How do we make it reliable?4.How do we make it last?5.How does it all fit

together?

QuestionPolicy-driven decision-making

1. What technology do we adopt? When?2. How do we make it work?3. How do we make it reliable?4. How do we make it last?5. How does it all fit together?

Technology Adoption: Individual

U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, “Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection,” OTA-EHR-616. U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1995, p. 133.

Technology Adoption: Aggregate

University of Georgia, “Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory” web-based learning module available from http://www.arches.uga.edu/~bhummel/6200Project/diffusion_of_Innovations.html.

Adoption: Sustainable Development

1. With a large relevant market2. After they take off in the market3. That have established industry

standards4. Where multiple vendors compete on

price5. That exhibit rapidly increasing growth

Adopt technologies:

QuestionPolicy-driven decision-making

1. What technology do we adopt? When?

2. How do we make it work?3. How do we make it reliable?4. How do we make it last?5. How does it all fit together?

Adapted from Cuban, L. Teachers and Machines: The Classroom Use of Technology Since 1920. Teachers College Press, 1986, pp. 5-6.

Implementation: Simple Process

Implementation: Complex Process

Zaltman, G., Duncan, R., and Holbeck, J. Innovations and Organizations. Robert E. Krieger Publishing Company, 1984.

Implementation: Factors“Well-known” issues:

1. Professional development2. Bandwagon effect3. Initial Cost

“Less frequently mentioned” issues:1. Relative advantage, reversibility, divisibility,

terminality, gatekeeping, operating costs2. Impact on role of teachers, compatibility,

leadership, politics

Pindyck, R. and Rubinfeld, D. Microeconomics, Third Edition. Prentice Hall, 1995, p. 577.

Accept trade-offs: possibilities frontierSpread resources across multiple strategiesCyclical implementationExpand the entire possibilities frontier

Implementation: Sustainable Development

QuestionPolicy-driven decision-making

1. What technology do we adopt? When?

2. How do we make it work?3. How do we make it reliable?4. How do we make it last?5. How does it all fit together?

Reliability: Analytical MethodsRisk assessment: Performance as a range of probabilitiesFailure analysis: Root causesFault tolerance: Single points of failureGraceful failure: Slow degradation

Adapted from Kalinsky, D. “Design Patterns for High Availability,” Embedded.com. http://www.embedded.com/story/OEG20020729S0030. July 2002; and other sources.

Reliability: Risk Profile

Reliability: Sustainable DevelopmentPerformance: range of probabilitiesFixing: root causesPrevention: both technical and humanTrade-off: performance v. redundancyEliminate: single points of failureFailure analysis: non-catastrophic faults

QuestionPolicy-driven decision-making

1. What technology do we adopt? When?

2. How do we implement it?3. How do we make it reliable?4. How do we make it last?5. How does it all fit together?

Educational Technology: Public Good

Economics of public goods:“Nonrival” and “nonexclusive”

Free ridersMarket externalityTragedy of the commons

Public Goods: Sustainable Development

Develop policies to limit consumptionPlan for depletionDeploy based on operating costsAccept responsibility: regulationAllocate resources: marketization

QuestionPolicy-driven decision-making

1. What technology do we adopt? When?

2. How do we implement it?3. How do we make it reliable?4. How do we make it last?5. How does it all fit together?

Sustainable Development“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Balance short term v. long termTrade-off growth v. preservationFocus on needs, prioritize equity“What is sustainable for everyone?”

Policy-Driven v. Crisis-Driven Decision-Making

Sustainable Development in Educational Technology

Presented by Elson Liu2003 Educational Technology Coordinators Conference

Western Michigan University

http://www.geocities.com/liuelson/Education.html