Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Given the dynamic nature of ICT, planning for the future needs to be approached with a high degree of flexibility. Digital leadership is much more than resource acquisition and management. The new opportunities and chances of digital learning have great significance for the future of our information and learning society. To be an effective leader one needs to look within and beyond their organisations to determine the right direction for action. Digital leadership capability extends beyond operational excellence; it requires and appreciation of the external environment including policy developments and their impact of the organisation.

The lack of conceptual clarity about digital leadership can lead to misdiagnoses of organisational problems, the development of inappropriate solutions to these problems, and the waste of organisational resources. Digital technology necessitates a global viewpoint, and it is important that global, national, state and territory, and local perspectives are all brought into focus, in ever shifting balances, in the ongoing development of policy for ICT in education and training.It is assumed that those undertaking the unit will be interested in, and have some experience of, innovation and change.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide you as, digital and aspiring educational leaders, with a deeper appreciation of the nature of digital technologies as they relate to educational change from a strategic perspective. Particular emphasis is placed on digital leadership by examining both the strategic and operational dimensions of leadership and management in institutions for learning.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. apply theoretical constructs underpinning effective digital leadership and management strategies. GC: A, B

2. critically analyse the thought process that goes into developing strategy and leading strategic change. GC: B, C

3. apply strategic principles for innovative leadership that exploit the opportunities made available through the use of digital technologies in teaching, learning and administration, in connection with the structural, human, political, and cultural issues underpinning the development of digital learning environments. GC: B, D, E

4. critically reflect upon their own and others' knowledge and experience of leading and managing emerging technologies to identify effective leadership and /or management strategies. GC: B, F, G

Content

This unit will cover the following topics:

1. Policy review: local, national and global
A critical review of policy reports in order to distil and synthesise the key strategic directions for ICT and policy suggestions including e-education policies emerging from recent analysis and debate and learning from international comparisons.

2. Strategic planning for innovation and change in educational organisations
Constructively develop and debate policy options with a focus on the concept of strategic management. Other topics include strategic management perspectives, managing strategically and strategic planning, the culture of innovation, critical elements of successful digital leadership in change efforts, implementing whole-of-community strategies directed at cultural change and maximising interaction between formal and informal learning contexts, and innovation in new forms of partnership.

3. Digital leadership research
Contemporary issues (international, national and local) and theoretical developments in policy and governance for digital technologies in a variety of sectors. Topics include recent trends in leadership theory and practice, particularly as these apply in a variety of policy contexts, educational and non-educational settings, and the demands confronting digital leaders in initiating and steering innovation and change. Particular focus will be given to developing a framework for understanding and enhancing digital leadership, and indicators of successful digital leadership.

4. Digital learning possibilities and major challenges
Building capacity to take account of digital technology possibilities, evaluate and deploy appropriate technologies to create new learning possibilities and improve access to learning. Topics may include: relationship between innovation, policymaking and practice, diffusion of innovation and sustainability, deconstructing learning, lifelong learning, pedagogical vision and experience to lead, leveraging the potential of digital technologies, the change agent and consequences of innovation, and case examples of innovation in education.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

You will commence an action learning cycle that will establish a framework for your professional growth and learning in this unit and beyond. Using an inquiry-based learning approach, you will analyse and critique your digital leadership practices. Readings and online collaborative work will encourage collaborative and reflexive critique of the issues and contexts relevant to digital leadership in a real world context. You will also search for and synthesise current literature relating to digital leadership trends and issues in your field/discipline and apply this to your area of work.

Your engagement in an action learning cycle will be scaffolded through a series of work-in-progress stages that will incorporate peer formative feedback. Each stage of the assessment will feed into the next stage. Where possible, students' own experiences and expertise are drawn upon as starting points for reflection and discussion, and students are given every encouragement to relate their assessment tasks to their own areas of interest and expertise.

Assessment

A range of writing genres are used in the assessment instruments, including formal analysis (academic essay), project planning (professional plan) and academic reflection (reflective journal). You are encouraged to produce texts that have profession relevance.Learning activities in the first part of the semester will provide practice and formative feedback on tasks related to assessable work. Following each formal assessment, a statement of results against each criteria will be provided along with summary comments.

Assessment name: Essay
Description: This assignment will be a situation analysis of 2000 words. Choose an area of change involving digital technologies and write a critical analysis of how the practice of leadership and policy development is changing because of the issues and challenges posed by digital technologies. Particular attention should be paid to developing ICT dispositions and capacity in learning, pedagogy, and administration.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2 & 3.
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid-Semester

Assessment name: Professional Plans
Description: A project plan of 2500 words which explores and analyses a change process or critical appraisal of an attempt to diffuse an innovation preferably at the participant's place of work to demonstrate that skills, understandings and competence developed in this unit can be applied.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 & 4.
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Semester

Assessment name: Reflective Journal
Description: Learning journal consistently maintained throughout the semester.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3 & 4.
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Resource materials include a selection of required and suggested readings. You will also gather a selection of readings which relate to digital leadership practice in your field/discipline. Readings will include articles from the journals below:
Education and Information Technologies
Educational Leadership
Educational Management and Administration
Information Technology, Education and Society
International Journal of Technology Management
Journal of Educational Administration
Leadership Quarterly
Leading and Managing
Strategy & Leadership
** A list of relevant policy documents and impact reports will be set each week.

References

Hayward, R. (2008). Leading a digital school:A case study - St Leonard's School. In Lee, M. and Gaffney, M. (Eds.), Leading a Digital School: Principles and Practice (pp. 80-92). Melbourne: Australian Council Educational Research (ACER).

Smeed, J., Kimber, M., Millwater, J., and Ehrich, L. (2009). Power over, with and through: Another look at micropolitics. Leading and Managing, 15(1), 26-41.

Trinidad, S., Newhouse, P., and Clarkson, B. (2006). A framework for leading school change in using ICT: Measuring change. In Doing the public good: Positioning education research, Adelaide, 2006. Australian Association for Research in Education.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 31-Oct-2012