Further
reading on:
Organisation
Management and Change Student-Centred
Learning Teaching,
Learning and Evaluation Good
Practice and Planning Checklists for Planning Case StudiesChoosing & Using Technologies in Education & Training
The organisation should identify how the project relates to its own strategic goals and position.
| Further
reading on: |
|
| Organisation
Management and Change |
|
| Student-Centred
Learning |
|
| Teaching,
Learning and Evaluation |
|
| Good
Practice and Planning |
|
| Checklists for Planning |
|
| Case Studies |
|
When discussing the educational outcomes of a program, or the use of technology in the program, it is important to be clear about why the project is being undertaken. Reasons may be framed in relation to the objectives of the organisation: for example, organisational priorities may include developing a market in a new geographical region, in a new industry sector, or in a different demographic group. It may be an objective to provide better quality programs to existing target markets. It may be intended as research or as a trial to test a methodology that is being considered for more widespread implementation. Or it may be part of a combined education/industry effort to attract major government growth funding.
Educational organisations must establish their own strategic objectives, which may be only partly educational, and which may relate also to the organisational, commercial and competitive requirements for positioning the organisation for success in the educational arena. The relationship of the project to these objectives must be clearly viewed within the organisation, though it may or may not be desirable to make this information public. The relationship may be to do with directly furthering the organisation's aims to cater for the needs of particular types of clients; it may be to do with developing skills or capacities to do this in the future; or it may be to do with testing hypotheses about possible future directions. Clarity of understanding of how the project relates to the organisation's desired position is important to enable staff to play their part in the project.
The purpose of identifying these objectives is to enhance clarity in the planning process; to assist in framing the evaluation; and, when success factors are being identified, to ensure that the nature and context of `success' is clear to the organisation and to project participants.
If the organisation neglects to examine and acknowledge its own objectives and agendas, there is a danger that the project may be pulled in a direction that runs counter to the acknowledged educational outcomes. This will not only dilute its educational effectiveness; it is also likely to cause some degree of resentment among staff who are committed to educational ideals. If, on the other hand, the organisational goals are acknowledged, it is usually possible to harness them to the educational outcomes, so that both are pulling in the direction of success. This may also help staff to better understand the constraints within which the organisation is operating, leading to a reduction in frustration levels.
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