Abstract:

The efficacy of Higher Education is being questioned like never before as the landscape of the job market shifts and it becomes quickly noticeable that the skills students immediately require once leaving with degree in hand are lacking. Higher Education must be responsive to the need to educate information and digitally-literate students. Employers are noting that graduates often require extended orientation and mentorship following graduation to develop the necessary skills to succeed in this rapidly changing environment and are often not ready for the work world (Mosley, 2015). Industry is driving the need for change. In short, Higher Education is failing to keep up with the demands of a rapidly changing world (Trusko, 2015) and this gap needs to be addressed.

In an effort to address the needed shift in Higher Education, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) created committee structures in 2004 to allow Faculty to have input and governance into digital and information technology decisions and directions. However, these committees were created in an era where the technology chosen to support teaching was simply an add-on as opposed to today’s goal that it be seamlessly integrated; which is essential in a society where technology is ubiquitous. Teaching had just begun to evolve into the expected relational practice it is now. One of the academic advisory bodies created at TRU focused on the needs of faculty and students. The mission of Academic Computing Technologies Advisory Committee (ACTAC) was to act as the senior advisory body for academic computing technologies at TRU and served two important roles: To identify, prioritize and monitor the applications, services, and technologies required by Academic Faculty Schools and Divisions to meet the Academic Plan, and act as an academic computing advisory to the Associate Vice President IT Services and CIO.

While today’s digital landscape is one of rapid change and disruption, the rate of integration of technology in the classroom has been slow at best at TRU, leaving us to query whether the academic governance structure was functioning. The literature and state of industry has necessitated the integration of technology into the teaching and learning process, however, significant challenges exist in its execution at TRU. Our analysis of the literature and the current state at TRU has afforded us the opportunity to identity gaps in adoption of innovative teaching pedagogy. The current structures and communication processes at TRU indicate that challenges for adoption will continue to exist, unless a radical cultural shift occurs. A starting point for change has been identified and includes; the revision of the IT governance committee mission to increase Faculty engagement, improving Faculty digital literacy and enhancing student outcomes through effective technology use.

In this presentation we will outline the efforts taken to resolve the challenges related to the integration of technology in the classroom at TRU, to ensure graduates have the skills and attributes necessary to meet the demands of industry and to place TRU as a leader in Higher Education.