Abstract:

Implementing significant new educational technologies is a challenging process for any organisation, requiring cooperative partnerships from a variety of professions, each of whom have their own professional cultures, management protocols, and understandings of the goals and requirements of the project. The research explores the processes of multidisciplinary project interactions that occurred during the implementation of a comprehensive new Learning Management System (LMS) by interviewing IT specialists, eLearning Project Officers, and Academic teaching staff who participated in the project. Qualitative case study data on participants' perceived objectives, roles, and understandings about the LMS project's goals and needs was analysed using an activity theoretical (CHAT) framework. Participants were asked to reflect on their professional practice and how this aligned with what they understood the goals of other participants to be. By investigating the constraints and confluences experienced by participants, this research contributes to furthering cross disciplinary understandings and to the developing body of knowledge about more efficient ways to manage significant educational technologies change.

Keywords:

Activity theory, educational technology, LMS, change management.