BREAKING DOWN SILOS: A CAPABILITIES FRAMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND, COMMUNICATE, AND ADVOCATE FOR EFFECTIVE ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY TEAMS

Introduction: Teaching and learning has become increasingly dependent on technology and integrating best practices into higher education continues to be a priority. However, many in postsecondary institutions struggle to fully communicate the potential value academic technology teams can provide. There is ongoing frustration with the silo-ed approach between, and even within, faculties across the same institution, which leads to fractured communication and loss of collaborative communities. This, in turn, leads to the ineffective use of human and financial resources.

Methods: Addressing this need, a capabilities and competencies framework was developed and validated across Canada, using in-person, targeted focus groups, and a modified Delphi approach to reach consensus, via an online survey. Although initially developed for the faculty of medicine, it was soon clear that the same issues were being faced by all faculties, and therefore the framework was validated across all faculties and postsecondary institutions.

Results: Our results indicated that seven core capabilities are needed to create an effective academic technology team. The capability to educate, design, develop, collaborate, lead, administer, and be an expert in technology are all essential to a team's success. These capabilities are paired with requisite competencies and example activities, which inform and guide the development of the team.

Application: This framework can be utilized in the early stages of developing a service, or refining an existing unit, to model and support a culture of excellence in teaching and learning for faculty and learners.