Winchester BODGIT (Marina Janetsky)

Dealing with IT Staff Perspectives at Middlesex University
Marina Janetzky
Staff Development Officer (IT)

What do end-users think about IT?
A study on staff perspectives on IT at Middlesex
Aim: To establish best practice in dealing with new IT systems implementation
Questions:
How do staff deal with existing IT systems?
What are their views on new systems implementation?
What matters, what doesn’t?

The study
Focus groups:
20 staff participated in a number of focus groups
Part of a bigger project on developing an IT Skills Framework for Middlesex
Participants were asked to brainstorm on:
‘ What is IT at Middlesex?’

What is IT?
Anything to do with Computers, Information + Technology
A tool to enable us to communicate, generate and disseminate information
It can be troublesome, therefore we need to know how to deal with it

The Themes

Link the ‘hard’ with the ‘soft’ skills
Knowing how to use an IT system is one thing but we also need to have the soft skills and knowledge to deal with it and apply it
Examples:
‘ Hard’ Skills ‘ Soft’ Skills Knowing how to use the VLE to upload teaching material Knowing about copyright, IP, data protection Using TurnItIn programme for coursework submission Understanding how the university deals with plagiarism

Considering new Technology
I need to know what’s available
What’s ‘out there’
What we are using
Help us weigh up our option
What’s possible, what’s not, +’s and –’s
Tell me the good and bad – then let me decide!

Make it relevant to me
What use is it to me?
How will it help me work better, smarter, more efficient, or make life easier for me?
Don’t make assumptions about its use to us – let us decide!
Link new IT to our systems and business processes so they have meaning
What are we missing out on?

Ultimately a question of supply & demand
Supply of IT may not necessarily match demand
‘ I decide what I use on the basis of what I consider to be essential for me at this point in time; I might consider it to be a ‘luxury’ item’
I may not have the time to use it
I may not use it even though you think it is really useful new tool!

Using IT
Once I have decided to use it…
I need to know I have the help I need …
Overcoming hurdles & problems
A helping hand
Help me explore
Don’t make it difficult for me to try out new stuff
… when I need it
Help ‘on demand’

Dealing with change & new IT
Communicate with us!
Tell us about it
Inform us about what we will need to change & why
Don’t just undo what we’ve done
Chicken & Egg
Should our business processes/objectives/strategies inform what technology we use? OR
Should the technology available drive our processes, objectives and strategies?

Everyday Survival
Often it’s all about dealing with it and making it work
We’re all in the same boat
Can we assume a certain minimum knowledge?
There are Core systems – everyone should know the basics (to help themselves & others)
Don’t forget to maintain and develop our ‘Real’ Teaching & Learning Environment while you concentrate on our ‘Virtual’ Learning Environment!

Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion & Recommendations
End users make choices (why, when, where and how)
Influential factors:
Meaning & relevance
Make it personal
Communication & involvement
Build relationship between end user & application
Guidance & support
Enable smooth transition & feedback

Winchester BODGIT (Marina Janetsky)

by Bex Lewis on Feb 07, 2011

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Winchester BODGIT (Marina Janetsky) — Presentation Transcript