Change Agency and Instructional Design Richard Schwier University of Saskatchewan Katy Campbell University of Alberta Richard Kenny Athabasca University Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, Canada 2.5

Richard Schwier University of Saskatchewan

Katy Campbell

University of Alberta

Richard Kenny

Athabasca University

Traditional ID Practice Linear, systematic, prescriptive approach Design of neutral learning environments in isolation from learning contexts

Linear, systematic, prescriptive approach

Design of neutral learning environments in isolation from learning contexts

Instructional Design as Moral Practice Agency refers to doing & implies power Designer agency most powerful from foundation of moral coherence Moral coherence when designer's values align with those of clients & their institutions

Agency refers to doing & implies power

Designer agency most powerful from foundation of moral coherence

Moral coherence when designer's values align with those of clients & their institutions

Research Design 3 year, SSHRC funded, study Research team, Katy Campbell - University of Alberta; Richard Kenny - Athabasca University; Richard Schwier - University of Saskatchewan 49 research conversations with > 20 IDers Narrative inquiry & storying of experience Purpose to capture participants’: cultural constructions of experience seminal personal & professional encounters moral & ethical development understanding of work as IDers

3 year, SSHRC funded, study

Research team, Katy Campbell - University of Alberta; Richard Kenny - Athabasca University; Richard Schwier - University of Saskatchewan

49 research conversations with > 20 IDers

Narrative inquiry & storying of experience

Purpose to capture participants’:

cultural constructions of experience

seminal personal & professional encounters

moral & ethical development

understanding of work as IDers

Why Narrative Inquiry? Socially constructed practice = socially constructed description Mimics natural conversations

Socially constructed practice = socially constructed description

Mimics natural conversations

And especially because… Narrative important for community building, practical reasoning, personal perspective, semantic innovation Narrative has moral, emotional, aesthetic, & intellectual dimensions …and so does ID

Narrative important for community building, practical reasoning, personal perspective, semantic innovation

Narrative has moral, emotional, aesthetic, & intellectual dimensions

…and so does ID

The Multivariate Nature of Agency

Interpersonal Agency Bi-directional, moral commitment to other people involved in projects Emphasis on collegial engagement & advocacy for learners I need to be the learner before there is one. I design for people who don't usually have a voice in what happens to them in their educational lives, and I have to be their voice until they can speak for themselves.

Bi-directional, moral commitment to other people involved in projects

Emphasis on collegial engagement & advocacy for learners

I need to be the learner before there is one. I design for people who don't usually have a voice in what happens to them in their educational lives, and I have to be their voice until they can speak for themselves.

Professional Agency Feeling of responsibility to the profession Act in professionally competent & ethical manner I needed to synthesize a wide range of experiences and educational considerations in order to make decisions. I often felt the need to vet these decisions with experienced designers; however, I also needed to prove that I was capable of being a designer in my own right. Finding an appropriate balance was a challenge.

Feeling of responsibility to the profession

Act in professionally competent & ethical manner

I needed to synthesize a wide range of experiences and educational considerations in order to make decisions. I often felt the need to vet these decisions with experienced designers; however, I also needed to prove that I was capable of being a designer in my own right. Finding an appropriate balance was a challenge.

Institutional Agency Considers the way that IDers align work with institutional goals May be expressed in tension felt between organizational goals and personal values There are some really huge issues that are moving forward in distance education, especially technology- enhanced learning issues. If the institutions-the academies-do not look at these issues very seriously, very soon, they're going to find themselves in policy nether land, where nothing works.

Considers the way that IDers align work with institutional goals

May be expressed in tension felt between organizational goals and personal values

There are some really huge issues that are moving forward in distance education, especially technology- enhanced learning issues. If the institutions-the academies-do not look at these issues very seriously, very soon, they're going to find themselves in policy nether land, where nothing works.

Societal Agency Need to know work contributing to more significant societal influence Disconnect between perceived responsibility & authority to influence change It's one of those things where you feel-you know-you make a difference. You know you have an impact at times, and sometimes you come away feeling really good about it. But rarely do I feel like it's a consistent difference. Rarely do I feel like it's a widespread margin of difference to my liking. So, I'm more frustrated than I am satisfied with the level of difference I make. I'm always looking to have impact on a large scale.

Need to know work contributing to more significant societal influence

Disconnect between perceived responsibility & authority to influence change

It's one of those things where you feel-you know-you make a difference. You know you have an impact at times, and sometimes you come away feeling really good about it. But rarely do I feel like it's a consistent difference. Rarely do I feel like it's a widespread margin of difference to my liking. So, I'm more frustrated than I am satisfied with the level of difference I make. I'm always looking to have impact on a large scale.

The Multivariate Nature of Agency

Intentional Dimension of Agency Related to principles or values associated with actions Deciding which things are important & those things we mean to do Personal judgments about what is significant, preferential, moral or ethical Risk of making design decisions inconsistent with underlying intentions of the work

Related to principles or values associated with actions

Deciding which things are important & those things we mean to do

Personal judgments about what is significant, preferential, moral or ethical

Risk of making design decisions inconsistent with underlying intentions of the work

Operational Dimension of Agency Practical implications or expression of particular intentions, principles or values Deal with concrete actions or outcomes Several operational expressions can be consistent with single intentional dimension

Practical implications or expression of particular intentions, principles or values

Deal with concrete actions or outcomes

Several operational expressions can be consistent with single intentional dimension

The Multivariate Nature of Agency

Advice to the Designer ID is social practice, not rote application of instructional models Change agency involves moral relationships Actions are not value neutral Consider how intentional & operational dimensions of design may conflict Units of faculty development work closely with faculty & designers to align values

ID is social practice, not rote application of instructional models

Change agency involves moral relationships

Actions are not value neutral

Consider how intentional & operational dimensions of design may conflict

Units of faculty development work closely with faculty & designers to align values