Today I watched the Quality Matters (QM) Quality in Action titled “Refining the Future of Education: Adapting and Thriving in a New Era of Learning.” The speakers were Heather Braatz and Melissa Wilson both instructional designers. Braatz is at the New England College of Optometry while Wilson is at Buena Vista University. Braatz spoke about overcoming resistance, and Wilson added that there is so much on AI that coming up with plans forward can be overwhelming. They shared the acronym VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity can turn into vision, understanding, clarity, and agility. Braatz asked: what are some of the barriers to adaptation? They listed education and awareness, lack of clarity, lack of institutional support or resources, and AI-driven displacement (worries). Wilson noted that emotions are important and can influence how we navigate adoption of new approaches. There can be fear and a space to let colleagues talk about is important. Wilson spoke about the importance of recognizing negative thinking and helping instructors and others adapt to new systems. They also mentioned rebranding instructional designers “as not just course builders or IT professionals, but as learning experience consultants who collaborate with faculty to improve teaching practices.” That is a great way of putting it! The presenters also noted that applying change management principles can be done in educational settings as we encounter new disruptive technologies and policy changes. The speakers shared several resources and ideas. I also love that their presentation was a dynamic web page. I wonder what they used to create it!
