Digital Resistance: Dealing with Digital Sceptics in Education

In education there are many types of dissenters to the adoption of digital solutions to educational  issues. These range from aging academics resisting any change from how things have always been done; to many (many) students who feel that digital learning is ‘second rate’ in comparison to face to face learning.

Some people are uncomfortable dealing with something they have limited understanding of, or access to. There are also those who have good understanding, and access to, digital opportunities, but believe that the solution selected is the wrong one. How do we ensure that we are in tune with the end users of our innovations? Is the answer more training for those using the digital innovation? Greater consultation beforehand? Marketing the benefits of the innovation? None, or all, of the above? 

This Boardroom Dialogue does not offer any answers, but provides an opportunity to share experiences of dealing with ‘resisters’: what works, what doesn’t, and lessons learned in the process.

Agenda
1.    Introductions and backgrounds (5 mins) 
2.    Examples from around the room of resistance to digital innovation. (10 minutes)
3.    Solutions, or other outcome, (actual or proposed) to the examples raised. (20 minutes)
4.    Drafting of some principles for addressing resistance. (20 minutes)
5.    Closing (5 minutes)

Archibald Gordon Slaven

Director, Slaven Consultancy services Ltd, United Kingdom

Gordon has long experience of managing educational innovation projects Internationally, most of which, since the mid 1990s, have had digital elements incorporated. Since 2016, he has consulted to in most areas of education, but primarily at the TVET and higher education areas, organisational development, and management of change.

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