the secret's in the mix: using or to inform learning and teaching developments

The Secret’s In The Mix:

Using OR to inform learning and teaching developments

Dr. Jo Smedley

Director of CELT

• So who are "we"?

Business minded

Focused

Surfers

Collaborative

Creative

Achievement & outcome focused Co-workers

Firefighters!

3

CELT Conference 2012

• Theme: collaboration and communication

• Mix

– Technologists

– Business staff

– Staff: academic and learning support

– Students

– Marketing staff

• Focus: Achieving cost effective outcome

4

Background • Literature:

– Lehaney and Paul (1996), Ackermann et al. (1997), Rosenhead & Mingers (2001), Pidd (2004), Mingers et al. (2009), Franco (2006), Hindle & Franco (2009)............

• Approach: – Frequently ill-defined problems

– Influences: Unique, complex, dynamic, social, political, cultural, strong-held

– Reflecting experiential learning .v. “forcing” system solution

– “Visualising” discussion with the group

– Genuine consensus through open and free participation

• Approach: Keeping things simple

• Challenges – Influences within the team

– Little respect of alternative viewpoints

– Territorial (cultural, theoretical, practical) behaviours

– Working together and negotiating outcomes

• Strengths/Opportunities – Using in-depth first-hand knowledge across the organisation

– Enterprise: Stimulating creativity and encouraging new ideas

– Developing agreement and progressing agreed action plan

– CPD through learning by doing – Part of ongoing change developments within the organisation

Overview

View C

View B

View D

View A

View E

Map

Options

Model

Action Plan

empowerment

visualisation & translation

negotiation

consideration implementation

View B

View D

View A

View E View C

Feedback

discussion

Lessons Learned

• Pictures – Content – Colour Red, blue, green, black ......

• Expectations (hierarchy/behaviour, ......) – Wearing “hats”

– Hearing “voices”

• Technology – Consistent feedback

• Iterations – Coordination, collaboration, integration ......

So what next?

Involving wider range of

participants in collaboration

Staff, students, employers

Within and between analyses

Using different:

Engagement patterns

Methodologies

Exploring engagement through

blends of technology

Linking back to “hard” OR

Questions

Contact details

• Email: jo.smedley@newport.ac.uk

• Website: http://www.newport.ac.uk/staff/jl/Pages/JoSmedley.aspx

• Skype: jo_smedley

• Twitter: josmedley