change mismanagement: 4 keys to ineffective educational transformation

Change Mismanagement: 4 Keys to Ineffective Educational Transformation

Dave Goldberg Big Beacon [email protected]

© David E. Goldberg 2017


Surprising journey


One Story


Four Keys


Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education www.ifoundry.illinois.edu


Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering


The “Olin Effect”

iLaunch

iCheckpointiExpo

iCommunity

ENG100++MissingBasics

ENG100++2Hands-onProjects

IllinoisEngineeringFreshmanExperience

(iEFX)


1-hour course + zero-credit iCommunity


Great launch then…


bumps, confusion & complaining


“Weren’t sure you were serious about us doing what we wanted to do, but then realized you were, and it was very cool.”


Then, students started to take initiative without permission.


“Sure I made the right career choice.”


“Making me more confident in my decision to be an engineer.”


“I’m definitely more entrepreneurial.”


“Just an overall all-rounded engineer, not just a technician. A human, not just a problem solver.”


The Olin effect at Illinois!


But how?


How did such a small effort have such a big effect?


No new buildings


One “peashooter” of a course


Low budget


Couldn’t explain in strictly rational terms


How did such a small effort have such a big effect?


Unleashed

www.wholenewengineer.org


As individual. Reflect on time when you were unleashed, when you had courage to do something challenging or special that you might not otherwise have done. 1 minute


In pairs. Take turns sharing your stories, and then discuss similarities and differences in the two situations. 4 minutes


Debrief


Unleashed

www.wholenewengineer.org


Unleashing = Trust + Courage + Action -> Learning


All key change variables are

emotional.


2 Key Shifts


Obedience Courage


How do we do get unleashing into educational practice?

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover


4 Ineffective Ways to Change


Wrong Way #1: Start with Content, Curriculum & Pedagogy

Not (Just) Content, Curriculum & Pedagogy

Schein’s 3 Levels of Organizational Culture


Effective Way #1: Start with Culture, Emotion & Tell a New Story


Wrong Way #2: Seek “Buy-In” from a committee of both supporters & skeptics

inside of existing organizational units.

Not (Just) Content, Curriculum & Pedagogy

Change is an academic

NIMBY problem

“Innovation is great. Just don’t change my course.”


Effective Way #2: Make provisional change in an accelerator/incubator with the committed. Seek

formal approval after successful experimentation.


Observation: All practices in the Unconference are designed to (1) elicit different emotion & new culture, (2) work with the committed in incubator-like manner.


At tables: Make quick list (without extensive discussion or debate) of all practices at the Unconference that contribute to its special culture and emotion. 3 minutes


Debrief


Wrong Way #3: Make big plans, raise lots of money, then make change.

Not (Just) Content, Curriculum & Pedagogy You don’t know enough to plan “a new model of education.” Experimentation is required.


Effective Way #3: Make little bets in- and outside the classroom until you understand

enough to scale. Surprises ahead.


Wrong Way #4: Focus on disciplinary content revision.

Disciplinaryknowledge

GeneralEducaLon

CriLcalThinking&Rhetoric

Language,EmoLon&Body

NoLcing&ReflecLon

Purpose

Iceberg of Skills, Practices, & Knowledge

Explicit(Abovethewaterline)

ImplicitorUnaware(Belowthewaterline)


Soft Skills


Observation 1: Soft skills are “soft” because we believe they lack rigor & basic underpinning.


Observation 2: The best underpinning of soft skills is in the training of executive coaches.


Observation 2: The best underpinning of soft skills is in the training of executive coaches.

Soft Skills + Rigorous Core = Shift Skills

Core & Derivative Shift Skills

CoreShiVSkills

CommunicaLons

Sales

Conflictmanagement

Leadership

Teamwork

NegoLaLon

Entrepreneurship

Other


Effective Way #4: Train administrators, faculty, and students in core & derivative shift skills.


4 Keys 1.  Content, curriculum & pedagogy ! Emotion + culture 2.  Buy-in before action ! Action then buy-in 3.  Big plans ! Little bets 4.  Disciplinary content ! Shift skills


In your poster teams. Make back-of-envelope design for an uncenter, accelerator, incubator, or ??? for educational transformation. 8 minutes


Back-of-Envelope Design Elements (on single flip-chart) 1.  Name of your incubator, accelerator, uncenter, ??? 2.  Context: What kind of ed institution, degree program,

national context, etc. 3.  Story caricature (2-3 sentences that define unique 4.  Day-to-day practices cultivated 5.  Out-of-class little bet or two 6.  In-class little bet or two 7.  First shift skill emphasized (noticing, listening,

questioning, speech acts, story ID/reframing, wholeheartedness, or ???)


Debrief


Reflect on key takeaway(s)

Change Mismanagement: 4 Keys to Ineffective Educational Transformation

Dave Goldberg Big Beacon [email protected]
