The following extract from today's posting by James Farmer is self explanatory. “Last Tuesday I received a memorandum from a manager cc'd by am exec. director instructing me to cease supporting and promoting weblogging, wikis or any other technology not officially supported by the University. The basic reason given being that I have, anecdotally, not used the CMS (this isn't true, I always use it) and that 'commentary' on the issue of CMSs (quoted I think from this blog or another I set up for a course) is unacceptable. A set-up for disciplinary action should I not follow instructions.” There's a certain irony to this story in that I was gathering past examples of both dysfunctional and positive institutional responses to blogs and bloggers for a forthcoming conference presentation when this link was referred to me. Readers can decide which category best matches this institutional response.
Such stories are going to become more and more common as various vested 'e' interests, within, and outside of, HEI's, fight to maintain their positions and seek ways of neutralizing, what they perceive to be, deviance from centralised control. Such top-down behaviour and decisions have little to do with learning, but a lot to do with management and control. Welcome to the corporatization process!
It's all a bit counter-productive really. All that happens in this sort of situation is those who were happy to quietly innovate and test the waters are either crushed or radicalized; either result is just plain bad for everyone. HEIs need to be places for divergence, ideas, innovation and experimetation and it's a real pity that James Farmer's institution doesn't seem to have left some such space in its apparent drive to bring this dissident practitioner into line.
Message from Earth to institution; weblogs, wikis etc - you need to support them. Don't know that much about them? Then why not bring this individual on board. You need his enthusiasm and experience - but hey! it's easier to send a memo and apply pressure to stop this divergent activity isn't it?
Auricle readers may wish to revisit my ALT-C 2004 paper E-Learning Frameworks and Tools: Is it too late? - The Director's Cut.
