Rogers (1995) defined innovation as, “an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an individual or other unit of adoption.” The articles in this collection have been selected to address the question, how can we promote innovation in teaching? The important distinction for the context of our discussion is that ‘perceived as new’ is relative to the traditional educational practices of a University which consist largely of face to face, lecture style classes. If web-based delivery is adopted and used with the existing instructional paradigms, the effect on learning will be negligible and will therefore not represent an innovation in teaching. Ultimately, it is not the technology that matters, but how we design the learning through the technology (Miller, 1996). Advances in teaching may result when technology is used as an opportunity discover new ways for achieving learning outcomes. Web-based education can represent both a pedagogical innovation and a channel of communication capable of engaging the learner. Technology enables the instructor to create a different kind of curriculum and to establish a different relationship with the student. The virtual classroom provides a new environment for human interaction and allows the teacher to design learning which can be more student-centred and collaborative.
According to Rogers (1995), innovation is adopted by members within society at different times and at different rates. A steep learning curve is overcome quickly by early adopters who absorb the new skills and instructional paradigms quickly while late adopters acquire this knowledge over a longer time span. Information seems to flow easily from innovators to early adopters. The barrier for diffusion is identified by the gap that occurs between early adopters and early main-stream faculty. The size of this gap can be attributed to the level of the interconnectedness between departments at a university. Often faculty have connections that do not extend beyond their department. This limits the reciprocal exchange of teaching methods and content. The number of nodes and connections between departments determines the complexity and richness of the network (Rueter, 1997).
Faculty development is often seen as a key enabler of innovation in teaching as it may serve to link successful teaching initiatives and the broad expertise available throughout a university. Such a network would facilitate the sharing of innovative teaching strategies and encourage the exchange of best practices in the development and delivery of online education. These types of initiatives also help to raise the profile of innovative teaching practices, and foster communication and collaboration between developers and programs.
Each of the following article summaries will examine a different aspect of faculty development and outline the strategies or considerations for promoting innovation in teaching. Together they provide the foundation for the design of the teaching online workshop I deliver at the University of Toronto.
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