Abstract

This paper analyses and discusses the future challenges that tertiary educational institutions may expect to face when the traditional organisational forms and norms of the industrial society meet the first generation of "natural born" ICT using students who have lived their whole life with ICT and the ever changing norms and demands of the unfolding information society. In order to analyse the premise for these challenges the paper applies a long-term perspective on the generations and organisations affected by the transmission. A key to gain insight to the future students and the nature of the encounter is research aimed at the present primary school. Additionally a key to the organisational perspective is identification of organisations' readiness for change and the potential barriers for adaptation to the information society and the "power users". Based on the analysis, the paper comprises an outline of institutional obstacles inhibiting a successful encounter and argues the necessity of integrating top-down and bottom-up initiatives in future organisations. Thus, the process of change demands awareness and support from both the authorities empowered to make grants and from the management of the educational organisations, and the paper explicitly focuses on collaborating teaching staffs as a tool for improving both individual and organisational adaptability.

Citation

Levinsen, K.T. Watch Out--The Power Users Are Coming. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 5(1), 79-86. Retrieved August 12, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/175524/.

This record was imported from ERIC on February 24, 2017. [Original Record]

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Keywords

• barriers
• College Faculty
• College Students
• Cooperation
• Educational Change
• educational technology
• electronic learning
• higher education
• Readiness
• Social Influences
• Teacher Competencies
• Teacher Role
• Technological Literacy
• Technology Uses in Education