Navigating the Innovation Curve: Purposeful Integration of Disruptive Technology

Concurrent Session 7
Leadership

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Change is constant. Higher education is seeing this play out with the acceleration of AI tools. For successful and sustainable change, it's crucial to cultivate an innovative mindset, remove barriers and fear of technology, and provide support. Join us to create plans for managing the innovation & integration of disruptive technology!  

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Heather Zink, Graduate School USA

With a passion for learning and a human-centered approach to technology implementation, Heather Zink serves as the Senior Director for Learning Design at Graduate School USA (GSUSA). She manages as team of learning designers and curriculum experts to support GSUSA's delivery of federal workforce training programs. Most recently, her team created an agile approach to learning design with the use of D2L Brightspace to improve the operational delivery and accessibility of training materials. She has over 15 years of experience in academic technology, instructional design, and online education, with a focus on innovation in the use of educational technologies and the support of instructor training efforts. She will complete a second master's degree in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas in December. Heather is actively involved in the Online Learning Consortium as a Track Chair and Proposal Reviewer, as well as a member of the Association for Talent Development in Dallas, TX.

Co-presenter: Melissa Hortman, Microsoft

Melissa Hortman, EdD is a higher education leader in the areas of research innovation and academic transformation. Previous to Microsoft, she spent over 12 years in higher education working in student success and institutional transformation at community colleges, liberal arts, and academic medical centers. Most recently she was an Associate Professor and Director of Instructional Technology at the Medical University of South Carolina. There she taught multiple courses across the Graduate College and Interprofessional school along with leading the discovery, onboarding and sustainability of all instructional technology. She has done over 30 presentations in the past five years at regional, national and international conferences along with being featured as a keynote speaker as well as in various podcasts and blogs. Dr. Hortman is passionate about empowering faculty innovation and student resilience to make higher education more agile and stronger during disruptions now and in the future. As a 'realistic visionary', she will push the boundaries but make sure there is a practical plan for the future.

Extended Abstract

In late 2022, ChatGPT made an entrance and took the Spring 2023 semester by storm. Since then, the pace of technological innovation has been accelerating, and higher education institutions are feeling the pressure to keep up. In order to remain competitive, institutions must be willing to adopt new technologies that can transform operations, improve student outcomes, and enhance the learning experience. However, implementing disruptive technologies can be challenging, as it requires a culture of innovation as well as a strong change management plan. A piece we always forget in change is to lean on our vendors and partners for support in this area as they have experience and resources to support higher education.

The innovation curve can be a helpful tool for understanding how new technologies are adopted. However, it is important to remember that the curve is not linear and there are multiple stages. Being on the front end of the curve takes cultivating an innovative mindset across a campus. When the calculator came out it shook the education world at the time, but it challenged math teachers to raise cognition with having access to a powerful tool within the classroom. Implementing disruptive technologies requires change management because change – like the calculator - can be disruptive, and it is important to help people to understand the benefits of the change and to support them through the transition.

There are a number of steps that institutions can take to successfully implement disruptive technologies. From building a case for the technology to creating buy-in from stakeholder, disruptive technologies must be purposefully integrated for  successful and sustainable use. We will share examples of a successful plan from APEI/GSUSA. Attendees will have time as we move through the presentation to create their own plans for managing the innovation curve to integrate disruptive technologies on their own campus. There will be interactive experiences throughout the presentation where we will share Microsoft AI solutions within the Azure OpenAI Services and CoPilot, and work together through a plan to integrate these technologies within our campuses. Be part of the movement on your campus to not just keep up with but stay ahead of disruptive technologies because you never know what is coming out next!