Last week’s virtual symposium was informative. This was a fantastic opportunity to sit back and absorb all the useful information from industry experts. As someone who is relatively new to the field, this has been a life-changing week and I have learned so much already (and it’s only the first week!). I could write pages about this past week’s symposia but, there were a few sessions that I found particularly interesting.
SOARing into Educational Change with Appreciative Inquiry.
The session “SOARing into Education Change with Appreciative Inquiry”, drastically changed my viewpoint on how I evaluate key learning gaps among my franchisees in my current role. I found the appreciative inquiry framework to be rather eye-opening. Dr. Waddington goes on to explain that appreciative inquiry was developed in the 1980s by Dr. David Cooper, who wondered how things could change if we looked at what was working rather than what was broken (Royal Roads University, 2022). This statement alone provided an “a-ha” moment for me. I’ve always approached my franchisees with a S.W.O.T analysis. Providing a S.W.O.T analysis to a franchisee, in my opinion, has always resulted in a negative outcome. If I shift my lens to an appreciative inquiry using the S.O.A.R technique, I believe there will be a significant shift within the franchise network. Though I have not had the opportunity to put this to the test, I believe that the S.O.A.R approach would provide a wealth of insight and collaboration within the network by focusing on what is going well in their business and how to capitalize on those strengths to better our approach on how we revamp our online learning.
What is Online Learning Post-Pandemic?
This is an issue I’ve been thinking about a lot lately at work, as our company is re-evaluating our franchisee training. The difficulty I’m up against is a lack of knowledge and awareness about how training should be given within my organization. Most people in my company, for example, believe that the best way to transition to online learning is to transform our lengthy manuals into PowerPoint presentations and hope that our learners will utilize this as a self-guided learning path. As a result of this viewpoint, I’ve found myself at odds with superiors on occasion, even though I know this strategy is ineffective. Dr. Labonte goes on to say that it’s critical to concentrate on the course’s quality and instructional design (Royal Roads University, 2022). I am convinced that the quality and design of online learning contribute significantly to learner engagement. This is one of the reasons I chose to enrol in this programme with the hopes of being able to implement these changes at work.
Final Thoughts
I’ll admit that at the start of this program, I experienced a little bit of imposter syndrome. After finishing my first week and participating in the virtual symposium, my perspective has completely transformed. This week has proven that I am in the right place. I’m excited to see what the future has in store for me.
References:
Gedak, L., & Waddington, L. (2022, April 14). SOARing into Educational Change with Appreciative Inquiry [Video]. Zoom. https://bit.ly/LWLGMALATVS2022
Royal Roads University. (2022, April 3). What is Online Learning Post-Pandemic? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxazQ6a-WwQ
I didn’t watch the SOARing webinar, but your writing on it has made me want to view it! I also tend to think, okay, what are the gaps, rather than focusing also on what is working. I think that both methods have a place, but I will have to view the webinar to learn more so I can speak more to it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I really enjoyed your reflection Jess! Like Heather, I also didn’t get the opportunity to watch the “SOARing into Educational Change with Appreciative Inquiry” webinar. Being very much an educator that focus’ on positivity, I feel like I would have resonated with this webinar. While exploring various theoretical frameworks last week during the Virtual Symposium, I was introduced to the self-efficacy theory through a couple of presentations, which immediately came to mind when you referred to the appreciative inquiry framework. I will definitely need to check this webinar out!
Hello Jess,
Your blog looks inviting, well done.
Like you, I have some experience with SWOT as a framework for planning; SOAR is new to me. I agree with you that an approach with appreciative intent will ease collaboration. Following is a link to papers on the subject.
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/41264181/Strategic_Inquiry__Appreciative_Intent_20160116-23640-1898ncb-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1650341865&Signature=Op1181tjxSnGhpDBYSyBlke7zAUwSivT4km5NCQHI28zA3tAXwdmkPYYPsUmuH8dodgdUn8quaSPuj8R1-bYiqUelpPqdpI7rYwANHZVh2ou69iFDbuCQSaQiSqsZOdcDRTYm-0ex-Wa2V0eu7iobQs1V6l8uxmZL5BfNZvvXEgdALromD2OmRX7BL9QumRoQ2kfte7NNbuh3IJowTXWCzR0f5CH9ms6YPYv8H7n3v3tP2d06RHwmwXmqYP-gYPmuTm1ZDt9fP0ap4FZ5FRBZDKl3AUlJDF3CvlUxEhjAASeohJk5gufwY5INNmzjNJkQsV7LV4bl3BcHzBbcFqTGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
Hi Jess,
From my experience taking the MALAT, your work situation can be a great motivator and can help make the content real. I have found the more I lean into how I can apply the teachings from the MALAT to my work and to teaching my students, the better my assignments are and hopefully the better my teaching is! 😛
If there is a topic from work that really interests you, keep it in mind, and when you find any articles that apply to that topic, keep them in a safe place (and remember the most relevant quotes) so that you can save time when you do your literature review for your final project.
-Patrick
Thanks for sharing this advice!
Your reflection is an excellent insight into how working from a different perspective can positively impact work situations. I can relate to how you want to make changes in the workplace but hit barriers due to closed-off thinking or because change can be difficult for some to work through. Quality and ease of use are so important when designing end-user tools. I think you are on the right path and definitely in the best program to achieve your goals.