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3.4.6.1. Environmental Awareness
UOC stakeholders naturally report to an extensive use the internet for keeping themselves up to date on their respective fields of interest. They are generally members of mailing lists, and habitually read articles in the magazines and journals that deal with their subjects. Like their peers in the other university faculties which were investigated for this thesis, UOC staff also participate in conferences and interact freely with their peers. The linguistic group of Catalonian scholars witnesses above average levels of exchange. The local administration offers media for the professors to share didactic materials through the libraries. Even though virtually all of the interview partners understand English, there is a certain language barrier which made Spanish or Catalonian idioms more dominant. There are also institutionalized information services in the form of mail bulletins which share information about the academic congresses and other scientific opportunities.
When it comes to internet based innovations, word of mouth is the general way relevant technologies are communicated. For the IT professionals, there is a community of practice that holds meetings and has a “virtual workshop” where discourse and sharing is allowed to happen. In practice, information is exchanged in private networks.
3.4.6.2. Entrepreneuring (Strategy & Vision)
The university has founding documents, which outline a rather holistic vision for the university to serve and facilitate society’s improvement in its transformation towards an information society (Generalitat, 1995; , 2003; UOC, 1996). On the practical side, the university’s leadership develops a mid-term strategy every three years. They hold thematic workshops and each area is developing its objectives and priorities. In a separate process, employees are asked to define their individual goals, which are naturally somehow connected with an overall strategy.
As in the case of the FU and the UPC, no ICT strategy or vision is developed. Rather, technological values and objectives form part of the larger institutional strategy and are given room to emerge organically. In general, UOC is in its current moment, describing itself as an ‘integrator not innovator’ of emerging technologies (UOC management 22). Given the scale of its operations and the Spanish location, it is nevertheless on the forefront of this virtual pedagogic environment.
As described in the section on the technology approach, it is also worth mentioning that UOC has chosen to outsource a substantial part of its technology development; while the final decisions are implemented by the vice-rector and his confidants. Meanwhile, for the long-term assessment of macro technological evolution, (including the development of scenarios and recommendations) the UOC has successfully contracted one of the leading technology consultancy firms.
3.4.6.3. New Project Support
As in most other universities no defined process for the initiation of a new project exists. Instead knowledge technology innovation has a home in the Educational Technology Department. Due to the pedagogic approach and the business model, and in contrast to the other universities, the academic freedom of the professors is constrained, because the material has to be first developed and then the course is later implemented by contracted consultants. For each new ‘teaching project’ to be started, the educational viability and the business potential has to established. The decision usually lies with the dean of the program but it is a joint political decision in actual practice.
As said, new projects in the area of internet based tools are institutionalized in the Educational Technology Department. Here, new functionalities for the virtual campus are test driven and then gradually added to the ‘life space.’ The department has an existing budget for testing and running experimental projects.
3.4.6.4. Risk Tolerance
As in the UPC, risk is perceived as something incompatible with university practice (UOC management 33). Naturally, risk minimization has been stressed by decision makers, possibly because UOC had engaged in several entrepreneurial ventures that were not particularly successful. These included small start up’s as well as bigger efforts like the cooperative alliance with a media company to expand into the Latin American market.
The constant evolution of internet based technologies makes it impossible to enter into a new sector without taking a risk, and UOC’s stakeholders are aware of that. The IT professionals are continuously assessing new tools but are rather cautious in introducing new functionalities to the virtual campus. Two reasons have been stated: Security is a constant concern of system administrators, the second is associated with familiarity. The UOC hopes that the users are comfortable with the system the way it is, any changes have to be of proven benefit before they are implemented (UOC management 34). According to the vice-rector of technology, risk is still not accepted as a necessary part of ‘campus life’ (UOC management 40), but the leadership is facilitating the necessary techno-cultural changes.
3.4.6.5. Communication
UOC has the most developed internet based communication practice of the universities investigated. It provides a host of communication channels. In fact, there are so many in existence, that it is difficult, if not impossible, to be aware of them, let alone to speak about them or to scan them all. The latter is made more difficult by the fact that the contributions cannot be read through RSS or UOC external mail, but are available exclusively within the circuitry of the virtual campus .
On the one hand, UOC stakeholders are well connected, but these connections are developing almost exclusively around the individual employee’s network. As stated, various public and special community channels exist but these are used to a much lesser degree .
With respect to the communication about new internet based innovations, communication is happening in social network channels.
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