What if you held a conference about higher education without any educators present? Who is present at educational technology events? The absence of faculty from these discussions is commonly bemoaned as an intractable, unsolvable problem. What isn’t often presented, however, is an iterative solution that will allow for a slow-but-steady integration of technology and teaching.

One of the things InTRO advocates for here at UO is faculty inclusion in the development of digital education initiatives. This may include online courses or degree programs, or it may be about employing new tools in a face-to-face learning environment, or using the LMS to “flip” a class for a session or a term, or finding creative ways to repurpose preexisting technologies in the physical space of the classroom–really, sky’s the limit. But too often–and this is true of all institutions–faculty interest in digital pedagogy lags behind administrative interest or pressures.

This isn’t completely mysterious. Faculty at research institutions answer a disciplinary calling first, an institutional one second. Tenure at the institution remains a decision that hinges upon advancement within the discipline. And once tenure is achieved, we often assume that a basic level of pedagogical competency has also been achieved, based on nothing more than years of experience. There is no step along the way at which faculty are consistently encouraged to develop the ability to even speak to issues of technology and learning, much less implement innovative digital pedagogies in their own classrooms.

The “vocabulary gap” between campus technologists and campus faculty causes resistance on both sides. Technology staff, who are often expected to make miracles happen for no money, look at faculty as a group and see them as “people who can’t learn”. Faculty, who have many different kinds of responsibilities to manage on a daily basis, look at technology staff as “people who can’t help.” Respect is lacking.

How do we close the gap? Well, establishing a common vocabulary is a good goal, but it’s a long-term one. It will be a while before we are all dreaming in a common language or seeing the same sense of possibility. But in the short term, we technologists can incentivize faculty participation, develop tools that can empower faculty to become leaders in this growing field, and provide holistic support that takes all aspects of the faculty experience into account.

Check out some more great strategies for faculty engagement in this recent EDUCAUSE Review article, which shares some of the successes of the School for Professional Studies at Brown University.