Exploring Distributed Leadership for the Quality Management of Online Learning Environments

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Author(s)
Palmer, Stuart
Holt, Dale
Gosper, Maree
Sankey, Michael
Allan, Garry
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2013
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Online learning environments (OLEs) are complex information technology (IT) systems that
intersect with many areas of university organisation. Distributed models of leadership have been
proposed as appropriate for the good governance of OLEs. Based on theoretical and empirical
research, a group of Australian universities proposed a framework for the quality management of
OLEs, and sought to validate the model via a survey of Australasian university representatives
with OLE leadership responsibility. For the framework elements: Planning and Resourcing were
rated most important; Organisational structure was rated least ...
View more >Online learning environments (OLEs) are complex information technology (IT) systems that intersect with many areas of university organisation. Distributed models of leadership have been proposed as appropriate for the good governance of OLEs. Based on theoretical and empirical research, a group of Australian universities proposed a framework for the quality management of OLEs, and sought to validate the model via a survey of Australasian university representatives with OLE leadership responsibility. For the framework elements: Planning and Resourcing were rated most important; Organisational structure was rated least important; Technologies were rated low in importance and high in satisfaction; Resourcing and Evaluation were rated low in satisfaction; and Resourcing had the highest rating of importance coupled with low satisfaction. Considering distributed leadership in their institution, respondents reported that the organisational alignments represented by ‘official’ reporting and peer relationships were significantly more important and more effective than the organisational alignments linking the formal and informal leaders. From a range of desirable characteristics of distributed leadership, ‘continuity and sustainability’ received the highest rating of importance and a low rating of ‘in evidence’ – there are concerns about the sustainability of distributed leadership for the governance of OLEs in universities.
View less >
View more >Online learning environments (OLEs) are complex information technology (IT) systems that intersect with many areas of university organisation. Distributed models of leadership have been proposed as appropriate for the good governance of OLEs. Based on theoretical and empirical research, a group of Australian universities proposed a framework for the quality management of OLEs, and sought to validate the model via a survey of Australasian university representatives with OLE leadership responsibility. For the framework elements: Planning and Resourcing were rated most important; Organisational structure was rated least important; Technologies were rated low in importance and high in satisfaction; Resourcing and Evaluation were rated low in satisfaction; and Resourcing had the highest rating of importance coupled with low satisfaction. Considering distributed leadership in their institution, respondents reported that the organisational alignments represented by ‘official’ reporting and peer relationships were significantly more important and more effective than the organisational alignments linking the formal and informal leaders. From a range of desirable characteristics of distributed leadership, ‘continuity and sustainability’ received the highest rating of importance and a low rating of ‘in evidence’ – there are concerns about the sustainability of distributed leadership for the governance of OLEs in universities.
View less >
Journal Title
European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning
Volume
16
Issue
2
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2013 The Author(s). European Distance and E-Learning Network - EDEN. The non-commercial use of the article will be governed by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license as currently displayed on http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Subject
Education Systems not elsewhere classified
Online learning environments
Distributed leadership
Quality management framework