The  Network  of  Australasian  Tertiary  Association  (NATA)  

Understanding  network  leadership  in  Australasian  Tertiary  Associations:  

 Communication  a  key  element    of  success  

1

Presented  by  Mike  Keppell,  Gordon  Suddaby,  Helen  Carter,  Caroline  Steel  

SYMPOSIUM OVERVIEW ¢  Introductions

¢ Background to the Network of Australasian Tertiary Associations (NATA)

¢ NATA key activities

¢ Emerging themes

¢ Communication �  ACODE Activity

�  Ascilite Project

¢ Network Leadership

¢ Links & Resources 2

THE NETWORK OF AUSTRALASIAN TERTIARY ASSOCIATIONS

¢ National Networking project funded by the Office for Learning & Teaching

¢ Network leaders: Mike Keppell & Gordon Suddaby

¢ Network partners: ACODE, ascilite, CADAD, HERDSA, ODLAA, AARNet, NetSpot

¢ Key Foci: ¢  Member Engagement:

¢  Technologies & Communication ¢  Network Leadership

3

NETWORK ENGAGEMENT

1.  What networks are you currently a member of?

2.  With which do you feel most engaged with and why?

3.  What do you see as the value of belonging to such a network?

4

NATA ACTIVITIES ¢  Dissemination of the ALTC/OLT Good Practice Reports

¢  GPR eResource webinar launch

¢  NATA Research

¢  NATA Partner Projects: ¢  ACODE: Documenting a process and framework for scoping a

contemporary issue of general concern including a simple how-to document and template for generating a briefing document

¢  Ascilite: Developing a guide to support and advance network engagement for members of professional associations and networks in the digital age

¢  CADAD: Developing an online professional development tool kit on engaging & adopting social media tools to enhance professional connectivity

¢  HERDSA: HERDSA Guide – Leading academic networks

¢  ODLAA: Developing a communication architecture that is attractive and offers value to professional organizations

¢  Engaging with other OLT networks

¢  Network Sustainability

5

EMERGING THEMES ¢ Dissemination within the sector continues to be

problematic: Networks offer possibilities for helping to overcome some of the barriers

¢ Network communication needs to be fit for purpose both in mode and message: consistency and the appropriate use of technology can support a sense of connection and development of a community of trust

¢ Network leadership has emerged as a clear focus for inter-network collaboration: a paucity of research and resources in this area has also been identified

¢ Sustainability is only a good outcome if the continuing network offers value to stakeholders

6

COMMUNICATION: A CRITICAL ELEMENT

7

ACODE ACTIVITY ¢ ACODE Project; A Sector-Wide Approach to

Institutional Media Management.

¢ NATA Partner Project; Engaging Network Members: A NATA case study of a Contemporary Tertiary Sector Issue

8

Project Members •  ACODE team: Ric Canale, Alan Arnold, David Green •  Reference group: Helen Carter, Susan Stoney, James

Sankar, Philip Uys

PROJECT OVERVIEW o  Use ACODE’s Media Management

project as a case study o  Engage members and develop a guide

to a contemporary issue. o  Key elements for engaging network

members, the factors required to jointly investigate and to collectively write a briefing document in a timely fashion. 9 9

RELEVANCE TO OTHER NETWORKS

Institution ACODE, CAUL,

CAUDIT et al.

Institutional governance processes

Institutional policy,

systems and processes

Councils & Assoc.

Institutional members

Sector-wide scoping of

issues

Discrete perspectives &

guidelines

National-regional

Associations, agencies,

other?

National governance processes

National policy,

systems and processes

10 10

WHY NOW, WHY THIS PROJECT? The Media Management problem is subject to the same drivers for closer national/regional networking:

o  Wider social change driving institutional change

o  Breaking down of silos within institutions

o  Growing need for collaboration among institutions

o  Advances in the management of technologies • E.g. Managed services, LTI, Use of OER &

proprietary content 11 11

ASCILITE PROJECT Guide to support and advance

network engagement for members of professional associations and networks in the digital age.

12

Dr Dom Parrish and Liz Greener

PROJECT OVERVIEW ¢ Environmental scan/literature review ¢  Interviews with 14 key practitioners across

NATA - ascilite, HERDSA, ODLAA, CADAD and NetSpot

¢ Development of guide that will outline design principles and engagement strategies for the use of web based resources

¢  Dissemination of the Guide with NATA partners ¢ Embedding of good practice in ascilite

communication and engagement renewal strategies 13

INITIAL FINDINGS Early findings:

�  Capitalise on existing activities �  Explicit purpose, facilitated engagement �  Issues of time, relevance and importance

“The world has moved on from having a private sort of password protected area for members to collaborate”  

“Looking at what benefits us as individuals and our personal learning networks.” 

Early feedback: �  “Simple, intuitive, easy to use” �  “My primary tool at the moment in professional engagement and keeping

up with the developments is twitter.”  �  “Digging deeper into topical issues is through blogs.” �  “Webinars are particularly valuable for again getting access to key

individuals.”

Lists of technologies and their affordances in our context. �  Yammer, Deigo, Pinterest, slideshare, aggregators etc.

14

‘ Personal Learning

Environments

Professional Association

Communication networks &

tools

Collaboration approaches &

tools

15

UNDERSTANDING GOOD PRACTICE IN NETWORK LEADERSHIP

How do you understand network leadership? Are you or have you been a network leader? Are you a

member of a network?

1.  What do you see as the key functions or role of network leaders?

2.  What do you see as the key challenges in effective network leadership?

3.  What examples can you provide of good practice in network leadership?

16

NETWORK LEADERSHIP ¢ Principles for Good Practice in Network

Leadership ¢ HERDSA Guide – To be launched in 2014

¢  Ch. 1. About academic networks ¢  Ch. 2. The role of the network leader ¢  Ch. 3. The strategic network leader ¢  Ch. 4. Network management ¢  Ch. 5. Developing your network engagement strategy ¢  Ch. 6. Finishing your term as network leader

¢ Tips for leading academic networks guide – 4 page briefing document

¢  Three phases of academic network leadership 17

18

Improving engagement and practice through network leadership

THE NETWORK OF AUSTRALASIAN TERTIARY ASSOCIATIONS

Mission:

LINKS & RESOURCES ¢ NATA Blog: www.nataonthenet.blogspot.com ¢ ALTC/OLT Good Practice Reports:

http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-library/good-practice-reports

¢ Tips for leading academic networks guide

19

To register to participate in the Good Practice Report eResource launch webinar, email Natasha.Hard@usq.edu.au with the subject ‘NATA GPR

Webinar’.

Acknowledgement: This presentation was informed by the work of the Network of Australasian Tertiary Associations with funding provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.