My innovation plan started small and confined to a specific learning environment and has evolved into a larger initiative involving multiple collaborators and outcomes.

The scope of my innovation plan (IP) has grown beyond my original vision and its primary intent. The work of developing, researching and creating collaborators has been far-ranging and challenging than I initially planned.

I began my IP without a specific blueprint — I knew what I wanted the end result to be. I also knew why I wanted my students to do it and the purpose the IP was intended to serve.

The amount of work I’ve put in for my project is far-ranging in scope and sequence. I’m not sure how much detail to include — I’ve written about all of it throughout the course and I don’t want to be redundant, but I’m going to summarize the key components of what has happened so far and what my plans and ideas are for the future.

Summary

My initial IP called for implementing mandatory ePortfolios for all student staffers at the University Press. I started with the advertising students in spring 2016 semester and added senior editors in summer and fall 2016.

I entered the Digital Learning and Leading Program in September 2016 after visiting with Dr. Wallace and Dr. Cummings. They introduced me to Dr. Thibodeaux who discussed the parameters of the program and asked me how I might proceed. I told her about my ideas and she encouraged me to pursue the development of my concepts into a more concrete endeavor.

The beginning EDLD courses, 5302, 5303 and 5304, introduced me to research and the COVA concept and I began to see how I could tailor my ideas to the work with the DLL program (Harapnuik, 2016).

One of the most exciting aspects of the DLL program is how it and meshed with the development of my IP. The timing of my plan and the schedule of my coursework went hand-in-hand and continued to do so to the present capstone course.

The main components of my IP work have been:

• Clarifying the framework of the IP in context with COVA
• Curating learning theories to support my IP
• Collaborating and recruiting allies; persuading dissenters to change
• Implementing the IP, reflecting on the IP and adjusting the IP

Secondary components of my IP:

• Expanding my IP to include the Department of Communication
• Aligning my IP with innovation and change elements with the Department of Communication
• Developing professional development to support my IP
• Reflect on future developments of my IP

My IP is in progress, in the fifth generation, and is sustainable for the foreseeable future. My concern for my IP and the connection to any future use is that it is a practice of personality. Would my plan continue in my absence? Is my IP a result of personality or charisma vs. community of practice? (Wenger, 1998).

A dynamic that I have observed in several learning environments is the response by learners and observers of how audiences react to the charisma or personality of the instructor (Sinek, 2009). More dynamic instructors have eagerly included the ePortfolio component into their courses, coincidently most of the same instructors also tend to have extensive industry or professional backgrounds as well. Instructors with a more rhetorical and academic background comprise most of the dissenters in implementing my IP.

I credit, “Crucial Conversations” by Patterson, Grenny and Swizler as having a profound influence in framing my strategy to gathering collaborators to my plan. In addition, the book was crucial in addressing and converting dissenters to my plan.

I emphasized a sense of urgency for my IP — essentially as soon as I presented the ePortfolio concept for the UP, it was implemented. I have refined my approach ever since and have focused on guiding my students to curate and tailor their ePortfolio for specific needs and audiences. For example, advertising students might need more graphic design or sales, customer relations management artifacts vs. that of a journalism student that might need to emphasize editorial or story content.

I have set specific goals as to when I want elements complete, but I’ve not been given or told to have specific completion dates until this semester when my department chair and came up with a plan for a soft departmental roll-out. The soft roll out meant that instructors did not have to grade ePortfolios as a course requirement. It also meant that an emphasis would be to implement and begin instructor professional development.

Throughout this process I have learned that knowledge and motivation alone are not enough to push a plan to implementation. Success, or more appropriately, achievement can be accomplished and measured in many ways.

First, learning by students and by instructors, is not static — nor should it be. It’s an ongoing process and, I’ve found, often a process of discovery, a process of addition and subtraction and a process constant reflection. These elements must be held in perspective so that one element does not overwhelm another.

For example, from an instructional point of view, I have been exposed to and discovered a tremendous amount of literature, studies, commentary, etc. about learning theories and IPs — so much so that it at times became information overload and an unrealistic task of reading and digesting it all. I’ve had to organize material into several different compartments and limit how much effort I would devote to synthesizing it. I now scan for keywords or elements that support my ideas or challenge my ideas and then discard the rest to read at a later date or eliminate. Also, I’ve chose to spend more effort on select materials instead of trying to include everything that is relatable.

What has worked? Everything and nothing, at times. Again, I fall back to “Crucial Conversations” as the crucible that has been a foundational component, along with COVA. I encounter resistance to the incorporation of learning theories in my ePortfolio discussions and I’m not always sure why.

I feel that learning theories are considered by my instructors to be secondary concerns or unimportant. I don’t think outside of education students much emphasis is placed on pedagogy and learning theory. That thinking falls equally on to rhetoricians as well as experiential instructors. I need to do a better job at explaining why learning theories are an important component of the ePortfolio initiative. Many instructors think that knowledge in itself is enough. They don’t think about how learners learn particularly.

I have also learned that everyone who teaches is not necessarily interested in teaching — those individuals are the most difficult to persuade to change their ways. I have learned, and I feel, that interpersonal conversation is the most successful format for persuasion — gather key influencers and create a tsunami of support and then roll out to a more visible change plan. I think that is why my IP has been achievable and successful, so far. It takes longer and is more time intensive, but I feel it also strengthens relationships and potential for collaboration.

My next step or phase involves publishing our experiences and presenting my concepts to colleagues wherever and whenever I can. For example, I officially received acceptance of speaking at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Convention on Friday, March 24 for two different sessions. One session is about incorporating ePortfolios as part of student media operations, heavily emphasizing COVA. The second session is focusing on building ad sales for student media and I include a smaller discussion element about ePortfolios and COVA.

A major component of that phase that I’m planning is a redesign will be a of my website. I’ve been using WordPress and while I have a robust them, I’m not happy with the results and I think I’m going to migrate to a more traditional HTML-based site for flexibility. However, I may stay with WordPress if I can make the changes that I want. The design aesthetic for WordPress is somewhat limiting, despite the theme, and I’m just not pleased with the overall appearance My timeframe is to begin during this capstone course with a majority of the effort taking place over the summer because me workload is a bit lighter and my time more discretionary and completing changes by Aug. 1, 2018.

I do see my website as being multi-dimensional. Learning theory is going to be a major component, but I also want to include my portfolio of professional work, a new blog and professional development artifacts about art, journalism, advertising, media and current events in general.

I plan to convey additional ideas and projects via my professional networks and related outlets. I’ve been a member and officer of several organizations and will continue to do so.

My next innovation project will be the creation of a high school journalism workshop initiative to help advisers and students enhance the quality of their programs through operational and instruction change and/or disruption, better journalism practices of news gathering and reporting (especially data journalism), ethical and legal practices and digital citizenship (ASNE, 2015). I have a collaborator in my department chair, Natalie Tindall, and with my co-adviser Andy Coughlan and have received “the okay” of institutional and organizational support from the Interscholastic League Press Conference (the University Interscholastic League press club), the University of Texas and Lamar University. Typically, ILPC holds yearly or semi-annual high school journalism workshops across the state’s five UIL regions. However, deep East Texas is often lacking in participation — for a number of reasons.

East Texas workshops are usually hosted in Houston and many smaller schools and districts can’t travel to it, usually financial considerations. My goal is that Beaumont is much closer and the workshop can be held as a day-event versus three or four days in a hotel. If we choose to host a longer, more intense event on campus, I have already secured used of unoccupied and unassigned dorm rooms for a summer workshop that would also be combined with a meal plan at our wonderful dining hall (our dining hall is really pretty good and popular).

The workshop would be an intense schedule and I would want to record the sessions to create a webinar or online course for later use for a fee less than that of attending the on-campus workshop. This would call for the creation of web classroom. There would be a series of modules for students or advisers to complete at their own pace, but within a certain time period like a month or 60 days maybe.

I’m considering creating a LLC or 503c organization to be the parent “institution” for the online coursework. Much will depend upon, what and if, Lamar will support the endeavor and what is required to sustain the project. It is also possible to collaborate with other organizations too, as part of an educational cooperative.

References

ASNE Newsroom Census (2015). American Society of Newsroom Editors 28 June 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2017 from http://asne.org/content.asp?pl=140&sl=129&contentid=129

David L, “Communities of Practice (Lave and Wenger),” in Learning Theories, July 16, 2014, https://www.learning-theories.com/communities-of-practice-lave-and-wenger.html.

Harapnuik, D. (2016, September 29). COVA Model [Web log]. Retrieved from http://www.harapnuik.org/?s=cova

Patterson, K., Grenny, J., & Swizler, A. (2012). Crucial conversations: tools for talking when stakes are high. (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill New York, NY. ISBN-10: 0071771328

Patterson, K., & Grenny, J. (2013). Influencer: The power to change anything, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 0071808868

Sinek, S. (2009). Start With Why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Penguin.ISBN B002Q6XUE4