Resumen de Systemic Shifts in Instructional Technology: Findings of a Comparative Case Study of Two University Mathematics Departments
Daniel Jarvis, Zsolt Lavicza, Chantal Buteau
This paper reports on the findings of an international case study in which researchers examined two mathematics departments (Canada/UK) in which the sustained use of technology was strategically established in a mathematics degree program. This case study forms part of a larger research initiative which involved an extensive literature review (Marshall, Jarvis, Lavicza and Buteau, 2012) and a national survey of Canadian Mathematicians (Buteau, Jarvis and Lavicza, 2014). Findings from the case study indicate that sustained implementation at the departmental level requires a unique combination of key factors such as: a dedicated core group led by a committed advocate in a position of influence/power; a strong and shared incentive for change; strategic hiring processes; an administration which supports creative pedagogical reform and well-considered risk-taking; and, a continuous and determined revisiting of the original vision and purpose. Significant challenges to implementation and sustained program development, with specific examples, are also discussed.
