Framing and enhancing distributed leadership in the quality management of online learning environments in higher education

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of senior leadership interviews in a nationally funded project on distributed leadership in the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in higher education. Questions were framed around the development of an OLE quality management framework and the situation of the characteristics of distributed leadership at the core of the framework. The project's premise is that distributed leadership is a descriptive reality of managing OLEs given the various leadership parties involved and the complexities of the contemporary technological landscape. It was believed that enhancing distributed leadership would become more pressing given the ever-changing nature of elearning, and the associated competitive dynamics at work. Leaders' understandings of distributed leadership were examined-its nature, value and potential for advancing the quality management of OLEs. There was confirmatory evidence of its reality, but its meaning and value were not uncritically accepted. Discerning its practice was not unproblematic, along with institutional strategies that have and could be implemented to build such organizational leadership capacity. It can be concluded that building distributed leadership must start through deliberative formal leadership commitment and action starting at the highest levels of the institution.

Focusing the kaleidoscope: exploring distributed leadership in an English university

“…While research into this area appears relatively sparse, recent research in Australia seems to suggest that adopting distributed leadership models in higher education can be successful (Harkin and Healy 2013) with the approach proving especially useful in relation to leading the quality management of on-line learning environments (Holt et al 2013, Holt et al 2014 and in building leadership capacity in learning and teaching (Jones et al 2014, Jones et al 2012. What is less clear, however, is how useful adopting a distributed leadership model is in relation to supporting academic staff in a research-led environment, which is something this paper hopes to address.…”

“…Now, more than ever, higher education institutions in the UK and elsewhere are reflecting on the need for effective leadership models which enable individual members of staff, their departments and the institution as a whole to adapt to a quickly changing academic environment (Flumerfelt and Banachowski 2011, Osseo-Asare, Longbottom, and Chourides 2007, Randall and Coakley 2007, Holt et al 2014. The characteristics of 'effective' leadership are open to question, however, particularly in a higher education sector in which rapid shifts in policy and funding are contributing to a kaleidoscopic 'supercomplexity' (Barnett 2000) of challenges, structures, processes and value frameworks.…”

Dawn or dusk of the 5th age of research in educational technology? A literature review on (e-)leadership for technology-enhanced learning in higher education (2013-2017)

“…Cluster 1 consists of studies focussed on leadership from the perspective of formal leaders: faculty governance (Ciabocchi, Ginsberg, & Picciano, 2016), university administrators (Livingstone, 2015;Spackman, Thorup, & Howell, 2015), senior leaders (Akcil, Aksal, Mukhametzyanova, & Gazi, 2017;Holt, Palmer, Gosper, Sankey, & Allan, 2015), online education administrators (Burnette, 2015) or through the mobilisation of local and international experts (Davis & Higgins, 2015;Díaz & Báez, 2015).…”

The role of the associate dean in UK universities: distributed leadership in action?

“…These findings perhaps reflect the more 'managerialist' approach of new universities who see such roles as an essential aspect of 'managing' the organisation and want them therefore to be more accountable, against perhaps the more traditional, collegial management cultures of older universities where it is seen as more of a rotated academic duty that does not need formal promotion and large remuneration. However, the results from this study suggest that these practices may well change with traditional institutions being forced to adopt similar practices as their more modern counterparts, in order to adapt and survive in an increasingly competitive and international market (Holt et al 2014). …”

“…is to implement new 'distributed leadership' models-frequently based on themes and programmes rather than on academic departments-with the hope of being more flexible and efficient in an increasingly competitive and international market (Holt et al 2014), while at the same time attempting to ensure and improve quality within the organisation (Flumerfelt and Banachowski 2011). These models have led to an increase in cross-disciplinary middle leadership roles in universities (Preston and Floyd 2016), an example of which is the position of associate deans in the UK which is the focus of this article.…”