Technology Plans – Aligning IT with Institutional Goals

I began reviewing the 2010 State of Michigan Educational Technology Plan with the idea that I might not find it applicable to my environment. I work for a Michigan university, but I am located off-campus and provide service to students from all over the country. I just wasn’t sure that technology goals and strategies designed to support learning for PK-16 students could be relevant for each type of educational setting that is encompassed in that range.

But then I looked at my own institution’s technology plan, and began to see some correlations. While I still suspect that a university’s technology plan is probably more complex than a plan for a single K-12 school or even a school district, any educational technology plan should have as its overarching purpose an effort to improve learning outcomes “through effective application of educational technology and data to inform instruction”¹.

If there is one thing I’ve learned through participating in strategic planning efforts at various types of organizations, it’s that any departmental plan must be aligned with the broader organizational mission. With this in mind, I gave some consideration to how well my institution’s technology goals match the university’s priorities, in the same way that the Michigan Educational Technology plan supports the broader mission of the Department of Education.

My university is coming to the end of a 5 year strategic plan called CMU 2010. In support of the organizational priorities outlined in this vision plan, the university’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) developed the following goals:

1. Maintain an exemplary learning environment - on- and off-line
2. Protect the university's data and systems
3. Use data to drive decision-making and support continuous improvement
4. Build comprehensive communications and services environment
5. Support the research and creative mission
6. Understand the IT services we offer

Just as with the Michigan statewide plan, the university’s technology plan is focused on using technology to improve the learning environment for its students, preparing students and faculty to meet the demands of an increasingly technical global economy, and providing the systems and services that enable decision-makers to use institutional data to further student-centered objectives.

I think both plans demonstrate the need to communicate technology-related goals to a broad audience. Students, parents, faculty, and other stakeholders can become more invested in their organizations’ efforts when the goals, strategies and actions outlined in the technology plan are clear and accessible. The CIO at Central Michigan University provides updates about the institution’s technology-related activities through a blog on the OIT web site. The invitation for public comment on a draft of the Michigan plan is also an example of how important it is to have the learning community – whether elementary, secondary or higher education – involved in the process.

Resources:
2010 State of Michigan Educational Technology Plan: Teaching for Learning in a Digital Age (DRAFT) December 2009..