Management strategies and professional practices in the digital age

The Francophone Distance Learning Network (REFAD) published in the fall of 2019 a study entitled " Management of educational establishments in the digital age ”. The guide is intended for all players in the education sector concerned by distance learning and digital technology within their establishment.

The REFAD study notably presents management strategies, of professional practices and tools having contributed to the implementation of models favoring the transformation of distance and / or digital courses within French-speaking educational establishments. The purpose of this guide is to help managers with the implementation of distance learning, in hybrid and / or digital format.

It was produced with the collaboration of Ms. France Gravelle, Professor-researcher in education management and new governance at the Department of Education and Pedagogy of the University of Quebec in Montreal, Mr. Diarra Diakhate, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Quebec in Montreal and digital learning project manager at Inseec U. in France, Ms. Nathalie Frigon, doctoral student in educational sciences, educational advisor in the integration of technologies and research assistant at the University of Quebec in Montreal, and Ms. Julie Monette, master's student in educational sciences, research assistant and teaching assistant at the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Sharing experiences

The creation of this guide brought together managers working in elementary, secondary, vocational training, college and university level who have agreed to contribute to the transfer of knowledge and the sharing of professional experiences.

More specifically, there is a brief history of distance learning, an experience of organizational transformation in connection with digital technology and several accounts of professional experiences self-declared by study participants who piloted the transformation of distance learning courses. in hybrid and / or digital format.

The organizational transformation experience is that of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school board with the ICT-schools management. The chapter presents the context of the digital implementation, the organizational culture, the commitment to success plan, the massive digital implementation strategies in two phases, the support for educational innovation projects, the challenges and needs of directions, design of a frame of reference, experimentation, deployment, recommendations as well as success factors, challenges and issues.

Study conclusions

The approaches adopted by the managers interviewed for this study have enabled educational establishments to innovate and adapt education to the digital age. Here are some of the findings:

· It seems possible for any educational institution to offer its pupils / students more active and dynamic educational experiences through the use of technological tools and social media;

· To succeed in this educational change, it is important to plan the transformation of the training offer (action plan, financial and human resource investment);

It is important to train and support teachers and professors in the context of adapting their courses to the reality and the needs of pupils / students of the 21^e century;

· Varying the training and support systems seems to be a positive strategy to support teachers and professors in the context of the transformation of online courses, in hybrid and / or digital format.

This is an interesting guide to consult for managers who are thinking about how to transform and adapt teaching to the 21^e century. To read the full guide, it's this way.