Future Workshops as a tool for the democratization of higher education technology policy formation

Abstract

Digitalization is driving transformative changes that directly affect the work and work environment of university staff. Digital tools and platforms are shaping teaching and learning as well as other processes related to academic and administrative work. At the same time, staff have limited opportunities to participate in the decision-making and policy formation that direct the digitalization of their work. This paper describes a process of using the future workshops method as a proactive approach to engage academic, administrative, and managerial staff of one university in imagining desirable digital futures and brainstorming practical actions to achieve it. The method consists of three phases: critique, fantasy, and implementation. This paper reports the findings of the three phases that ultimately resulted in Digitalization Guidelines for Higher Education. It also reflects on the use of future workshops as a method for the democratization of higher education technology decision-making. The workshops highlighted that opportunities for meaningful, cross-disciplinary discussion on digitalization are rare and that there clearly is a need for such engagement. By involving various stakeholders in the policy formation process, future workshops empower participants to have a say in decisions that affect them. This engagement can lead to greater buy-in and support for the resulting policies.