Goal 2:  Develop a comprehensive and strategic understanding of online program management issues.

Evidence 1:  It was quite an experience, and I learned more about vision and planning (Bates, 2000) and diffusion, adoption, and implementation (Khan, 2005) than I ever would have had I not been in a state educational policy position.  It is ironic to now, a decade later, be reading the theory behind the practice in which I was so fully immersed in the mid 2000s. . . . the best we can do is know that good practice is supported by sound theory and research; be informed; and stand ready to mobilize the limited resources that might come our way . . . even on short notice.

Evidence 2:  . . . vision and planning are commensurate to building an airplane in mid-flight.

During my tenure at ISBE, I worked on numerous e-Learning projects.  One very familiar end product is the Illinois Interactive Report Card (iirc).  I had the privilege of working on many more.  Reflecting back, I can connect the strategic planning and subsequent actions to the stages identified in ADDIE and IPECC.  Those were real-life experiences that taught me to understand that working on a technology project is different from working on a traditional project.

Tech projects can be abstract and challenging to navigate collaboratively.  Khan indicates that one of the things that differentiates e-learning projects is that you have to keep them moving forward at a rapid pace (p. 11).  I likewise experienced that demanding pace and likened the experience to building an airplane in mid-flight.

We are preparing for a generation of workers who are the ones that followed technology.  In my quest to implement new training platforms that honor the adult learners, engage their intellect, and allow them to genuinely interact, I must also avoid Khan’s #s 1 and 11 of his top reasons why e-learning projects fail. This could get very interesting!