Wahyu Hardyanto
Deputy Director (Academic), Postgraduate School
Abstract
This paper describes the way ICT has given both opportunity and space for institutional learning in Semarang State University (SSU, unnes.ac.id). It departs from the context of the University introduction of ICT to its management practice. This paper argues that ICT application has transformed the University overall management practice, as well as improved its mobility and contribution at both national and international level. This paper sees no better explanation beyond such transformation other than the fact the University community has engaged in a massive institutional learning process. Apart of this success, however, SSU ICT application has not yet given sound, significant impacts on the University academic programs, which include both teaching-learning and research and development activities.
Introduction
This paper stands on the belief John Dewey (1997, p. 19) stated almost a century ago in his Democracy and Education; that “we never educate directly but indirectly by means of the environment”. So, just as Dewey believes in the educative nature of physical, social, cultural environment this paper believes that the same principle applies on what the so-called information and communication technology (ICT) has offered: virtual environment. It took less than a half decade, Richardson (2010, p. ix) says, for this new environment to be “the mainstream conversation, when it come to politics, media, and business…and education”. Even though many are still worried about the massive intrusion of ICT into our education sites, we finally have to acknowledge that ICT is in fact something unavoidable for our current and future education practice (Carnoy, 2004; Ala-Mutka, Punie, & Redecker, 2008).
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Semarang State University at a glance
The present-day SSU was formally a state-owned Institute of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences (Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan). Founded in 1965, the Institute was then given a wider mandate and its status was improved to be university, Semarang State University, in 1999 with six faculties and a Postgraduate School. Two faculties, namely Faculty of Economics and Faculty of Law, were later founded in 2006 and 2007 respectively (Unnes, 2011). As it applies to higher learning institutions in general the main mandates of SSU is to provide teaching and learning, research, and community service.
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ICT introduction and institutional learning at SSU
To be a healthy organization means that SSU has to offer new, alternative values, knowledge, and practice, in short a breakthrough. Simultaneously, it also has to stop all situations potentially that potentially lead to more severe illness. Thus, as Gertler and Wolfe (2002, p. 13) suggest, “old habits of thought and routines, even some norms and values….have to be destroyed before existing social institutions can assimilate the new knowledge”. To initiate a change unfortunately is not that easy, especially when new institutional values and philosophy are required in one hand and at the same time the institution itself has both at the organizational and individual levels been so immersed in the old values and ways of working. It is important to note that an effective process of change does not stop at the introduction of a new set of idealized values. Indeed, must also embrace changes in the behaviors, attitudes, and activities of the individuals who support it.
Given this difficulty, Watts and his colleagues (2007, p. 13) recommend two possible ways for an organization to introduce and nurture change, the top-down and bottom-up approach (Figure 1). For the purpose of effectiveness, the models can be combined. Initially, an institution can take the top-down model, in which an institution, with the all authorities it possesses, introduces a new idealized state of being. Once, significant changes occurred, and the new tradition within the organization developed, the bottom-up can be taken.
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