4T barrier framework for digital education developers

In this blog post I will give a short overview of a framework I have developed, which I find useful when designing training and development strategies for staff development in digital tools.

This model is the result of various pieces of research I have undertaken over the years, exploring barriers for academic colleagues engagement with staff development. The framework can be used when planning the staff development element of your digital education strategy. Although it was originally developed to assist digital education teams in higher education to take a more strategic approach to their staff development programme, I believe it is equally applicable to any staff development which involves training in digital tools.

The 4T barrier framework looks explicitly at the four main barriers which prevent colleagues from effectively engaging with your training offer. The framework works as a lens through which you can explore if your offering is diverse enough to provide multiple pathways around these barriers.

Below you will find a short video and written summary of the framework, along with some key reflective questions you can use to self assess your training offer.

Time Constraints:

Barrier: Lack of time for training and exploring digital tools.

Key reflective questions:

Are our current training offerings flexible enough to accommodate varying schedules and time constraints for our staff?

Are there alternative methods, besides workshops, being used to efficiently disseminate key information?

How do our staff find out about the support on offer? How easy is it to find?

Training Opportunities:

Barrier: Issues related to the scheduling of training workshops.

Key reflective questions:

How well-aligned are our workshop schedules with the academic calendars and the overall availability of our staff?

In what ways do we involve staff in shaping and contributing to our training sessions to make them more relevant and impactful?

How collaborative are we with heads of departments, faculty deans, and program leaders to ensure our training programs meet organisational goals?

Technology Overwhelm:

Barrier: Staff feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of features and software.

Key reflective questions:

Have we clearly defined the essential digital skills required for our staff, ensuring focus on the most relevant and impactful aspects?

How streamlined is our dissemination process for updates on platforms like Teams to minimise staff overwhelm?

How clearly defined and focused are the objectives and benefits of our training materials?

Trust and Support

Barrier: Reluctance to seek help from digital support teams due to trust issues or lack of established relationships.

Key reflective questions:

In what ways are we actively promoting peer-to-peer learning within our team to build trust and encourage knowledge exchange?

How well have we fostered a collaborative culture where colleagues feel comfortable seeking help and sharing challenges without judgment?

How well do we support colleagues who find themselves in the role of "digital expert" in their teams?

If you would like to discuss how I can help your team to develop a strategically aligned and effective staff development approach, please get in touch.

You are welcome to use and share this framework under a CC-BY-NC-ND basis.