Future Workshops as a tool for the democratization of higher education technology policy formation : a case study
Teräs, Hanna; Teräs, Marko; Suoranta, Juha (2025)
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025040423877
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025040423877
Tiivistelmä
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.
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.