We didn’t spend a ton of time asking our research participants about institutional support for digital skill development or online learning. But from what little we did speak about it, one conclusion became abundantly clear: The best resource for advocating for change in your setting is you.

If you believe your institution should be creating digital literacy development experiences for your students, then you have the power to make a difference in your system. We’ve even seen talented students and invested alums have an outsized impact.

We believe this because we have lived it. When Lisa and Kyle began their time at Virginia Theological Seminary, it’s fair to say the school was—how shall we put this?—not at the cutting edge. Of technology infrastructure even, to say nothing of awareness of new media’s relevance for ministry.

We wouldn’t say we’re at the cutting edge yet, but we’ve made remarkable progress. That’s largely thanks to

• our well-attended yearly e-Formation Conference, which put this topic on our colleagues’ radar;
• our supportive administrators and faculty, who have been willing to hear us out and partner with us when we’ve asked;
• our thoughtful students, many of whom brought adept digital literacy experience with them and used these skills to contribute to the life of our community; and
• our own willingness to step up to the plate when leadership opportunities presented themselves, to celebrate the skills every student and educator brings to this work (often without even knowing it), and on occasion to stick our necks out a bit.

We have shared here some of the artifacts we used to help make the case for change in our setting. We hope, if you’ve been part of a story like this—and we know from our research that some of you have—that our findings resonate with your experience. If you’ve experienced something particularly successful or transformative, please let us know (links to CONTACT US).

We also share here artifacts which intersect with the research we have done. We - the corporate we- are not working in a vacuum, and one of the blessings of the digital age is being able to be in conversation with others who are working towards similar goals in different places.

ADVOCACY EXAMPLES

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