Requirements
Rewards and Incentives are something we all know are missing or present for our individual jobs. And yet, when we talk about this from the systems level, it can feel really tough to do much about. We can take a highly skilled and knowledgeable worker with a clear job definition working in a place with strong policies, and he or she still may not perform optimally because there are no rewards or incentives for what we want folks to do.
Example:
Online Learning in Higher Education – it takes more time to put together an online course than a face-to-face course, and yet most institutions do not offer additional rewards or incentives for faculty who invest this energy and time. In fact, there is often a disincentive for faculty – because of the time it takes to develop a quality online course, other areas will suffer like publications or service. The faculty member is often penalized when it comes time for performance reviews, even though they invested the necessary time to deliver a quality online learning experience to students.
Universities making headway here are doing several things, each in the six different areas we're discussing. Some have developed centers with staff to assist faculty. Some provide faculty mini-grants or buy-out time. Some provide additional pay for developing online courses. And still some are building recognition for this work into policies and performance review processes.
Reflection:
Are you rewarded for what could be considered universal design in your school/work environment? If you do what is necessary to ensure all students are learning, will you be rewarded for that (and how) or penalized (and how)? What rewards and incentives could be improved at your school or district (or even the national level)?