Leadership on D'Arcy Norman, PhD

DICE in Practice: Adopting Generative AI Guidelines

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:00 -0600

The scenario

A mid-sized research university is developing its institutional response to generative AI. There is no single “AI project” - instead, there are dozens of overlapping conversations happening at different levels: individual instructors experimenting with ChatGPT in their courses, departments writing local policies, a provost-level working group drafting institutional guidelines, and national disciplinary organizations publishing position statements. Some faculty are enthusiastic, some are anxious, and most are somewhere in between.

Introducing the DICE Framework for Higher Ed Change Leadership

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:15:00 +0000

Leading change in a university involves many kinds of participation at once. In any given week, the same person might chair a committee with real decision-making authority, serve in an advisory role on another, pilot something new in their own teaching, and sit in a conference session absorbing ideas they hadn’t considered before. Each of those is a different kind of engagement, and each contributes to change in a different way.

things I'm watching as a learning technologies and design leader

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:51:52 +0000

I had an impromptu chat with a dear friend who I respect for his thoughtfulness and approach to the work¹. After the initial “boy, is the nature of our work ever different from back in the olden days when we actually got to build stuff!”, and “it seems like the bulk of our work now is just profoundly unbloggable for all kinds of reasons…”, we eventually got to “so… what kinds of things are you paying attention to?” That’s a big question, worth articulating and sharing.

2024 week 44

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Sat, 02 Nov 2024 11:37:17 +0000

Chronic insomnia is a hell of a thing.

🔗 Links

Leadership

Luis Velasquez @ HBR Review: When You’re Told You’re Not Strategic Enough

I haven’t been told this, but #3 definitely resonates:

3. Shorter-term issues take precedence.

The immediate pressures and urgencies of the day-to-day business sometimes overshadow the need for communicating about long-term planning. Leaders often prioritize execution and operational work over strategic reflection and communication, making it harder to articulate the bigger picture. As one stakeholder told me about Jason, “He appears too busy, always in execution mode.” Additionally, uncertainty and pressure can make leaders hesitant to articulate plans that aren’t fully concrete, and their stakeholders may be unable to connect the dots between the strategy and what’s happening on the ground, causing misunderstanding and misalignment.

2024 week 40

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Sat, 05 Oct 2024 10:30:10 +0000

This week’s update covers a range of topics including work dynamics, AI developments, joyful learning experiences, web sustainability, and management insights. Some reflections on how I share work-related content, explorations of various AI tools and their implications, the importance of authentic learning, and the evolving nature of the web.

2024 Week 37

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 13:31:17 -0600

Notes on simplifying classroom support models and content retention guidelines for Brightspace. Links include items on AI trends and various articles on leadership, AI in education, and course design.

2024 Week 36

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 11:21:25 -0600

This week’s links cover various topics including leadership authenticity, the renewed Experiential Learning Framework, AI’s role in creativity, and tech in higher education. Highlights include discussions on micromanagement, holistic pedagogy, AI in art, and generative AI’s impact on writing.

2024 Week 31

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 12:25:13 -0600

As August begins, work ramps up for the fall semester with AI discussions gaining momentum on campus. Highlights include reflections on web decentralization, leadership challenges, climate change impacts, and personal insights on grief and handwriting.

Being Data Driven vs. Data Informed

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:31:13 -0600

I explored Pavel Samsonov’s article on the limitations of being ‘data driven,’ reflecting on the importance of being ‘data informed’ in complex work environments where trust and collaboration are essential.

2024 Week 29

dnorman@me.com (D'Arcy Norman) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:48:50 -0600

I posted this thing earlier than usual since I was traveling. Info about a Course Outline Landing Page, upcoming AI-related sessions, and the SCUP conference; I also reflected on the implications of a global IT outage, explored new AI tools, and finally fixed my Archives page with some help from ChatGPT.