Flip that Meeting: Online Consensus Building in an Academic Department

Abstract

The speed of technological advances and innovations has pushed higher education to innovate. Within this context, an academic department set out to revisit its vision and mission. Taking a flipped approach, the department modified its way of prioritizing discussion topics and utilized online, anonymous tools to seek participant consensus on topics to discuss in a face-to-face retreat. This study collected data in three rounds of online activities and eight individual participant interviews. Results indicate that consensus was achieved, inclusiveness was experienced, new insights were gained, and initial empathy was built. However, the new approach raised questions regarding efficiency and group communication. Opportunities and challenges with online tools, anonymity in groups, and faculty time are discussed.