Giving Compass' Take:

• Many themes focusing on innovation in higher education emerged from Arizona State University's research center conference hosted by EdPlus. 

• How can innovation in higher education work towards inclusivity and accessibility?  Are there initiatives to help increase the number of students enrolling in college and retain them?

• Learn about the challenges of innovation in higher education. 

Innovation is happening all over higher education today—but it is happening in islands, pockets and clusters. On campuses, it’s happening in the Office of the President, where grand visions find their footing, and in the office of an instructional designer, who may be helping a faculty member create their first course integrating VR content. Each of these institutions are home to optimistic changemakers: people who are passionate about supporting engaging, relevant learning experiences that are accessible and affordable to all.

At the end of April, about 130 of these “dreamers, doers, and drivers” gathered for an unconference at Arizona State University’s research center, EdPlus, under the umbrella idea of Shaping the Future of Learning in the Digital Age. The event was brainchild of ASU’s new CIO, Lev Gonick, and co-convened by 13 institutions and organizations, and included representatives from industry as sponsors and thought partners.

We saw several themes emerge, some of which become became fodder for “neighborhood” action-oriented discussions:

  • Innovation in the Neighborhoods:  Some important ideas emerged such as how to foster personalized learning environments (PLEs):, Understanding the implications and use cases of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality VR), more effective understanding of how to use data and analytics to measure learning and drive decision-making.
  • Forging Authentic, Cross-Institutional Relationships: Strengthening old relationships and forging new ones is invaluable when there is so much to be shared across institutions —whether they are one or ten thousand miles apart.
  • Including Excluded Voices: Students and Employers: A third thread running through the event was a recognition of voices notably absent from the event: students.
  • United in Mission: In an event that could have been all about technology and digital tools, there was a clear “people-first” mindset.

Read the full article about innovation in higher education by Samantha Becker at EdSurge