Call it disruption, call it change, call it whatever you want â itâs coming.
Change is something of a constant in an academic setting: new students every year, new generations of faculty, new courses, new teaching techniques, new technologies. Â
But these days itâs larger change thatâs often the topic of conversation. Itâs rare for a week to go by without some media discussion about how the evolving wants and needs of students, faculty, industry and society at large in the digital age threatens the way universities deliver courses and programs. (Case in point: CBCâs Sunday Edition documentary which aired last month.)
Carolyn Watters, ±«Óătvâs vice-president academic and provost, says that these concerns are being felt across the university sector.
âThe model of the programs we offer is largely still from the â50s, from individual courses to how degrees are built,â she says. âA professor who taught at a university in 1960 might not be all that surprised if he or she walked into a classroom today â maybe by the projector and the computers, sure, but perhaps not necessarily by the character of the lectures.â
Of course, innovation in courses and programs is hardly absent at Dal. (The unique Environment, Sustainability and Society program is a great case in point.) But Dr. Watters and her team are hoping to spark a much larger, more coordinated discussion about academic innovation, with an eye to preparing for the university education of 2020 and beyond.
Defining what matters most
The Academic Innovation initiative is one of Dalâs top strategic priorities for the months and years ahead. It will involve an extensive outreach across the Dal community and beyond, connecting with students, faculty, staff, alumni, industry and more. Its website, which launched this week, highlights just some of the efforts in academic innovation taking place across Dal, and offers resources and collaborative opportunities for faculties, departments and individual professors interested in exploring new ideas in delivering programs and courses.
Learn more:
The projectâs major kickoff event will be the Senate Forum on Undergraduate Education, titled "DALVision 2020," which takes place on November 13. Featuring World CafĂ© discussions, guest speakers and more, the forum has been scheduled on this yearâs November Study Day (Halifax campuses) for a reason: so more students and faculty alike can play an active role, whether in person or following the discussion online. (The entire proceedings will be webcast.)
Learn more:
âThat will be the first opportunity for people to really get excited about this, and weâre hoping that as many as possible will follow along and take some time that day to think about some of the questions weâre asking,â says Dr. Watters. âWe want people to let their imaginations take the lead.â
She explains that the first year of the Academic Innovation initiative is more about questions than answers: an exploration to identify the essential elements of a university education and the potential disruptions it faces in the immediate and long-term future: from technology, to changing student needs, to evolving pedagogy.
âWeâre all excited about something, and weâre all anxious or frightened about something, but itâs time to actually try and address the questions. Iâm not foolish enough to believe that weâll ever fully know what it will look like in 2020, but we need to be focused out there, not just on next term or next year.â
Putting Dal in the driverâs seat
The initiative, to be led by Fiona Black in the Office of the Vice-President Academic, will include further events and sessions through the academic year: town halls, forums, sessions specifically for students, funding to support trial projects and more.
ⱫÓătv is no stranger to carefully developing excellent academic programs,â says Dr. Black. âThis is about a supportive structure for new conversations, reflections, stakeholder engagement and experimentation, one that encourages all our colleagues interested in academic evolution to take part. The enthusiasm of our faculty, staff and students bodes well for some lively debates.â
Dr. Watters is hesitant to speculate on what the initiativeâs outcomes may look like: she wants them to come forth from the process. So while itâs easy to jump ahead to discussing ideas like differing classroom spaces, or more choose-your-own-path degrees, or better methods for distance learning, Dr. Watters says that the only way Dal can get to assessing those ideas is through a community-wide effort to identify the right questions to answer.
âWe want people to be saying, âThis is where we want to go,â not just that âThis is where we have to go,ââ she says. âIf we donât take some ownership over the direction, we will be driven, and we may be driven to a spot where we struggle with the resources to make it happen. We need to be the ones in the driverâs seat, and thereâs a place there for each and every member of the ±«Óătv community.â
For more on Academic Innovation, visit the .