Call it disruption, call it change, call it whatever you want 鈥� it鈥檚 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. 聽
But these days it鈥檚 larger change that鈥檚 often the topic of conversation. It鈥檚 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: CBC鈥檚 Sunday Edition documentary which aired last month.)
Carolyn Watters, Dalhousie鈥檚 vice-president academic and provost, says that these concerns are being felt across the university sector.
鈥淭he model of the programs we offer is largely still from the 鈥�50s, from individual courses to how degrees are built,鈥� she says. 鈥淎 professor who taught at a university in 1960 might not be all that surprised if he or she walked into a classroom today 鈥� maybe by the projector and the computers, sure, but perhaps not necessarily by the character of the lectures.鈥�
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 Dal鈥檚 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.
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The project鈥檚 major kickoff event will be the Senate Forum on Undergraduate Education, titled "DALVision 2020," which takes place on November 13. Featuring World Caf茅 discussions, guest speakers and more, the forum has been scheduled on this year鈥檚 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.)
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鈥淭hat will be the first opportunity for people to really get excited about this, and we鈥檙e hoping that as many as possible will follow along and take some time that day to think about some of the questions we鈥檙e asking,鈥� says Dr. Watters. 鈥淲e want people to let their imaginations take the lead.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all excited about something, and we鈥檙e all anxious or frightened about something, but it鈥檚 time to actually try and address the questions. I鈥檓 not foolish enough to believe that we鈥檒l 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.鈥�
Putting Dal in the driver鈥檚 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.
鈥満诹铣怨贤鴌s no stranger to carefully developing excellent academic programs,鈥� says Dr. Black. 鈥淭his 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.鈥�
Dr. Watters is hesitant to speculate on what the initiative鈥檚 outcomes may look like: she wants them to come forth from the process. So while it鈥檚 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.
鈥淲e want people to be saying, 鈥楾his is where we want to go,鈥� not just that 鈥楾his is where we have to go,鈥欌�� she says. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 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 driver鈥檚 seat, and there鈥檚 a place there for each and every member of the 黑料吃瓜网community.鈥�
For more on Academic Innovation, visit the .