Developing a Vision of Teaching and Learning for 2025: Lessons Learned

Bruce Harris

Dixie State University

Teaching & Learning Conference

March 2019

St. George, Utah

• Higher Education landscape is dramatically changing
• Institutions must define a vision for teaching and learning to remain viable, competitive, and relevant
• DSU is no exception—did not have a shared vision for addressing changes in higher education

BACKGROUND:

• How could CTL be a change agent in changing the culture of teaching and learning at the university?
• Developing a vision of teaching and learning for the future could influence the next university strategic plan
• Current strategic plan says very little about teaching and learning

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BACKGROUND:

Provost established a Task Force with the charge:

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• Develop a shared vision that defines and characterizes the culture of teaching and learning at DSU in the year 2025 and recommendations on how to achieve that vision.

PURPOSE/CHARGE:

3 primary sources of input for the plan

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• Stakeholders of the university
• Benchmarking visions from innovative universities
• Best practices from the literature

METHOD:

Used a Design Thinking Approach

METHOD:

METHOD:

3 primary sources from other universities

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• Academic Plan: Northeastern 2025
• Stanford 2025
• Deliberate Innovation, Lifetime Education: Georgia Tech

METHOD:

RESULTS:

Foundational Principles

• University must be more Learner Centered
• Provide lifelong learning opportunities for learners and other stakeholders—Looped Learning
• Align Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO), Program Learning Outcomes (PLO), and Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)—that can be measured and clearly validated for employers and others
• Be an agile learning organization that is quick in responding to changes in the marketplace and/or higher education landscape

RESULTS:

Foundational Principles

• Learners will be engaged in the community as leaders, taking major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of their communities
• University must deliver on its motto: active learning, active life. All learning must be active, effective, and efficient.
• Actively integrate and utilize advanced learning technologies such as AI, adaptive learning, VR, AR, etc. to advance personalized and precision learning experiences

RESULTS:

Four Learning Components

• Active Learning: Learners will be actively engaged through applied, hands-on, collaborative learning connected with real-world problems and activities.
• Integrated Learning: Learners will be connected with local and global communities, develop competencies necessary in an every-changing marketplace, and solve complex problems.
• Flexible Learning: Learners will select from an expanded array of pathways and options for a more successful learning experience.
• Lifelong Learning: Learners will have access to the university throughout their lifetime, and develop a disposition towards continuous learning.

RESULTS:

• Majority of instructional time spent engaged in applied, collaborative learning
• All learning spaces, technologies, and formats promote and incorporate active learning
• Learning resources, faculty, and support are learner-centered
• Active Learning is collaborative in a diverse and inclusive learning environment, and uses social problem solving to ensure learner success
• Etc.

ACTIVE LEARNING:

• Opportunity to create a business, organization, or other public impact during the learning experience
• Solve complex problems through interdisciplinary and experiential learning
• Learners will be engaged in the community as leaders, taking major responsibility for the economic, social, and cultural vitality of their communities
• Make meaningful connections to local and global communities
• Etc.

INTEGRATED LEARNING:

• Provide stackable credentials and flexible pathways to achievement
• Learners will be able to learn anytime, anywhere with flexible pacing and pricing options
• Learners can receive credit for assessment of learning achieved outside the classroom (PLA)
• Provide competency-based learning options
• Learning will be personalized to the needs, pace, and goals of each learner
• Etc.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING:

• Focus on foundational skills in pursuit of a mission
• Develop essential skills and traits for lifelong learning (e.g. self-regulation, grit, metacognition)
• Support services and learning resource infrastructure will expand to meet the growing needs of self-directed learners
• University as concierge: Multiple entry and exit points for learning throughout a lifetime
• Etc.

LIFELONG LEARNING:

• A Design Thinking Approach worked effectively to achieve our outcomes
• Developing an infographic of the vision was critical to communicate the vision to stakeholders—many did not read the 8-page white-paper prototype
• Our target interviews with some stakeholders were not very productive—we should have focused more on the key stakeholders in the initial phases
• There was more agreement for the Learning Vision 2025 than we anticipated. Results of a survey of faculty, staff, & students showed 77% agreed and 11% disagreed with the learning vision

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Established a working group to implement the Learning Vision 2025
• Prioritized the Learning items—can’t do it all at once
• Active Learning
• Flexible Learning
• Integrated Learning
• Lifelong Learning

Implementation:

• Currently assessing DSU’s resources and capacity to achieve prioritized Items
• Next Steps
• Develop strategic Plan for prioritized items
• Reach out community members—Public relations and building trust
• Integrate the Vision 2025 into next University Strategic Plan

Implementation:

bruce.harris@dixie.edu

LINK:

http://bit.ly/Vision2025DSU