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

1. Developing a Vision of Teaching and Learning for 2025: Lessons Learned Bruce Harris Dixie State University Teaching & Learning Conference March 2019 St. George, Utah

2. BACKGROUND: • 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

3. 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

4. PURPOSE/CHARGE: • Provost established a Task Force with the charge: • 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.

5. METHOD: • 3 primary sources of input for the plan • Stakeholders of the university • Benchmarking visions from innovative universities • Best practices from the literature

6. METHOD: Used a Design Thinking Approach

7. METHOD:

8. METHOD: • 3 primary sources from other universities • Academic Plan: Northeastern 2025 • Stanford 2025 • Deliberate Innovation, Lifetime Education: Georgia Tech

9. RESULTS:

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. ACTIVE LEARNING: • 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.

14. INTEGRATED 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.

15. FLEXIBLE 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.

16. LIFELONG 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.

17. LESSONS LEARNED: • 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

18. Implementation: • 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

19. 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

20. LINK: http://bit.ly/Vision2025DSU bruce.harris@dixie.edu