The Associated Students of Madison Shared Governance Committee heard from Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Chris Olsen Thursday, who attended the meeting to ask committee members to “brainstorm” ways the university’s Educational Innovation efforts could better include student input.
Educational Innovation, an initiative started by Chancellor David Ward during his current term, aims to create a more sustainable higher education environment through the use of new learning technologies.
According to Olsen, the effort began as a “brainchild” of Ward with three goals in mind: to enhance teaching and learning, expand the number of students being educated and seek out new revenue streams for the university after multiple years of reduced state support.
“We can’t simply complain we don’t have sufficient funds to do the kinds of things we’d like to do,” Olsen said. “We have to show that we’re taking initiative on our own to try to move the campus forward.”
The initiative’s leadership has developed three funds, “to put money into the hands of innovative faculty and instructional staff,” and is currently working with different faculty to explore new learning options in the classroom.
Students said they would like to see better uses of iClickers in courses, as well as using course evaluations to gauge classroom innovation.
Shared Governance Committee Chair Britt Moes said she welcomed Olsen to speak because she said she feels the project should involve student input.
“When you are creating things for students … you have to know what that population wants,” Moes said.
