Re-imaginging IPFW's Academic Future

October 29, 2010

The Scholarship of Engagement

IPFW strives to be a nationally recognized institution known for its regional impact. We are committed, in word and deed, to engaging with our community. Can engagement be more than service? Can it be the subject of scholarship? Can it be scholarly, in and of itself?

October 22, 2010

The role of college and university libraries in re-imagining undergraduate education

by wjmckinney

Libraries sit at the heart of academic life, yet the very nature of libraries is being transformed before our eyes. How do these changes intersect with the kinds of transformational change being discussed in the Red Balloon project?

October 15, 2010

RSA Animate: Changing Education Paradigms

by Re-imagine IPFW Administrator

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson gives an insightful and provocative presentation on the problems with the current education paradigm. Here’s an amazing animated short of his talk:

The full presentation is here:

Food for thought…

October 13, 2010

Thoughts from the second open academic forum

by wjmckinney

Mark Masters, Chaiperperson and Professor of Physics, asked that I post the text of this thoughtful email to the blog. It not only addresses process within his home department, but also some thoughts on the broader re-imagining process on campus.

Thanks, Mark!

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Bill,

I have been working on “re-imagining” how the physics department operates, how we offer classes, what we want to offer, instructional design, who should teach what for approximately 2 years with an increasing focus on that as time progresses. We have found this task to be extremely difficult and time consuming – though necessary. For this reason I am very supportive of the discussions we have been having about re-imagining IPFW.

In thinking about this and how to proceed, we are in a very nebulous phase. It seems to me that the most critical aspect is to define what outcomes we want, then everything else we do needs to align with that. If one imagines that administration is to be supportive of the academic mission – whatever that may be – then re-imagining that while simultaneously considering changes at “lower” levels seems at crossed purposes to me. I would envision a logical progression to be to define what outcomes we want, to determine how instructional design and delivery have to change to achieve those outcomes, how administrative support (department and up) has to change to support changes in design and delivery.

My 2.5 cents.

Sincerely,

Mark

October 11, 2010