Redesigning Education: What and How We Teach and Learn

Because of synergies, the two teams on what and how we teach and learn have been combined into one subcommittee, "Redesigning Education."

Redesigning Education

  • Add new areas of study to equip students with greater adaptability and flexibility to succeed in a global environment. Examine new languages, culture studies, policy studies, law, medicine, and other health-related areas, critical thinking skills, humanities, etc. needed by Georgia Tech graduates in the future in order to adapt and succeed in 2035.
  • Broaden the curriculum so that students can develop a broader range of capabilities without losing the focus and rigor of a technological university.
  • Provide more opportunities for experiential learning in the curriculum, including study-abroad programs and ways of getting international experience.
  • Engage students in research and other real-world applications to hone their knowledge and skills, and adequately prepare them for their careers.
  • Explore the use of tools and experiential learning to help equip students for success, and as part of Georgia Tech's commitment to innovation.
  • Provide academic rigor to cope with uncertainty, lifelong learning skills.
  • Capitalize on appropriate use of educational technology.
  • Address faculty/student ratio, the mix of graduate and undergraduate students, an analysis of how students really learn today, and the potential roles of technology in that process.

Comments (3)

Community Based Learning Submitted by Anonymous on Wednesday November 18, at 2:48 pm

The strategic plan suggests providing more opportunities for experiential learning in the curriculum through study abroad programs. Community- based learning, a pedagogical innovation in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning, is another form of experiential education. Research shows that by connecting learning outcomes with community needs, community-based learning develops critical thinking, global citizenship, and leadership skills. Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia Tech has many opportunities to connect academic learning with local, state, national, and international development. Similar to other experiential learning models, service-learning preserves rigor by engaging students in the real-life application of theory learned in the classroom while also providing students with skills that will help them in the workforce. Georgia Tech’s Engineering Students without Borders (ESWB), a student-led organization working on projects in developing countries, illustrates the success of engineering community-based learning programs.

Learning outside of the classroom Submitted by Anonymous on Tuesday October 20, at 9:30 am

GT is very much pressed for space in the historic core area of campus. Consequently student learning suffers. It suffers not just because there aren't enough classrooms in that area of campus, but more because there are not rooms/space for students to claim as their own for the types of activities that are "extra curricular" While the virtual and online world will become increasingly important, physical space where people can met face to face will remain important. Specifically I think our strategic vision should include small conference style spaces that student groups can reserve for an entire semester to facilitate participation in student design competitions, senior design, invention competitions, or just group projects. These spaces need to give the students ample work and storage space. Wall space for posting, presentation space for sharing ideas.

Optimized Educational Delivery Submitted by Gary Brown on Tuesday October 20, at 11:28 pm

A method of optimized educational delivery exists that introduces at least two different types of research programs for engineering and sciences in the same semester of any subject. They are conducted as lab add-ons in each and every semester, varying in complexity and depth as the program matures the student's ability. The first is a natural research project, using table top or local field locations, and cost effective budgets. The research program introduces the world's most impressive singe technology; electronics, in each science and engineering semester primarily though the use of low cost sensors and making operational supporting multi-channel data logging. The focus is NOT on electronic circuit design for its own sake, or design, but on getting data loggers running in labs or in the field, that can deliver the data science and engineering require to progress with research and engineering.

Co-Chairs

  • Richard Barke
    Associate Professor, School of Public Policy

  • Jay Bolter
    Professor, School of Literature, Communication and Culture

  • Charles Isbell
    Associate Dean, College of Computing

  • Ray Vito
    Vice Provost

  • Administrative Support
    Donna Llewellyn
    Director, CETL
    Howard Wertheimer
    Director, Capital Planning & Space Management

Resources

Presentations

Below is the presentation from the September 3 planning sessisons.