Building Next Generation Learning at Duke (2023-2024)

Background

According to the World Economic Forum, eight out of the top ten skills necessary for career success are not content- or discipline-specific. Rather, these skills fall into categories emphasizing knowledge, problem-solving, empathetic leadership, self-management and interpersonal collaboration. Upon graduating from college, students are expected to know how to foster inclusivity, inspire empathetic leadership, navigate complexity and uncertainty, be compelling storytellers and drive change and innovation.

Unfortunately, higher education too often resembles an Industrial Era model of learning characterized by discrete academic disciplines, lecture-based passive learning, rigid semester structures and high-stakes memorization assessments. Although technology has transformed almost every single aspect of our daily lives, it has yet to disrupt education.

Current and future Duke undergraduate students need responsive, learner-centered environments that align intellectual discovery and rigor, personal inquiry and passion, and creative and purposeful problem-solving with the critical challenges facing our world.

Project Description

This project team will create a new educational framework for equity-focused, innovative learning environments at Duke. Team members will use open design to gain a deep understanding of the lived experiences of Duke students, faculty and administrators as well as the perspectives of changemakers in the education technology and nonprofit sector. They will also read secondary research into problems and emergent solutions in education. 

After developing insights generated through analyzing their initial research, team members will develop, test and iterate early solutions to identified problems. They will then examine the efficacy of their solutions by writing and field testing plans and analyzing results. 

The project will culminate in a white paper on solutions to problems in higher education.

Anticipated Outputs

New educational models and frameworks for equity-focused, innovative learning environments; open-access white paper; website to share research; conference presentation; data collection for further research and grants

Student Opportunities

Ideally, this project team will include 4 graduate students and 10 undergraduate students. Students from all majors and disciplines are encouraged to apply. All applicants should have a passion for reimagining learning at Duke and a curiosity for understanding diversity of perspectives and lived experiences. Students who have experience using NVivo software and/or skills in data visualization and/or graphic design are especially encouraged to apply.

Students will learn the theory and praxis of open design, an equity-centered research and innovation methodology that is transferable across all disciplines. As part of this process, students will gain the skills necessary to conduct extensive interviews, research effectively, communicate across media, ideate and test solutions, iterate quickly and reflect incisively. They will also contribute to writing research briefs and a white paper.

Differentiated learning opportunities for graduate/professional students will include mentoring undergraduate team members as well as more extensive research and writing requirements. A graduate student will be selected as program manager.

In Fall 2023, this team will meet on Thursdays from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Timing

Summer 2023 – Spring 2024

  • Summer 2023 (optional): Conduct literature review; help set up interview calendar and websites; draft interview and focus group guides; create project website and design process guides
  • Fall 2023: Conduct secondary research; write research briefs; conduct interviews; facilitate focus groups; write surveys; possibly help write conference proposal
  • Spring 2024: Synthesize research; develop insights statements; ideate concepts; conduct field testing of concepts; write white paper; write conference proposal

Crediting

Academic credit available for fall and spring semesters; summer funding available

This Team in the News

Faculty Perspectives: Aria Chernik

See earlier related team, Open Design Studio: Participatory Solutions for Human Flourishing (2022-2023).

Graphic showing arrows in a circular cycle over green background.

Team Leaders

  • Aria Chernik, Social Science Research Institute|Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Kevin Hoch, Innovation & Entrepreneurship

/undergraduate Team Members

  • Aritra Acharjee, Electrical & Computer Egr(BSE)
  • Bianca Ingram, Sociology (AB)
  • Yasmine Kaplan
  • Carola Maglione Silva, Computer Science (BS)
  • Lily Moskowitz
  • Duong Nguyen, Electrical & Computer Egr(BSE)
  • Wanxin Zhong, Psychology (BS)