Design for Change in Higher Education

Higher education faces significant challenges, such as demographic change, the defunding of public education, cost pressures, and the opportunities and challenges of educational technologies. Design for Change in Higher Education argues that design must become a core internal competency of the university and proposes a grounded in the practical experiences of Michigan State University's Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology. The book uses a case study of design practice in higher education as the foundation for building design theory and is complemented by an online playbook featuring tactics that can be used and adapted by others interested in facilitating their own design work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 26 April 2022
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

It is high time to envision and actively create the next iteration of higher education. Undoubtedly, higher education faces substantial challenges. The majority of today's universities lack the preparedness to address pressing issues such as demographic shifts, ongoing public education funding cuts, cost pressures, and the opportunities and complexities presented by educational technologies. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted a profound shock, which will undoubtedly reverberate for years and may well usher higher education into an era of significant structural transformation. Certain critics argue for a heightened emphasis on change functions, namely creativity, innovation, organizational learning, and change management. However, it is disheartening to note that few institutions of higher education have dedicated functions focused on thoughtful, iterative problem-solving and opportunity identification.

In their groundbreaking book titled "Design for Change in Higher Education," the authors make a compelling case for the integration of design as a fundamental internal competency within universities. They assert that design, a practical art that is conceptually rich and visually tangible, must be elevated to a core internal skill set. Drawing upon the practical experiences of Michigan State University's Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology, which all three authors have contributed to, they propose a framework grounded in real-world experiences. The Hub was established with the primary objective of addressing challenges related to participation, impact, and scalability in the transition of learning innovations from individual to collective contexts and from classroom settings to institutional scales.

Each chapter of the book is framed around a case study of design practice in higher education, serving as the foundation upon which design theory for higher education is built. The book is complemented by an online playbook that offers practical tactics that can be employed and adapted to suit specific contexts. By embracing design as a core competency, universities can foster a culture of innovation, adaptability, and resilience, enabling them to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of higher education and prepare students for the challenges of the future.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421443218