UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The holiday season is over, the New Year is upon us, and it is time to start thinking about submitting ideas for improving teaching and learning in higher education to the third annual Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) where out-of-the-box thinking can open the door to new and exciting opportunities for collaborative research and exploration in the space of educational improvement.
Ann Clements, Penn State associate professor and graduate program chair in the School of Music, won 2015's OIC with the idea of creating a 3D Virtual Teaching Lab. “I can think of no other Penn State award," said Clements, "from an institute or elsewhere, that is so beautifully and simplistically based on good ideas about teaching and learning and, in turn, is so wholly focused on true innovation.”
Some of the best ideas will be showcased at the upcoming 2017 Symposium for Teaching and Learning with Technology in the form of a high-profile speaking opportunity: A set of fast-paced, five-minute presentations in front of 500 attendees, who will vote on their favorite idea. After the Symposium, the winning idea will be nurtured by a team of experts -- who specialize in exactly this kind of thing -- to further develop your idea.
Participants have plenty of time to submit ideas to the Challenge -- and maybe even win. The application is simple: Enter your name, email, and idea in 250 words or less. This challenge is open to any Penn State faculty, staff, or student, and multiple submissions are welcome.
The call for submissions will close on Friday, Jan. 27. To submit an idea, please go to the OCI website. More information about the Symposium, including registration, can be found at the Symposium website.