Center for Academic Innovation
Mission
The Center for Academic Innovation cultivates and supports a culture of academic excellence in ways that foster programs of distinction, promotes student success, and encourages a healthy and vibrant campus ecosystem.
Vision
To be the hub of innovation and excellence in teaching and learning in all modalities, but especially in distance formats.
Distance teaching and learning has unique challenges. Maintaining Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI) and fostering student engagement and interaction is a must to maintain an experience that is the equivalent of a face-to-face class. The Center for Academic Innovation can offer guidance as instructors develop their courses and course content using nationally recognized best practices.
The Center for Academic Innovation provides support for new and familiar instructional technologies and techniques that are available on campus or that might be under consideration for adoption.
Educational development is provided for faculty specifically, but also recognizes staff and students as integral elements of success. Numerous options on topics that include technology use (including the LMS), pedagogy and andragogy, and instructional design are offered in multiple formats. You can attend a face-to-face session in CAI's training room, request a boot camps or cohort training, or take advantage of the on-demand selections that are available through the CAI calendar.
Communication and collaboration are vital to a thriving educational environment, and the Center for Academic Innovation fosters that collaborative spirit by providing connections, updates on changes and events that support excellence in teaching and learning, and staying up to date on new techniques and tools. In addition, the Center can act as host for Communities of Learning and Practice. If you are interested starting one of these, please let us know, and we will help organize and advertise your efforts.
Center for Academic Innovation Strategic Plan
Please visit the Strategic plan to see what the Center for Academic Innovation has planned for the next few years.
The Horizon Report
The 2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition (from the Horizon Report webpage):
In the denouement of the COVID-19 pandemic, talk of a return to “normalcy” in higher education belies the great challenges and ongoing disruptions that yet lie ahead for many institutions. Public perceptions of the value of postsecondary education continue their downward slide, placing institutions in the position of having to demonstrate their worth and find solutions to declining enrollments. Data and analytics capabilities continue to evolve, introducing new opportunities and new risks to the institution. Chief among these capabilities, generative AI promises to change teaching and learning in ways many of us have yet to fully understand or prepare for.
For this year’s teaching and learning Horizon Report, expert panelists’ discussions highlighted and wrestled with these present and looming challenges for higher education. This report summarizes the results of those discussions and serves as one vantage point on where our future may be headed.
The report is free and downloadable as a PDF file here: cai/2024hrteachinglearning.pdf.
Resources for Teaching Excellence @ Tech
Visit the following offices for additional support of your pursuit of excellence at Tech:
Montana Tech Library - Scott Juskiewicz
Disability Services - Shauna Goodell
Academic Center for Excellence (ACE)
Upcoming Events
All CAI Trainings can be also be accessed by Zoom: Center for Academic Innovation PD