Broadly, digital learning is learning facilitated by technology. And it is important to note that digital learning takes place across teaching modalities, including the in-person classroom, fully online courses and hybrid modes of instruction. Instructors use educational tools and technologies in concert with innovative pedagogies to enhance learning across all spaces and places. Digital learning can also support experiential and community-engaged learning opportunities.
Consultation
The vision statement, guiding principles and goals for implementation in this section were informed by the A&S Digital Learning Strategy Steering Committee, which met through 2021 and spring of 2022. The Steering Committee engaged an external facilitator to hold a series of “Strategy Hives” in February and March 2022 with students, faculty, instructors and staff.
The strategic framework and its implementation is also informed by ongoing conversations with various groups across the Faculty as well as the U of T results from the annual EDUCAUSE Technology Research in the Academic Community (ETRAC) survey which included targeted questions on student experiences with online and blended learning.
Outcomes from Consultation
There is a full spectrum of experiences and preferences around digital learning across Arts & Science.
The A&S community has provided valuable input to this process emphasizing that, to be successful, we must actively support digital learning with training, tools, resources, hubs for sharing and flexible user-friendly technology. Additionally, through our consultations we learned that we must be guided by flexibility, trusting instructors and faculty and focusing on providing offerings that support an enhanced student experience.
This feedback has informed development of a vision and guiding principles and the related goals for implementation included in this section.
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