iFoundry : Organizational Change for Transformation of Engineering Education David E. Goldberg Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61801 USA [email_address]

Motivation & Roadmap Good thinking & doing in engineering education. Need engineers as category creators Why can’t we change more broadly & quickly? Roadmap The institutional problem of change: An academic NIMBY problem. Promoting respectful change. iFoundry: Six elements for change. © David E. Goldberg 2008

Good thinking & doing in engineering education.

Need engineers as category creators

Why can’t we change more broadly & quickly?

Roadmap

The institutional problem of change: An academic NIMBY problem.

Promoting respectful change.

iFoundry: Six elements for change.

An Academic NIMBY Problem NIMBY = Not in my backyard. “ It is OK to change the curriculum…” “… .as long as you leave my course alone.” Politics of logrolling: You support my not changing. I support your not changing. Even though agreement for change is widespread, specific changes are resisted. © David E. Goldberg 2008

NIMBY = Not in my backyard.

“ It is OK to change the curriculum…”

“… .as long as you leave my course alone.”

Politics of logrolling: You support my not changing. I support your not changing.

Even though agreement for change is widespread, specific changes are resisted.

Can We Promote Respectful Change? Have two problems: Need locus for change. Need respect for academic governance. Three elements of solution: Suggests pilot unit, where change is mission. Need federalist governance. Ultimate curriculum decision stays home. Illinois established iFoundry: Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education. © David E. Goldberg 2008

Have two problems:

Need locus for change.

Need respect for academic governance.

Three elements of solution:

Suggests pilot unit, where change is mission.

Need federalist governance.

Ultimate curriculum decision stays home.

Illinois established iFoundry: Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education.

Six Elements of iFoundry Collaborative, interdepartmental pilot unit. Permit change. Volunteers. Enthusiasm for change among faculty & student participants. Existing authority. Use signatory authority for modification of curricula for immediate pilot. Respect faculty governance. Permanent changes go through usual channels. Scalability. 300 @ teaching U vs. 5300 at research U. Open-source curriculum change. Do it in the open. © David E. Goldberg 2008

Collaborative, interdepartmental pilot unit. Permit change.

Volunteers. Enthusiasm for change among faculty & student participants.

Existing authority. Use signatory authority for modification of curricula for immediate pilot.

Respect faculty governance. Permanent changes go through usual channels.

Scalability. 300 @ teaching U vs. 5300 at research U.

Open-source curriculum change. Do it in the open.

Bottom Line From cold war engineers to category creators. Institution thwarts change. iFoundry: A new pilot programs across departmental boundaries to promote change. Organizational innovation is crucial to educational innovation. Also need to consider nature of engineering and content of engineering education. © David E. Goldberg 2008 http://www.illigal.uiuc.edu/web/ifoundry

From cold war engineers to category creators.

Institution thwarts change.

iFoundry: A new pilot programs across departmental boundaries to promote change.

Organizational innovation is crucial to educational innovation.

Also need to consider nature of engineering and content of engineering education.

iFoundry : Organizational Change for Transformation of Engineering Education David E. Goldberg Illinois Foundry for Innovation in Engineering Education University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61801 USA [email_address]