As the College Innovation Network (CIN) at WGU Labs approaches funding sunset after four impactful years, we reflect on the insights gleaned through our empirical research and evaluation, EdTech partnerships, community building, and public discourse in our latest report. We hope this collective wisdom will continue to light the way for educational communities at WGU Labs and beyond.?
This month, we announced the winner of our first-ever Accelerator Pitch Competition (congrats,
Making Space
Space!), released our CIN End of Funding Report, published several new blog posts, and were featured in four higher education publications.?
- WGU Labs Announces Making Space as the Winner in Inaugural Accelerator Competition in EdTech Innovations: A much-deserved congratulations to the winner of our first-ever Pitch Competition,
Making Space
! Making Space addresses disabled worker unemployment by providing free, employer-backed courses tailored to industry needs, coupled with advanced technology to match talent with careers. Learn more about their work and our partnership in the press release.
- College Innovation Network End of Funding Report: Big Impact, Lasting Legacy: As CIN nears the end of its funding period after four fruitful years, our vision remains unwavering. We contemplate our achievements and the influence we've exerted across multiple domains, aiming for our collective insights? —? a treasury of inventive approaches, strong partnerships, and thorough research? —? to guide educational communities within WGU Labs and beyond.?
- 2024 North America EdTech 200: Last month, three of our Accelerator clients —
Unmudl Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace
,
Julius
, and
Ziplines Education
— were included in
HolonIQ
’s annual list of the most promising EdTech startups in North America.?
- The evidence: It’s complicated: In an interview with
QS Quacquarelli Symonds
’ Insights Magazine, our Director of Research Dr.
Betheny Gross
, discussed how tools are adopted and the capabilities of learners can impact their effectiveness. “A lot of technology can be effective, but not a lot of technology can be implemented effectively,” she said. “That’s the part of the puzzle that we spend the most of our time around.”
- Why Faculty Should Be Part of Technology Decision-Making: “How faculty perceive, experience, and interact with EdTech is critical to the successful integration of technology that improves the student experience,” writes
Omid Fotuhi
in this article for
EdTech Magazine
. “When they do not believe they have input into the vetting, selection, and adoption of technology, they may be less likely to champion available products to their peers or incorporate products into their teaching practices.”?
- 4 challenges, opportunities in administrators’ EdTech decision-making: Discover the top four takeaways from our Administrator EdTech Survey in this article from
eCampus News
.?
- 3 reasons why administrators are stalling on upgrading EdTech:? Last summer, we surveyed more than 200 administrators to better gauge their understanding of, experiences with, and sentiment toward EdTech. Read a recap of our report from University Business to find out three reasons why administrators are stalling on implementing and upgrading EdTech.
- Exploring the Rise of Venture Studios: Redefining the Startup Landscape: Venture Studios — organizations that leverage their resources and expertise to create and build startups from ideation to development — offer a unique blend of funding, infrastructure, and operational support. Learn more about the rise of this innovative funding model on the blog.?
- Designing for Belonging in Online Learning Contexts: “Most of the current research about belonging has been done in traditional residential contexts, leaving a gap in the literature when it comes to supporting online learners’ sense of belonging,” writes
Katrina Wehr Gould, Ph.D.
in this blog post on key learnings from her dissertation research.?
- Skills Development for Deskless Workers: Deskless workers are an often overlooked yet critical segment of the workforce. At our recent
SXSW EDU
panel, recapped in this blog, industry experts discussed how to better empower these unsung heroes of our economy, such as through community-driven initiatives and mentorship programs to support holistic development.?
Collaboration, diverse perspectives, and ideas that challenge the status quo are critical to solving higher education’s Wicked Problems. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment to let us know what’s on your mind. And consider sharing this newsletter with your network to help us maximize our impact.?
