To the Editor:
The article in Thursday’s Herald about the State of Brown (“U.’s next decade surveyed in State of Brown,” March 6) does not accurately capture the University’s plans in the area of online education. In fact, online educational technology will play a large role in Brown’s future. During the strategic planning process, two committees — the Committee on Educational Innovation and the Committee on Online Teaching and Learning — considered how online learning could strengthen and extend Brown’s educational programs. The ideas that emerged from these committees are reflected in the strategic plan, Building on Distinction.
Our approach to online education will build on Brown’s strengths. We are a member of Coursera and have produced a number of very successful massive open online courses. However, MOOCs will not be the centerpiece of Brown’s online strategy. We will focus on integrating online learning into courses and programs that also include face-to-face interactions. Already, we have created courses that rely on “flipped classroom” methods, and we offer several master’s programs that blend in-person and online teaching. The IE Brown Executive M.B.A. uses a blended learning model to educate talented mid-career professionals from around the world. This year, we introduced a new Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership that also uses a blended learning model.
We are preparing to launch a new Laboratory for Educational Innovation, which will be part of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. The laboratory will be dedicated to the exploration, experimentation and creative application of digital, online and new media technologies for the enhancement of teaching and learning at Brown. I am excited about the potential of the laboratory to engage students in the creation of digital and online content and to conduct rigorous evaluations of the efficacy of the new courses and programs that are developed.
Christina H. Paxson
President
ADVERTISEMENT
