Conclusion

In this summary, authors Charlotte Baker and Rebecca Blankenship provide an overview of the cases and their impact on the overall DLI initiative. They also explore similar initiatives at other colleges and universities and how these technical transformations are changing the higher education teaching and learning culture. The authors examine the DLI in terms of other short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals as noted in the 2019 Horizon Report and how the DLI initiative can be used as a vehicle to actuate an ongoing culture of innovation and digital transformation in colleges and universities across the country.

Intentional Use of Digital Technology in Graduate Epidemiology Education

Public health education is continuously changing. Several papers have been written on the need to update epidemiology education in public health to match the needs of the “real world” as well as keep up with the digital age, yet few papers have been published on how to make this happen. Utilizing a blended learning framework, a graduate-level course was revised to improve student learning and teaching practice. By considering and implementing various pedagogical practices and tools, students learned more, were able to utilize this information in class and in other settings, and were able to take more control of their learning. Improvements were made to teaching practice, specifically by being more student-centered and providing better planned integration of technology for the advantage of the student and instructor. Using well-designed pedagogical tools and spending the time to plan out the course methodology based on expectations at the conclusion is a best practice that should be used by instructors in various fields but especially those in public health.

Teaching Generation Z Students in the Technology-Driven World

Today, higher education is experiencing significant changes in its recruitment, retention, graduation, and accreditation. Faculty professional development is considered a key for the success of Generation Z students. As a result, faculty are interested to modify their teaching environment. More and more faculty are flipping their traditional courses and offering either hybrid or online courses. Blended learning means that students receive instruction in both face-to-face and online environments. Embedded within the concept is an assumption that blended teaching environments also give students some control over the pace, flow, or focus of their learning activities. Also, blended learning prepares students for full online courses. Research indicates that empowering students to have organization in their education leads to many positive outcomes, including that students do better in inequality of access situations, are able to personalize their learning and achieve regardless of ability, and build dispositional skills, such as executive functioning, perseverance, self-awareness, and tolerance for uncertainty, that many believe are necessary to thrive in current and future societies. This chapter explains current practices and the potential of digital learning initiatives to teach Generation Z in the technology-driven world.

Crossing the Digital Divide

Teaching university students who have grown up with digital technologies presents new challenges for today's educators, who find themselves struggling to bridge the gap between the legacy educational system and an emerging but still undefined new paradigm. Students of the post-digital era have distinctly different cultural and social differences from their predecessors that require a new understanding of their learning needs and challenges. In this chapter the author summarizes generational differences between the current cohort of college students and their predecessors. She reviews and reflects on her experiences with the Digital Learning Initiative and proposes a new focus and approach for moving forward in the classroom.

Introduction

In the introductory chapter for this volume of cases in digital transformation, author Rebecca Blankenship considers the emerging role of institutions of higher education in providing innovative environments for teaching and learning. She provides a practical foundation for the emergent and evolving need among colleges and universities to embrace digital equity through progressive initiatives that provide diverse and modern learning environments reflective of the needs and expectations of the 21st century students they serve. The author frames her discussion within the contexts of increasing digital literacy among faculty, instituting a culture of innovation and change, as well as considering how initiatives such as the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) provide realistic solutions for the technology gap between the traditional brick-and-mortar university and the evolving needs of 21st century students and expectations of the increasingly connected and competitive global workforce.

Effective Physical Therapy Education Through Increased Student Engagement

As technology grows, there are many applications into the educational arena. Educators are tasked with incorporating technology in teaching. This is best done through a systematic means to create effective change. The Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) was created with this in mind. This is a case study in the transformation of teaching methods through the DLI. The redesign was centered around the principles of assessment and course mapping. The course was reworked to allow for more feedback and interaction with the instructor. Digital apps were utilized to supplement content. Class sessions changed from traditional lecture into a flipped environment using active learning techniques. After the redesign, students improved in graded performance, as well as in engagement with the instructor and classmates. The instructor also reported increased engagement with students and more in-depth content coverage. Redesign is a dynamic process with some trial and error; however, with a solid framework based on assessment, there is potential for meaningful short and long-term course change.

Improving Student Engagement in Political Science Courses Through Application of Active Learning and Digital Learning Technologies

This chapter explores the experiences and benefits gained from participation in Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Provost's Digital Learning Initiative (DLI) Fellowship. Participants were equipped with relevant tools for re-designing courses for increased student engagement and attainment of student learning outcomes. The program promoted expertise in retooling courses to promote student-centered learning by exposing students to digital learning tools that reflect current and emerging technology trends in higher education as well as best practices in implementation of active learning strategies. The focus was on application of technology and implementation of active learning practices in two political science courses: a research methods and general education course. These insights have improved the author's professional development competencies; importantly, the implementation of technology-based learning has resulted in improved student achievement as evidenced by summative and formative assessment measures, and the acquisition of research and analytical skills.

Establishing Digital Agency in the Internet of Things (IoT)

The concept of identity development itself is complex and difficult to define. Identity can be perceived as both an explicit (known to others) and implicit (known to the self) perception. The notion of identity development is multifaceted and is necessarily transmutable according to the interactive socio-contextual plane. Accordingly, the purpose of this chapter is to suggest two models that can be used in tandem to explain how faculty negotiated identity transformation from face-to-face to virtual learning environments (VLE) through digital agentic transformations within the framework of a digital learning fellowship initiative. Using the Johari Window of Personal Identity in tandem with Hall, Loucks, and Rutherford's Levels of Use filtered through a sociocultural theoretic lens, it is suggested that faculty perception of the virtual and non-virtual self can experience significant and sustained pedagogic agentic change according to the type of sociocultural interactions situated within and external to a VLE.

Digital Transformation

This chapter provides context for the following chapters. It describes the process used to launch the inaugural cohort of the Provost's Digital Learning Initiative. It describes the impetus for the initiative; details of the way it was crafted, including topics in the workshop series; and the envisioned future of this ongoing project. In addition to the works referenced within the chapter, other resources used with the first cohort are included. The chapters that follow detail cohort members' experiences and results.

Digital Course Redesign to Increase Student Engagement and Success

Quite often the question for many college professors is “How do you capture the attention of today's student and keep them engaged?” Traditional teaching methods remain important and should not be abandoned. However, with the ever-expanding use of technology in the classroom, faculty members must consider course redesign to increase students' investment in and connection with course material. This chapter will discuss the role of faculty in developing strategies and techniques used to redesign courses and how the use of digital technologies can positively influence student engagement and success.