To help higher education instructors, academic support personnel, and institutional leadership better identify, encourage, incentivize, fund, support and assess pedagogical innovation, we describe herein a valid taxonomy capable of precisely characterizing the range of pedagogical innovations in higher education. The Taxonomy of Pedagogical…

The study examined what factors determine the use of educational innovations by teachers in higher education. Three sort of factors were compared: teachers' motivation for the enhancement of education, their contact with or exposure to dissemination of educational innovations and institutional factors, that is, support provided by higher education…

University leaders play crucial roles in steering and fostering change within higher education institutions (HEIs). Drawing upon the complexity leadership theory (CLT) and organizational trust, we investigate how university leaders trusting staff with responsibilities tied to digital change contributed to an institutional culture of innovation.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between two recent currents in postsecondary education -- integrative learning and undergraduate innovation. We located the rationale for this study in postsecondary educational practices and policies (e.g., inclusive makerspaces, transdisciplinary courses) which have theorized the…

Academic innovation is an increasingly integrated effort and focus area in higher education institutions. Academic innovation units often include multiple foci, such as teaching and learning research, faculty development programming, and entrepreneurial elements. However, there is a lack of consensus on what defines successful academic innovation…

The academic landscape is evolving with the integration of generative AI technologies, creating a new era in teaching and learning processes. This study investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within pedagogical strategies and policies at leading universities. It delves into how higher education institutions are amending and…

In light of the rapid growth of the movement for educating students about sustainability, this study sought to understand the content and context of sustainability-related learning outcomes in higher education institutions in the United States by using data from 47 institutions. Findings show how institutions operationalize learning for…

Despite originating in the tech industry, hackathons have now been adopted in a variety of domains. However, little is known about the status of hackathon literature within educational research. As the number of studies grows, it is essential to develop an understanding of the current state and identify prevalent topics and trends shaping the…

We analyze innovation in university strategic plans to assess whether innovation is a stated priority, to what end innovation is sought, and whether innovation is a comprehensive strategy or more carefully bounded, excluding innovation opportunities. Our analysis utilized Atlas.ti software to quantify word usage and to extract and classify…

We combined tenets of learning communities and place-based learning to develop an innovative first-year program for STEM students. Using a quasi-experimental design, we found that participants in the place-based learning community had a stronger sense of belonging, improved academic performance, and increased first-year persistence relative to a…

Universities were forced to move instruction online and send residential students home due to the pandemic, resulting in financial shortfalls. Governing boards, administrators, and governments made decisions including eliminating faculty and staff, and programs yet these decisions were rarely inclusive of university stakeholders or innovative.…

Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been identified as successful models of innovation in higher education institutional change efforts, particularly geared toward faculty. Accordingly, this multi-method qualitative study examined how participation in one equity-minded CoP contributed to participants' understanding and mobilization of equity in…

In this article we describe a long-term departmental change effort in one mathematics department. The change began with one instructor adopting the Extreme Apprenticeship instructional model. This modest shift served as the catalyst for a series of subsequent, systemic improvements. We believe that this innovation and the resultant change…

In this article we describe the Graduate Review and Improvement Process (GRIP), an innovative evaluation process that makes student input central, now beginning its fifth year of implementation at the University of Minnesota. We begin by contrasting GRIP with traditional graduate program review, and we then explain the conceptual underpinnings of…

While advocates of the proposed "Gainful Employment" regulations promise a variety of improvements for students attending for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs), there is little research on how these institutions are responding to this heightened form of accountability. Through interviews with senior executives of FPCUs, we used…