Dr. T. Grandon Gill is a professor of Information Systems & Decision Sciences and the Academic Director of the new Doctor of Business Administration program at the Muma College of Business of the University of South Florida. His MBA and DBA degrees are from Harvard Business School. He is a leading researcher in the transdisciplinary field of informing science, and is Editor-in-Chief of Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline. He is internationally known for his research in the development and use of case studies and is currently working on a grant with the National Science Foundation to develop discussion case studies relating to cybersecurity. His principal research areas are the impacts of complexity on decision-making and IS education, and he has published many articles describing how technologies and innovative pedagogies can be combined to increase the effectiveness of teaching across a broad range of IS topics. His most recent book, Informing Business: Research and Education on a Rugged Landscape, deals with how we might better align business academia with the complexity of business practice. Professor T. Grandon Gill has also extensive experience in case method research, as well as in writing cases for classroom use and facilitating case discussions. His MBA and DBA are both from Harvard Business School, where the case method originated. He is author of the book Informing with the Case Method (2011, Informing Science Press) and recently became the founding editor of Journal of Information Technology Education: Discussion Cases, a publication outlet for case studies in the MIS, IT and informing science fields.
For well over a hundred years, primary and higher education in the U.S. were the envy of the world. Today, however, that leadership has been seriously challenged. With respect to K-12 education, many have already conceded defeat, as the U.S. continues to drop in global rankings of student performance. As far higher education, ever-growing costs and questions about student employability upon graduation suggest we may be following a similar path. The one bright spot continues to be U.S. graduate education. Ironically, at least in the STEM fields, the high demand being experienced by U.S. programs is almost entirely the result of international students flocking to these programs.
The U.S. is not unique in facing these challenges. Indeed, in today’s dynamic economic environments, traditional educational systems are increasingly being pressured to adapt. Unfortunately, the twin forces of globalization and technology often produce to mixed signals. On the one hand, as more students complete their education in many locations, there is pressure to standardize curricula in order to promoter transferability. An example is the Bologna Process in the European Union, which attempts to increase the connectivity of disparate university systems. On the other hand, unique local conditions and continually evolving technology and business models seem to require greater adaptability.
Education is not unique in facing these challenges. For decades, businesses have dealt with issues such as competing across borders, managing relationships with unions, dealing with regulations and continuously adapting their business models. Fostering the capacity to innovation and encouraging entrepreneurship have proven particularly effective tools in addressing dynamic environments. The obvious question is: What can we do to foster similar activities and attitudes in education?
The purpose of this panel is to provide a forum for participants—particular those in the audience--to discuss both the challenges and opportunities of educational innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly as they apply to higher education. After a brief introduction by the panelists, the list of questions to be discussed might include:
- What constitutes a true “educational innovation”?
- What are some of the institutional barriers to educational innovation?
- To what degree should practice be allowed to dictate the content of our education?
- What examples can we offer of successful educational innovations? (Of particular interest are the experiences of the audience).
- What techniques can an educational entrepreneur use to encourage adoption of ideas within an institution? External to an institution?
- What role do intellectual property rules and laws play in fostering or inhibiting educational innovation?
- What is the role does scholarly or applied research and educational entrepreneurship?
The session will be highly interactive, with panelists speaking briefly, off the cuff, without formal presentations. Also, if a conference attendee should feel that he or she has particularly useful insights or experiences, he or she can request to be added to the panel. If you feel you fall into that category, you are encouraged to speak to Dr. Nagib Callaos or Dr. Grandon Gill prior to the scheduled start time for the panel.
