The Gentleman Magazine Issue 12 | December 2018 | Page 78

HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS LAUNCH
COLLABORATIVE FORUM TO ADVANCE
TEACHING AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
With the support of 11 U.S. colleges and universities,
Sony Electronics Inc. has developed the Future Learning
Collaborative, an initiative designed to foster open and candid
dialogue among higher education institutions about the role of
technology in supporting teaching and learning. Collaborative
members are comprised of faculty and administration leaders
from a broad range of schools throughout the country who
are working together with Sony designers and researchers to
develop new classroom technologies and enable more effective
teaching methods – with the ultimate goal of creating a deeper
and more immersive learning experience for students.
activations for admissions to leading the design and system
integration of new campus facilities. Sony's approach is based
on gathering feedback from practitioners and learning an
industry's unique challenges, then developing solutions that
meet customers' evolving needs in fields as diverse as broadcast,
production, cinematography, healthcare, theater and sports,
along with higher education.
"At a publicly funded urban university like ours, it is critical
to ensure that technology solutions and pedagogical strategies
are not only affordable, but also serve the diverse needs of our
student body," said Dr. Brian Beatty, associate vice president for
Academic Affairs Operations at San Francisco State University.
"Sony and our peers in the Collaborative have been invaluable
thought partners as we engage faculty, staff and students alike
in designing and implementing tools that promote engaged
and active learning."
Members of the Collaborative include:
• American University
• Arizona State University
• Dartmouth College
• Duke University
"Our top priority is improving every aspect of instruction,
which necessitates exploring the most effective uses of
technology in the classroom," said Edward Gomes, senior
associate dean at Duke University and a charter member
of the Collaborative. "By working closely with Sony and our
colleagues, we have created an environment that addresses our
common frustrations, encourages honest feedback about the
development of classroom technologies, and enables educators
and administrators to come together and share best practices
that will shape the future of higher education." • Houston Community College
The Collaborative – a cross-section of public, private, two-
and four-year institutions – has met regularly since November
2017 for working sessions, focus groups and technology
demonstrations facilitated by Entangled Studios. In each
meeting, members share ideas, ask questions and participate in
candid discussions about teaching and learning technologies
and pedagogical strategies. In the coming months, the
Collaborative will begin regularly sharing its findings with the
broader higher education community. "The work of the Collaborative is rooted in Sony's fundamental
philosophy of designing with purpose and developing
technology that reflects the experiences and concerns of
practitioners across a range of fields," said Satoshi Kanemura,
head of B2B of America, Sony Electronics. "Higher education's
mission and complexity present a unique opportunity for
our team. Having the support of institutions through their
investment of time, and their willingness to share perspectives,
enables us to develop solutions that are both actionable and
relevant to meet our mutual goal of student success."
"Transforming innovative ideas into meaningful institutional
change can be a complex, time-intensive process – one that
often takes a back seat to the day-to-day issues on campus,"
said Stacy Morrone, associate vice president for Learning
Technologies at Indiana University. "Building on our long-
standing partnership with Sony, the work of the Collaborative
not only helps us keep focus on the bigger picture – it also
enables us to learn from the successes and pain points of
institutions across the country."
This initiative is the latest result of Sony's decades-long
commitment to providing creative products and solutions that
directly support the mission and vision of higher education
institutions. The company's work with colleges and universities
ranges from manufacturing products for classrooms and
presentations to developing virtual and augmented reality
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• Indiana University
• Montclair State University
• Northwestern University
• San Francisco State University
• University of California San Diego
• University of Central Florida
For more information, please visit sony.com/collaborative
About the Future Learning Collaborative
The Future Learning Collaborative brings design thinking
and institutional insight to bear on the development of
classroom technologies that enable better outcomes and
deeper learning. With support from Sony Electronics, the
Collaborative facilitates dialogue among practitioners from a
diverse group of 11 colleges and universities, guided by Sony's
deep experience in education technology and rich legacy of
design with purpose. Together, institutional leaders and Sony
designers and researchers share insights, surface best practices,
and source perspectives that reflect the realities, challenges,
and opportunities of education technology.
, Security in Motion”