Author: Ciesa Design

Infrastructure, Power and Opportunity: Reflections from the Biosphere 2

| March 5, 2019
Building a Biosphere takes continuous experimentation and evaluation. So, too, does building learning experiences and infrastructure. Quote by Jess Knott on her recent experience designing inclusive curriculum and student experiences at Biosphere 2

by Jess Knott This week I have had the incredible opportunity to camp at the beautiful Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona with a small group of interdisciplinary professionals engaged at the intersections of science, design, pedagogy and social justice. I am not locked in, and I have not met Pauly Shore, but as part of…

Expanding Opportunity through Access

| February 21, 2019
Digital solutions that are developed to provide access for individuals with disabilities also tend to be the solutions that help everyone, regardless of ability.

Defining Access If you haven’t had a chance to read the recent Digital Content Guidelines Update Memo from the Provost, I would recommend checking it out before reading on. It is an important reminder and provides important context for my argument.   You don’t have to look very far to realize that student “access” in…

Practice Makes Progress: Digital accessibility and moving toward a more inclusive campus

| November 15, 2018
A quotation by Nate Evans, the author of this blog post. He says, "... there isn't a playbook for 'how to do accessibility' at an institution like MSU, or any other college or university for that matter." Quote used to showcase the ambiguous notion of accessibility and the perceived lack of guidance.

by Nate Evans The Impossible: No Playbook At this university, a dedicated group of faculty, curriculum and learning designers, software developers, communicators, and administrators achieved the impossible for the second year in a row. And they will do it again next year. Just a heads up: they may be looking for your help. I am…

We Welcome Brendan Guenther as Chief Academic Digital Officer

| November 5, 2018
As MSU has been working to design its digital learning future, it's become clear that we need leadership to focus on building our capacity and implementing our plans for our academic digital strategy. Quotation by MSU Provost June Pierce Youatt

MSU has been working to design its digital learning future, and as an important part of adding capacity to that process, Brendan Guenther has been moved into a new role, Chief Academic Digital Officer (CADO). As CADO, Brendan will provide leadership in the implementation and administration of MSU’s digital innovation programs and enabling technologies, working…

Land Grant Ideals in Nigeria

| October 16, 2018
A quote from Bill Heinrich on his experience in Nigeria: "We had the unique privilege to be following in the footsteps--we were told repeatedly--of John Hannah, one of MSU's most expansionist presidents, who helped to found the University of Nigeria, Nsukka."

by Bill Heinrich I’ve recently returned from a small training project with faculty and staff at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). The team from MSU co-facilitated a series of design-driven conversations aimed at building the capacity of faculty and leaders in three areas at UNN. The redesigns focused on the UNN Information and Communications…

Reflection: John Duley’s Faith Journey and Morality in Education

| October 11, 2018
As an educator and community leader I can say that a child without direction can get lost very quickly in this fast-paced, ever-changing world. Teaching a child that they matter and are important gives them a sense of purpose and belonging that doesn’t always come from home. A message from Edgewood Village Network Center director Awna Ari

This is the fifth post in a series by guest blogger and MSU professor emeritus John Duley. In it, he shares how his personal faith and experience in education have flourished together in his life and work in Edgewood Village. He posits that moral leadership is essential in education as the world moves toward the…

Choosing Course Resources: A Conversation with Stephen Thomas and Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah

| October 9, 2018
Is it ethical to charge students extra for digital learning experiences when traditionally those costs have been covered by tuition? A question posed by Stephen Thomas, Hub Fellow

We wanted to know how professors choose classroom texts and resources. So we asked them. This is the final interview in a series of five conversations. Our purpose has been to to spotlight some of the interesting ways our educators are making innovative choices to help us learn more and spend less. If you missed…

Choosing Course Resources: A Conversation with Jane Zimmerman and Erin Campbell

| October 4, 2018
I used to rely heavily on textbooks. now, instead of seeing it as "the textbook defines my course," now I define the course and find or create the texts to support what needs to be in the course. -Jane Zimmerman

We wanted to know how professors choose classroom texts and resources.  So we asked them. This is the fourth interview in a series of five conversations that we’re sharing as part of a blog series. We hope to spotlight some of the interesting ways our educators are making innovative choices to help us learn more…

Choosing Course Resources: A Conversation with Paul Irving and Erin Campbell

| October 2, 2018
Q: Is student learning compromised because you're using a no-cost system instead of the paid system for homework? 'No. We know it's not because we've measured. We've measured conceptual understanding across all the physics courses and we know for our class we have a substantially higher amount of learning.

We wanted to know how professors choose classroom texts and resources.  So we asked them. This is the third interview in a series of five conversations that we’re sharing as part of a blog series. We hope to spotlight some of the interesting ways our educators are making innovative choices to help us learn more…

Student Competencies and Experiential Learning: An Account from Justin Morrill College (1965-1979)

| September 28, 2018
Three of six student competencies developed by faculty in the Justin Morrill College in 1974

This is the fourth post in a guest series by John Duley. In this post, Duley discusses his time as a faculty member in MSU’s Justin Morrill College (a predecessor of RCAH and Arts & Letters) and the student competencies its faculty sought to develop through experiential learning opportunities. In this and the next blog…