Six Continents of Change: Reflections of a Peripatetic Change Facilitator

On September 27, 2023, Dave led a webinar for IFEES entitled Six Continents of Change: Reflections of a Peripatetic Change Facilitator. You can watch the full webinar below.

ABSTRACT:

Ten years after my initial appointment as an assistant professor in engineering mechanics (Alabama), I wrote a whitepaper questioning the research uber alles culture of my then university (UIUC) and other R1s (Goldberg, 1994).  That whitepaper turned into an ASEE Journal of Engineering Education paper (and award winner), thereby launching a 30-year interest in the loci, processes, and products of change in engineering education.  The establishment of the iFoundry change initiative (Illinois) and the formation of the Olin-Illinois Partnership in 2007 and 2008 (Goldberg & Somerville, 2014), respectively, saw that interest rise to the level of a major research thrust, whereupon I resigned my tenure and distinguished professorship (2010) to go out into the world and try to make practical change in schools around the world.  13 years and six continents later, I sat down and captured what I had learned about higher educational change-making practice in the new book, A Field Manual for A Whole New Education: Rebooting Higher Education for Human Connection and Insight in a Digital World (Goldberg, 2023).

This webinar takes a continent-by-continent tour of some of the biggest lessons of this journey by (1) articulating one key lesson per continent, (2) recounting a key story associated with the lesson, and (3) discussing a tool, mindset shift, or process improvement that can help realize practical change back home. The webinar concludes by challenging participants to reflect on which lessons are most relevant to their experiences and school.