Leveraging Change: Increasing Access to Arts Education in Rural Areas

In 2015, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) received funding in the first round of collective impact grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to launch the pilot initiative, Leveraging Change: Improving Access to Arts Education in Rural Areas. The authors conducted research which included a literature review and interviews with arts education leaders in rural areas. Using the research compiled through this process, a pilot convening was held in western Massachusetts' Berkshire County to activate ideas, stimulate the exchange of information, and generate cross-sector collaboration focused on strengthening support for arts education in the region. This working paper is a summary of the research results and insights gleaned from this pilot initiative

Milner Library Makerspace Working Group Final Report

The Makerspace Working Group was created in 2016 with the following charge: To investigate the development of a makerspace in Milner Library’s uLab space. Specifically, the project team will explore the professional literature, perform a needs assessment, gather feedback from campus and external users and identify potential campus and off-campus partners to define what should be included in the makerspace. The team will produce a schedule for development of the makerspace, ascertain short- and long-term expenses, identify potential staffing and corresponding professional development and training needs, and develop an assessment plan for makerspace usage. Interest in a potential makerspace grew out of discussions by former Milner Library Dean Dr. Dane Ward with a number of other college deans who approached him about the development of such a campus space in Milner Library. In addition, the library was re-considering the use of the uLab computer lab space which has experienced a precipitous drop in usage—over 88% in the last sixteen years. Since Milner Library was beginning to consider a comprehensive space planning process, the results of the working group will inform that process in FY18. Lastly, campus currently does not provide a centralized developmental support center for students’ use of technology for classroom and extracurricular projects. Typical IT help desk technical support (e.g. configuring email, installing MS Office, removing malware, replacing a broken screen) is provided by the Technology Support Center and TechZone. Their scope does not include instruction on how to use or apply software or specialized equipment. The working group utilized a design thinking process that stresses iterative and participatory planning. Following this method, the working group developed proposed solutions only after completing a discovery phase that involved considerable information gathering.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/mlp/1002/thumbnail.jp

‘One Thing Better’ And ‘Redesigning Design Education’- A Collaboration Between Industry And Academia.

The Design industries are in positive flux and academia is trying to follow the pace as best it can; however some of the structures within academic frameworks restrict flexibility to mimic an industrial scenario. This disconnect can be compounded by educational alignment issues where different academic levels i.e. school to university can have large gaps between academic, industry and student expectations. This paper frames the collaboration, design and explorative stages between the authors, through prototyping a new final year module called Service and System Design. The research project intends to start with some tangible experiences for the authors and students alike and ultimately is anticipated to have wider impact within the author’s institution and beyond. For the first of the two theme based projects, the students are tasked to focus on designing ‘One thing better’ in the context of the module. This project is intended to generate evidence for the industry partner to understand the level of students’ abilities so that the support mechanisms can be tailored for an improved outcome on the second larger project, ‘Redesigning Design Education’. This project takes a deeper dive approach with the intention of students following the project theme and reflecting on their own ‘design learning’ experiences, using those as a catalyst guided by both industry and academic. The research evidenced in this paper has been carried out with a pre –process focus, with the intention of provoking dialogue within the design disciplines academic and industrial communities so that further developments can be integrated into multi-disciplinary projects as the next stage of the research activity

Remodelling Urban Planning Education for Sustainable Development: The case of Serbia

Purpose – The paper aims to present a pedagogical model tailored to the development of key competences in the urban planning profession in post-socialist transitional countries that is based on the creation of an integrated platform for dialogue and the development of professional competences as part of the process, whereby students produce their final projects. Design/methodology/approach – The pedagogical model is based on the principles of education for sustainable development and focuses on the establishment of a repeatable platform for dialogue between students and mentors, members of the mentoring team, the local community, external members of the consulting team of experts and foreign master’s degree programmes, in the process of producing students’ projects. The proposed method addresses several dimensions, including: the education of students, teachers, professionals and local experts, the establishment of a network for cooperation and collaboration and the delivery of practical and usable results. Findings – The paper provides a comparative overview of the pedagogical model’s application in producing the final master’s degree projects of three generations of students, as well as its alignment with the needs of redefining the role and reach of the profession of urban planner in an environment of post-socialist transition. The model was improved, enhanced and optimised through this process and then corroborated with its practical implementation. Originality/value – The innovative pedagogical model comprises an instrument to enhance the professional capacities of all participants in the production of final master’s projects: academics, practitioners and future professionals/students, through discussions of topical issues, innovative modes of work and new professional responses grounded in the local context and tested by a broad range of stakeholders. It is of particular importance for countries in transition experiencing a shift in the paradigm of professional action, especially as the proposed pedagogical model establishes a problem-solving platform that surpasses academia

Strategic Thinking and Design Initiative: Extended and Updated Report

Introduction 11 This report1 documents the Strategic Thinking and Design work that the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) engaged in from the fall of 2013 through the end of 2015. Fueled by the deep desire of the ARL membership to rise to the challenges facing higher education in the 21st century, and with grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Association engaged in an unprecedented project to reimagine the future of the research library and then reshape ARL, its organization, to help bring that future into being. This report is a collaborative effort. John Seely Brown, who wrote the prologue, inspired the Association to embark upon this journey. The architect of the process you see before you is Ann Pendleton-Jullian. Sue Baughman, David Consiglio, Lee Anne George, Susan Gibbons, David Gift, Kaylyn Groves, Tom Hickerson, James Hilton, Lori Jahnke, Anne Kenney, Wendy Pradt Lougee, Rick Luce, Carol Mandel, Jim Neal, Susan Nutter, Ann Pendleton-Jullian, Dawn Schmitz, Brian E. C. Schottlaender, Elliott Shore, Elizabeth Waraksa, Martha Whitehead, John Wilkin, and Amy Yeager shared their ideas and compiled, wrote, edited, and brought the work to fruition. Paul Soulellis designed this publication. The diagrams were a collaboration between Ann Pendleton-Jullian and Paul Soulellis. Our greatest thanks are to the 365 participants in the Regional Design Meetings and Design Studios who gave their time and best thinking to the Strategic Thinking and Design process. Much of the work described in this report was made possible by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Strategic Thinking and Design Initiative: Extended and Updated Report

Introduction 11 This report1 documents the Strategic Thinking and Design work that the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) engaged in from the fall of 2013 through the end of 2015. Fueled by the deep desire of the ARL membership to rise to the challenges facing higher education in the 21st century, and with grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Association engaged in an unprecedented project to reimagine the future of the research library and then reshape ARL, its organization, to help bring that future into being. This report is a collaborative effort. John Seely Brown, who wrote the prologue, inspired the Association to embark upon this journey. The architect of the process you see before you is Ann Pendleton-Jullian. Sue Baughman, David Consiglio, Lee Anne George, Susan Gibbons, David Gift, Kaylyn Groves, Tom Hickerson, James Hilton, Lori Jahnke, Anne Kenney, Wendy Pradt Lougee, Rick Luce, Carol Mandel, Jim Neal, Susan Nutter, Ann Pendleton-Jullian, Dawn Schmitz, Brian E. C. Schottlaender, Elliott Shore, Elizabeth Waraksa, Martha Whitehead, John Wilkin, and Amy Yeager shared their ideas and compiled, wrote, edited, and brought the work to fruition. Paul Soulellis designed this publication. The diagrams were a collaboration between Ann Pendleton-Jullian and Paul Soulellis. Our greatest thanks are to the 365 participants in the Regional Design Meetings and Design Studios who gave their time and best thinking to the Strategic Thinking and Design process. Much of the work described in this report was made possible by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Center for Research on Sustainable Forests 2017 Annual Report

Ongoing development within the CRSF to be the region’s research data portal and geospatial observatory for forests of the Northeastern US. In addition to updating the CRSF home website, we continue to support three online tools for forest resources professionals and the public: Northeast Forest Information System (NEFIS) – an online, opensource, web portal for applied forestry information (http://www.nefismembers.org). More than 1,000 documents were uploaded over the year on a wide range of topics, user numbers have doubled, and monthly page views have reached nearly 5,000. Maine Forest Spatial Tool – displays a wide variety of geospatial data on forest resources across the State of Maine for both forest resource professionals and the public (http://mfst.acg.maine.edu). Maine Forest Dashboard – The Dashboard was launched in Spring 2017 and can be accessed at http://www.maineforestdashboard.com. The site provides customizable forest statistics and changes using long-term data from the Maine Forest Service and has had nearly 100 page views since its release in early May. CRSF scientists continue to provide a strong return for every dollar provided by the Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF) to support CRSF research. In the past year, there has been over $21 in return for every$1 invested in