NU Innovation Hub Launches New Projects

Each year, the University of Nebraska System’s (NU System) Innovation Hub – an effort sponsored by NU Information Technology Services and the NU Office of Digital Education – partners with students, faculty, and staff across the University to design and deliver transformative experiences that enhance teaching, learning, research and the student experience via technology.

In the fall, the Hub opened a wide call for proposals from the NU community, asking for strategic, broadly impactful, forward-facing ideas that would have a positive impact for students, faculty and staff. In Fall 2021, we received over a dozen exciting proposals, the top of which were presented to the NU Innovation Hub review team in December.

The NU Innovation Hub is excited to announce the launch of two new projects.

The NU Applied Research in Technology Lab

By partnering with faculty members who share research interests in cybersecurity and teaching with technology, the Applied Research Lab links faculty researchers to these data-rich environments for specific research studies. Not only do these studies help to advance a faculty member’s research interests and goals, but these studies may also provide an additional lens to be used broadly across the University of Nebraska to assist with our commitment to continual improvement, exceptional services, best practices and ultimately student success. Four faculty fellows will be named, each of whom will lead a study in collaboration with ITS and NU Digital Education.

Adaptive Courseware Community of Practice

As the pandemic began, digital education was leveraged more than ever before, with all faculty and students now having an experience learning online or through technology. How can we put these digital ecosystems to even greater use and help us enhance, individualize, and positively impact the learning experience for students? Adaptive courseware offers students a personalized learning environment based on goals set by the instructor. As a student studies in a platform, content is automatically adjusted based on the student's progress. Research has shown that the use of adaptive courseware for homework modules may lead to better student outcomes and increased degree attainment, in addition to helping with content mastery and proficiency. This faculty-led partnership program will increase the awareness of adaptive courseware, amplify the support of adaptive courseware tools, and study the impact of adaptive courseware in practice at NU.

About the NU Innovation Hub

For more information about the NU Innovation Hub, visit the hub website.