The Architecture of Innovation: System-Level Course Redesign in Tennessee

• In Event: Innovative Approaches to Developmental Education

Abstract

As higher education grapples with restrained state resources, increased demands for accountability, advances in information technology, and changing student demographics, it continues to examine innovation as a mechanism for addressing its evolving landscape. Course redesign is one such innovation that institutions, systems, and states are turning to in an effort to improve undergraduate education. Using Kotter’s (2012) leading change framework, this case study explores the Tennessee Board of Regents’ two curricular redesigns—its 2006-2009 Developmental Studies Redesign and its 2014-present Course Revitalization Redesign. Transformative curricular change involves a synergy of context, meaningful analytics, effective structures and systems, strong leadership, and collective action that, over time, take root in the behavior and shared values across state-, system-, and institutional-level stakeholders.

Authors

• Jennifer R. Crandall, University of Pittsburgh

• Louis Soares, American Council on Education