The Future of Learning at JMU

Team Personalized Learning

Team Personalized learning seeks to maintain JMU’s reputation as a teaching institution as it obtains an R2 status. We see the future of JMU as a buffet of opportunities for students to make choices based on their career goals and interests. Students will participate in a variety of research projects across campus; encouraging them to be more engaged with their learning and develop stronger skills in collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication.

Research Buffet

Imagine 2031

Research expenditures at JMU are up AND student engagement is up

In 2031, JMU is closing in on the 10–year anniversary of its reclassification as an R2 University by Carnegie, which was achieved by increasing the number of doctoral degrees conferred by the university. Before this reclassification, JMU had garnered a reputation as a teaching institution, which attracted many to the school, faculty and student alike. JMU promised an environment where professors can focus on teaching and students get more of their teacher’s time, fostering a closer relationship between the student, the professor, and the curriculum. The Carnegie reclassification caused some worry in the JMU community that this ‘teaching-first’ environment would be tarnished due to increased research expenditures, and that resultingly student engagement with the university would go down. Thankfully, through principles of personalized learning, JMU was able to meet the increase in research expenditures with an increase in student engagement.

The name ‘Research Buffet’ was coined in response to JMU allowing for students to participate in the growing number of research projects taking place at the school. Instead of these new projects taking resources (time, energy, money, etc) away from the students, they provide students with real world work experiences that could not be normally gained in a classroom. What’s more is that the amount of research notoriety that JMU gained in the past decade has drastically increased the variety of subject matter being research. This means that students can choose to do research that is more personalized to them, like a Buffet! These projects are 3-credit replacements that students must get approved by an administrator. The researchers looking for students will decide tasks for the students, but will certainly make up this delineation time in free labor from the student themselves. Apart from this labor, the researchers are also incentivized with extra lab resources and equipment depending on how many student workers they have.

All in all this system of research has increased student engagement through the basic principles of personalized learning, which allowed JMU to grow while maintaining its reputation as a teaching institution. JMU students in 2031 get to go to a nationally recognized school that conducts significant and important research. Being able to engage in these projects in more personalized subject matters (due to increased selections) increases the engagement of students with the school.

Personalized Learning: Our Definition

Extent to which an individual has the choice and logistical flexibility to pursue their own desired educational options for their future careers. This requires an individual to be motivated towards a specific outcome and take intentional ownership of their own learning by using the resources and opportunities available to meet their goals. This is made possible, in part, by institutional support focused on meeting individuals’ specific learning needs and also by providing equity within the classroom through the implementation of various instructional strategies and one-on-one support.

Assumptions

For this scenario to be realized in ten years, we make the following assumptions (click to learn more):

JMU will be redesignated as an R2 University by the Carnegie Group.
JMU will be pressured to move from a teaching-first to a research-first university, fundamentally changing the culture of academics and student experience at JMU.
As a result of the redesignation, the number of doctoral and master’s degrees conferred at JMU will increase, therefore increasing the number of research projects regularly conducted by graduate students.
Increased graduate research projects will provide additional opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research.
Undergraduates who participate in research have higher levels of engagement.
Connecting undergraduate students with opportunities to work on graduate research projects will increase JMU student engagement.
If undergraduate and graduate students work in conjunction on research projects, faculty advisors can engage with them jointly, making best use of the time faculty must spend providing adequate support for research and teaching.
Finding a balance between prioritizing student experience at JMU and graduate research expenditure will equip JMU to maintain its integrity as a teaching-first institution while promoting its reputation for producing high quality research.

Implications

In 10 years, JMU may adapt to its adoption of a research-based identity under its R2 status by formulating a new program to connect undergraduate students to graduate research projects. The number of research opportunities available to undergraduates will skyrocket, allowing them more opportunities to personalize their research involvement by choosing opportunities relevant to them and engaging an increased number of undergraduates in engaging. research-based learning. Meanwhile, faculty will continue to invest in pedagogy without having to sacrifice the classroom experience for research. Graduate students’ projects will be facilitated by undergraduate assistance, in addition to other incentives that may be offered working with undergraduates. There are some challenges that may be presented by this strategy: for example, ensuring that undergraduate research opportunities are engaging and relevant, that faculty continue to play an appropriate role in undergraduate research, and negotiating the investments of training undergraduates. However, pioneering a strategy to overcome these challenges will allow JMU to continue to align itself with its priority of engagement for a variety of different students, maintain JMU’s strong reputation for its undergraduate program and student involvement, and assuage stakeholder anxieties.

Key Takeaways for Planning Purposes

JMU should be considerate of its historical philosophy on the student teacher relationship, and attempt to maintain that as best as possible as it moves into the new research classification.
JMU stakeholders should consider the possible opportunities at stake when shifting to a more researched based opportunity
Personalized learning can be attained by giving students the opportunity to take their learning into their own hand and further their content engagement
With more involvement opportunities there is a greater chance for students to become more engaged with the broader university and Harrisonburg community along with refining career goals

Methodology

Our team interviewed over 10 higher education professionals and a variety of students over the course of three weeks. Each individual was asked a series of seven questions addressing their perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of personalized learning.
When asked about what PL meant to them, participants recognized the individual learning needs of individuals, student autonomy and choice, and the experience of online learning at an individual pace and level. Additionally, all participants mentioned the integration of undergraduate students into research opportunities on campus as JMU works towards an R2 status.
When considering the possible opportunities and challenges of personalized learning, participants recognized a focus on personalized learning is important and necessary to maintain JMU’s reputation as a teaching institution. However, a cultural shift needs to occur in order to ensure that faculty, students, and administrative experiences remain balanced.

Meet the Team

Karris Atkins

Assistant Director, 4-VA / JMU X-Labs and Second Year AHRD Masters Degree Student

Karris Atkins is the Assistant Director for 4-VA and JMU X-Labs. She is a second year graduate student in the AHRD Program, graduating in May 2021. My undergraduate degree is in Communication Studies with a concentration in Public Relations from Bridgewater College.

John Beasley

JMU ISAT Student Pursuing a Degree in Telecommunications and Knowledge Management

John Beasley is pursuing a degree in Integrated Science and Technology at JMU, concentrating in Telenetworking and Information & Knowledge Management. He is a Alumni and Representative of NRAO’s NINE programme which hopes to use professional-grade tools to teach practical, real-world lessons in physics and astrophysics to under-represented communities. He has a passion for technology and its use in education, and firmly believes that ed-tech is the encompassing future of education.

Lucas Hopper

Junior pursuing a BA in Psychology with Honors and Nonprofit Studies Minors

Lucas Hopper is an undergraduate junior Psychology major with minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Nonprofit Studies. He is the treasurer of Madison D. I. G. and a member of Psi Chi, the Psychology Service Organization, and Phi Beta Kappa. He plans to go into psychology research.

Heidi King

Graduate student pursuing a Master's of Education through the Adult Education and Human Resource Development Program

Heidi is pursuing her Master’s in Adult Education and Human Resource Development. In the past four years, has she contributed to two major federal grants through the local Workforce Development board. She is currently consulting on a contract with Appteon Inc., focused on expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in IT.

Molly Philpott

JMU Senior pursuing a degree in Dance along with a minor in Disability Studies

Molly is an undergraduate student at JMU pursuingDance with a minor in Disability Studies.While at JMU she has been a member of the VirginiaRepertory Dance Company a preprofessional dance troupe. Upon graduation, Mollyhopes to continue in the realm of arts,wellness, disability and activism.