Successful digital innovation aligns with institutional mission and strengths

When I give talks about the Blended Learning in the Liberals Arts initiative, I am often asked what other colleges can learn from our experience. Our conclusions have been recently summarized in an article for Trusteeship magazine, entitled Disrupting Assumptions: E-Learning at Liberal Arts Colleges, co-authored by me, president Kimberly Cassidy and the secretary of Bryn Mawr College, Ruth Lindeborg. The most important is that the Blended Learning in the Liberal Arts initiative has been successful because it did not promote innovation for innovation's sake or even innovation as a means of fixing particular problems, but rather was closely aligned with Bryn Mawr College's educational mission and designed to build upon its key strengths -- namely our faculty -- though faculty development and technical support. This was true with the Next Generation Learning Challenges grant-funded project in 2011-12 that focused initially online, interactive learning modules (quizzes, etc.), and it has continued as the focus has expanded to include digital projects and scholarship opportunities for students and digital competencies. The focus remains on empowering faculty and students and enhancing learning experiences and outcomes.