SHEDing Light on the Value of In-Person Instruction

Abstract:

For millennia, tablets, scrolls, and books demonstrated that factual knowledge, concepts, techniques, and processes can be effectively taught asynchronously and remotely. With audio and video recordings emerging during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, additional modalities were added to the toolkit. As the 20^th century wanned and the 21^st century emerged, the internet extended and expanded the capacity and reach of remote learning across the entire planet. During the COVID19 pandemic, society was largely able to instantaneously shift at all academic levels to remote learning, thus maintaining a modicum of academic continuity. While technology has expanded the breadth, depth, and delivery mechanisms involved over time, remote learning is effective and as ancient as the written word. Yet, in person instruction persists – the question is why?

People and space are tremendously expensive and their pervasive persistence in education implies they contribute substantial value to the educational process. As faculty members, it is important to think about the ultimate rather than proximate sources of that value, how we can create it, and how we can optimally use in person time and physical space to deliver it. This talk will begin by framing our thinking around how to generate value through the intersection of physical space and in person instruction before proceeding to brief overview of the teaching experience in the new Student Hall for Exploration and Development (SHED) along with some lessons learned and practical advice. It will conclude with an audience discussion around best practices and approaches to delivering value to the in-class experience. 

Speaker Biography:

Andrew Dimock is a Visiting Lecturer for the iSchool in the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He is also Principal and Co-founder of Vessel Strategy, a consulting firm that helps associations and large non-profits improve and optimize business process, technology, and marketing. He has 25 years of experience in strategy and planning, project management, systems implementation, and marketing. He has worked on projects for scores of clients including Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, Syracuse University, Society for College and University Planning, Mayo Clinic, Inova Health System, EastWest Institute, AICPA, The Nature Conservancy, Friends of Columbia Gorge, Ad Council, Feeding America, and NTEA. Prior to these endeavors, Andrew was with Beaconfire RED for 12 years, serving in several roles over his tenure, most recently as the Vice President of Business Development. Before joining Beaconfire RED, Andrew was a Project Manager and Director of Research and Marketing at The Bivings Group for 8 years.

Committed to public service, Andrew is a Civil Service Commissioner for the City of Rochester. He served on numerous boards for the YMCA of Greater Rochester for 12 years, and is currently a board member of the South East Area Coalition (SEAC). In 2014, he ran mentoring sessions at SXSW.

Andrew holds a BS in Biology from The George Washington University and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.