Freedom to innovate

Abstract

Freedom to innovate in teaching and learning are essential to meaningful higher education. Universities’ rhetorical commitments to freedom and innovation are ubiquitous and quite homogenous. Beneath the rhetoric, however, lie sharp divides between neo-liberal and Humboldtian approaches to innovation, course design, teaching and learning. This article argues that to understand the authentic approach of a university to innovation requires going beyond the rhetoric. We must instead examine context-specific experiences and understandings of the curriculum, especially in terms of teaching, learning, assessment and evaluation. Making this critical examination, we see that Humboldtian frameworks rely on broad understandings of value connected to learners and their communities. Neoliberal frameworks by contrast reduce and essentialise these understandings to customer service provision. Treating students as customers has significant implications for how innovation is defined and enacted through increasing aversion to the risks inherent to attempting innovation. Quality evaluation and assurance processes inevitably align with an institution’s authentic approach, regardless of what rhetorical commitments suggest. The article concludes by suggesting ways forward grounded in teaching, learning and evaluation. These are congruent with a Humboldtian approach and may, through their application bring the rhetoric of teaching and learning innovation into alignment with experienced reality.

Keywords:

• Higher education
• neoliberal
• freedom
• learning
• teaching
• assessment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christopher C. Deneen

Chris Deneen is a senior lecturer in higher education curriculum and assessment. Chris earned his doctorate from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 2004 and has held several higher education positions in the culturally diverse contexts of New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. He is the recipient of multiple awards for excellence in teaching practice and research. Chris’ research and development work focus on innovative approaches to higher education assessment, feedback and learning engagement. He is especially interested in assessment change management and critical engagement with assessment- and feedback-enabling technologies. He has authored over thirty publications on related topics and has received over 2.5 million AUD in external, competitive research funding. Chris’ most recent grant from the Singapore Ministry of Education examines perceptions, policies and practices of assessment for learning at a national level.

Michael Prosser

Michael Prosser is Associate Professor in Higher Education Curriculum and Assessment at the Melbourne CSHE. His teaching, research and academic development interests are in the field of teaching and learning in higher education. His experience includes 20 years of teaching first-year university physics courses and 15 years teaching in graduate certificates in higher education programs. He has published widely, including a well-cited book analysing much of his early research work with Keith Trigwell, over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as numerous conference and other publications.