Back in February we began to put out the call for innovation proposals from all over campus, asking them share their alignment with the Chancellor's top strategic priorities and also to address what the University needs NOW. For a top research University, no matter what hard times we're having, innovation isn't just a "nice to have" - it's an essential ingredient to maintaining our excellence and scaling access & equity for a Berkeley education. Many proposals we received tackle Berkeley's response to remote learning beyond Zoom during covid-19.
While many applicants intended their projects to be relevant in this way, the challenge also brought a dividend. More than one of the faculty members we spoke with said their proposals were originally intended to address instruction during the pandemic-- but thinking through the affordances of new technology led them to permanently rethink how they will teach their courses.
Coverage:
- Berkeley News: Berkeley Changemaker Technology Innovation Grant awardees announced
- Daily Californian: Grants awarded to UC Berkeley innovative technology projects