Turning Potential into Power: A Framework for Innovation in Higher Education

Fatma Elshobokshy, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Learning (CAL), University of the District of Columbia

The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence marked a one-two turning point in higher education—accelerating digital learning, exposing deep structural gaps, and expanding our sense of what’s possible. These disruptions didn’t just change tools; they shifted mindsets. For many educators, it was an “aha” moment that redefined what teaching could be. For administrators like me, it raised a lasting question: how do we sustain that momentum to cultivate a culture of innovation on campus?

Innovation isn’t about trends—it’s a mindset. It requires building capacity, empowering communities, and creating shared ownership of the learning experience. It’s sustained through reflection, flexibility, and collaboration across faculty, students and staff.

Centers for Teaching and Learning can play a pivotal role in this evolution—because they serve institutions as a whole and can act as catalysts for cross-pollination. By cultivating genuine partnerships across disciplines and spotlighting early adopters, they help ensure that innovation is not isolated, but embedded into the institutional culture. A true culture of innovation is not confined to a single department or discipline—it’s reflected across the entire campus.

A Framework for Cultivating Innovation in Higher Education

Creating a culture of innovation doesn’t happen by accident—it requires clear strategies, intentional leadership and consistent action. I applied a four-part framework to help shift from isolated innovation efforts to a shared, sustainable culture of experimentation and growth. This framework offers adaptable insights for a wide range of institutional settings.

“Innovation in higher education isn’t about chasing the next big thing—it’s about creating the conditions for people to thrive”

• Creating Visible, Supportive Environments: Whether physical or digital, learning spaces communicate institutional values. When designed with intention, they send a clear message: experimentation is encouraged here. These environments must be accessible, flexible and inclusive. They lower barriers to entry and foster a culture where all members of the campus community feel empowered to experiment, contribute, and grow

• Empowering People Over Prescribing Solutions: Innovation is most powerful when it’s driven from within. I focus on identifying faculty, students and staff who are curious, courageous, and ready to try something new—then giving them the tools, time and trust to lead. When innovation is fueled by passion, not pressure, it becomes contagious.

• Elevating Innovators as Catalysts for Change: One of the most effective strategies has been to highlight and celebrate those—faculty, students, and staff—who are transforming learning and leading by example. Whether through internal newsletters or social media, we amplify their voices so others can see what’s possible. These early adopters become magnets for momentum, helping to normalize a culture of innovation across campus.

• Fostering Community and Collaboration: Innovation doesn’t thrive in silos—it grows through relationships. Cross-disciplinary workshops, peer fellowships, and collaborative learning communities create spaces where educators, students, and staff learn from one another and grow together. These connections help build a culture of shared responsibility and continuous improvement.

This framework has helped move beyond one-off pilots or tech-first implementations and instead build an environment where innovation is woven into daily practice—and the community feels ownership of the process.

From Curiosity to Culture: Immersive Learning in Action

One initiative that brought this framework to life was the integration of immersive technology into UDC’s learning ecosystem. Just three years ago, virtual reality (VR) was one of the most challenging technologies to scale, largely due to the absence of institution-wide best practices. From the beginning, we knew this would require a different approach—one grounded in curiosity, not compliance.

We started with fewer than ten headsets and focused on building internal capacity within the Center for the Advancement of Learning. Our instructional designers and technologists—often the first point of contact for course design and learning technologies—took the lead in learning the tools and developing the expertise to support VR at scale. They didn’t just “sell” the technology; they became trusted guides, making the case for immersive learning through hands-on demonstrations, one-on-one sessions, and community events. The goal wasn’t to mandate adoption, but to spark imagination and invite conversation around what’s possible. Early adopters were celebrated through newsletters and social media, and some were selected as fellows to collaborate with instructional designers and shape future strategies. Their leadership sparked campus-wide conversations, fueled faculty-led webinars, and built momentum. These champions didn’t just embrace immersive learning—they helped ignite a movement.

Today, we have over 80 headsets and a fully equipped space—the Firebird Immersive Innovation Lab—with a second one underway. We scaled up because the demand was clear: faculty requested VR in their classrooms, and students responded with enthusiasm and valuable feedback that pushed us to grow. Together, we explored use cases across disciplines— speech-language pathology, education, architecture, and the arts—co-developing ideas for how immersive learning could meaningfully enhance both teaching and learning. What began as a small pilot became a collaborative, community-led effort. It fostered a culture that embraces experimentation, values feedback, and reimagines what learning and teaching can be.

UDC-Turning Potential Into Power

Ultimately, innovation in higher education isn’t about chasing the next big thing—it’s about creating the conditions for people to thrive. By empowering individuals, making experimentation visible, fostering authentic collaboration, and celebrating leadership across roles, institutions can turn potential into collective power.

This approach has guided the work at the University of the District of Columbia—where innovation is not pursued for its own sake, but as a force for unlocking the full potential of our learning community: one bold idea, one empowered learner, and one shared success at a time.

Artificial Intelligence

Virtual Reality