Innovation in teaching: a step towards a smart, sustainable university

The guiding viewpoints, philosophies, tasks, and communication solutions for innovation in teaching activities are the contents of the discussion between the Director of VNU and communication officers at the working session on July 18, 2019.

Attending the meeting were Vice President of VNU Pham Bao Son; representatives of leaders/communication officers of units throughout VNU.

Innovation in teaching activities - an urgent task in the new period

Innovation in teaching activities is an urgent task in the current period, affirming the position and brand of VNU. Explaining why VNU chose innovation in teaching activities not only as a key task in 2019 but also in the following years, Director Nguyen Kim Son said that in the context of comprehensive fundamental innovation in education, including higher education, we need to innovate many stages, including university governance, learning materials, processes, programs, output standards, accreditation, quality assurance... However, he said that if innovation in teaching activities is done well, it will have a strong spillover effect to all other stages in the process.

The fact that VNU focuses first and foremost on innovating the teaching activities of teachers does not mean ignoring the learner-centered philosophy, but in fact, this activity helps to push the learner-centered philosophy to a new level and demonstrate this philosophy more deeply. This is the path to help teaching activities approach the digital age, develop smart, sustainable universities or University 4.0.

Currently, universities have begun to deploy educational technology and apply new technological achievements to teaching strongly. The ASEAN University Network (AUN) has also made many recommendations in the accreditation periods at VNU on innovating the teaching activities of lecturers. At the same time, Director Nguyen Kim Son also said that through exchanges and learning with universities in the group of leading educational institutions in the world, VNU sees that it is necessary to be more determined in improving the quality of university governance, teaching quality, quality/impact and effectiveness of teaching activities on students. Teaching innovation activities must be implemented in a methodical, systematic, synchronous, comprehensive and in-depth manner.

Philosophy of individualization in teaching activities

To implement the innovation plan, VNU leaders have agreed to direct and innovate teaching activities based on three main elements: comprehensive support of IT platforms, digital technology, and big data; personalization in education is chosen as the core philosophy as an educational philosophy in the era of the 4.0 industrial revolution; applying new teaching technologies is chosen as a means for innovation.

In fact, high-quality training in the direction of individualization is a major activity that VNU has focused on and started implementing many years ago. VNU has actively digitized database resources; issued and implemented credit-based training methods; pioneered in enrollment based on capacity assessment methods; innovated internship and practical activities to help learners develop their capacity...

The head of VNU shared that innovating teaching activities towards individualization means giving lecturers greater autonomy; applying flexible teaching methods and forms, based on the spirit of promoting the role of learners, creating conditions for learners to actively participate in diverse learning activities, including self-study and self-research; applying advanced course management software to enhance feedback, active and regular interaction of learners with lecturers and with other learners during the learning process. At the same time, there needs to be a mechanism and technology to closely and objectively check and evaluate, and the measure here is the output standard for learners.

The President of VNU also emphasized that the innovation process is a long-term and challenging process, in which technology is only a supporting tool, people are the key factor. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that all staff and lecturers in the entire VNU clearly understand the guiding viewpoints, policies, plans and are determined, in agreement and ready to change.

Media plays a strong role in spreading to every individual in the whole VNU.

Accompanying the staff and lecturers in the entire VNU in the plan to innovate teaching activities, along with the issuance of regulations, policies, and directive documents, the VNU leadership also committed to providing maximum support in all aspects. The Director directed and continued to develop open learning resources to serve training and research; gradually digitize and simulate 3D practice and internship lessons, build and complete the content of the subject website. Complete the system of equipment serving education and information infrastructure; add a smart lecture hall system...

Along with many support policies, on July 11, 2019, the President of VNU signed Decision No. 2152/QD-VNU on the establishment of the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), under the Institute for Education Quality Assurance. The Center will be a place to accompany and support lecturers throughout VNU in teaching activities, especially in teaching methods and application of technology in teaching.

However, the policies and directions of VNU leaders will not be effective and widespread if communication activities are not focused on, first of all, internal communication. The Director requested that the VNU communication department and units need to widely propagate the plan to innovate teaching activities throughout VNU; disseminate and thoroughly implement VNU's policies to each staff, lecturer and student.

Communication activities aim to create profound changes in the awareness and actions of lecturers and everyone. This activity is both a step ahead and parallel with the innovation of teaching activities of VNU. The Director requested that it is necessary to diversify communication forms and replicate typical examples of lecturers so that everyone can see that innovation is not just for each individual and that everyone can innovate according to their own conditions.