EdTech Governance
Educational Technology (EdTech) plays a significant role in achieving the University strategic teaching and learning goals, as demonstrated by the 2020-2025 Waterloo Strategic Plan commitment to, “continue to advance an agile, technology-enabled learning ecosystem”. The goal of EdTech governance is to ensure the following:
- A strategic approach to decision-making for the EdTech ecosystem based on input from key stakeholders, an understanding of our directions in teaching and learning, and the trends and opportunities we see externally
- An agile approach to decision-making that ensures a balance between long-term goals and emerging needs
Governance bodies
A governance structure was implemented in 2022 to support central EdTech efforts, the goal of which is to ensure appropriate inputs, analysis, and communications inform recommendations and decisions regarding funding of EdTech and implementation of new EdTech. The governance structure consists of a Steering Committee, an Advisory group, and an Operations group.
The EdTech Steering Committee will leverage and empower the Advisory and Operations groups to ensure that opportunities for collaboration across academic support units, Faculties, students, and instructors are in place and provide input to recommendations and decision-making.
The Teaching and Learning Spaces (TLS) Operations group will also play a vital role in realizing classroom evolution to meet the needs of the University of Waterloo, its instructors, and students.
Guiding principles
Principles that EdTech should meet and/or uphold for adoption are as follows:
- Have sound pedagogical focus
- Add value to the ecosystem (e.g., in efficiencies, effectiveness, reliability, usability, student engagement, flexibility, and/or success)
- Minimize learning overhead (e.g., fill a gap or replace a tool, reducing duplication)
- Be sustainable (e.g., in added costs for the technology, support systems, training, upgrades)
- Provide inclusive and equitable access
- Be scalable, with strong potential for broad campus use