Harvard Technology Team Wins Eduventures Innovation Award

The Emerging Technology Solutions Team from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE) recently received a 2024 Eduventures Innovation Award at the annual Summit in Chicago, Ill., according to a news release. DCE designed, developed, and implemented the HELIX Portable Blended Classroom, which expands the teaching capabilities of blended classes to allow for an connected, immersive learning experience.

The HELIX (Harvard Extension Live Interactive eXperience) Portable Blended Classroom replaces HyFlex (Hybrid and Flexible) teaching to allow Harvard faculty to teach classroom-based and remote students in real time from any classroom on campus. The hardware is available via two portable carts with minimal setup required and uses Zoom-based software, according to the news release. The technology has been deployed in hundreds of classrooms used by the Harvard Extension School, Harvard Summer School, Harvard College, and other professional schools.

The DCE Emerging Technology Solutions Team is led by Henry Leitner, PhD, Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Dean, Information Technology. Eduventures Research is a division of Encoura that offers research, analysis, and advisory services to higher education leaders and that recognizes innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and student support, the news release reports.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Purdue Fort Wayne Opens New Student Housing Complex

    Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) in Fort Wayne, Ind., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new, 600-bed student housing complex on campus, according to a news release.

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.

  • Wyoming District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Laramie County School District #1 in Cheyenne, Wy., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Mountain View Elementary School, according to a news release. The facility has an estimated completion date of summer 2028, and it will have the capacity for 650 students in fifth and sixth grade.