President Vincent Price made it clear early in his presidency that digital learning and education is a priority for him. Matthew Rascoff is perhaps the individual most likely to shape digital education at the University for not only faculty, students and administrators, but also for alumni and online learners.
Despite only coming to Duke a year ago, Matthew Rascoff—associate vice provost for digital education and innovation—said that he has gotten to know the University pretty well at this point. He noted that Duke possesses a certain nimbleness, creativity and willingness to experiment that makes it stand out from peer universities.
In his role, Rascoff looks to take advantage of that willingness to experiment in order to forge new paths for educational technology and digital learning. From re-imagining learning technologies to designing training for faculty on apps, his team is working on discipline-specific tools to meet both the pedagogical needs of faculty and the access that students demand.
He is also trying to incorporate more voices into the process of researching and developing new educational technologies. Prior to Rascoff’s appointment, the digital education and innovation team had not had student interns working alongside its administrative team for seven years. Now, he is working student team members to regain their valuable perspectives.
Editor's note: This profile is part of our new initiative called The Chronicle 18. We are highlighting 18 people and groups who are defining what it means to be at Duke this year. Read about the project and more of our selections.
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