Innovation Centers and the Information Schools: The Influence of LIS Faculty

Abstract

As universities worldwide develop centers for innovation intended to encourage a culture of technological innovation among their students, what role should LIS faculty play? What is the relationship between technological innovation and LIS education? How can LIS educators help students develop their ability to innovate with emerging technologies? This article presents a case study of an undergraduate course offered by the School of Information at Florida State University that brought together students from different majors in a custom-built innovation classroom simulating the innovation centers that many universities are creating for their students. It evaluates a teaching philosophy that offered students ownership over the structure of the semester, safe opportunities to take risks, and the opportunity to solve real-life problems with technology. The results document the connections between innovation centers and the information schools and show how LIS faculty can influence the development of innovation centers on campus.