On July 28, the UNC School of Education’s Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (MEITE) program hosted its annual Innovation Showcase.
The event, which began in 2018, has become a key event of the MEITE program, during which students pitch new educational ventures, report on trends in educational innovation, present engaging online courses, and demonstrate reimagined edTech tools.
Throughout the program, MEITE students engage in project-based learning that merges practical and technical skills, equipping them with the abilities and mindsets needed to propel the field of educational innovation forward. The showcase not only serves as a platform for presenting their capstone projects but also as a celebration of the collective journey of the cohort.
“The final products were fantastic, as they showed how the students used design thinking in different contexts to produce their works,” said Todd Cherner, Ph.D., MEITE program director. “I was proud of how prepared and effective many of the students were in delivering their final projects at our Innovative Showcase. The students did a wonderful job at their internships, as well, and they were able to bring those experiences into their projects.”
The event, hosted at the Innovate Carolina Junction, featured welcoming remarks and an overview led by Cherner and Jill Hamm, Ph.D., interim dean and William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education. Participants then engaged in a series of pitches and presentations from a student group, including edupreneurs, adaptive learning analysts, innovation specialists, and learning engineers. Following the presentations, the presenters hosted tabletop demonstrations of their projects, enabling attendees to interact directly with the innovations and product pitches.
“As a School of Education, I consider us so lucky to have this MEITE program,” said Hamm. “MEITE is a unique program that prepares students to lead in educational innovation – a broad field with cross-disciplinary foundations and endless possibilities. We have incredible faculty members who are leaders in preparing students to drive education with cutting-edge technologies, and, more importantly, with the mindsets needed to know how to deploy those technologies – and to be critical in assessing if they are adding value to students, teachers, companies, or organizations.”
During the showcase, MEITE alumna Sarah Reid Lasseter (‘11 B.S., ‘20, M.A.), a science curriculum designer at EdPuzzle and former high school biology teacher in the Wake County Public School System, delivered the keynote address, sharing insights from her edtech journey and lessons from the MEITE program that have influenced her work. Lasseter, who is the host of STEM-focused YouTube channel, Lasseter’s Lab, also highlighted how her channel grew from 1,000 to more 15,000 subscribers after applying lessons from the MEITE program.
“Don’t let your passions fade when you leave this program,” Lasseter said. “Carry them into your future work or any cause close to your heart. Share it with your colleagues and integrate it into the work you do.”
“MEITE is a fascinating program,” Cherner said. “The students’ diverse interests keep me sharp as the program director. I learn from them and their work so much, and that is a true pleasure of my work.”
Below, a few recent MEITE alumni share their insights on the Innovation Showcase and reflect on their experiences in the program.
Jamie Storyward
As part of the MEITE program, Jamie Storyward was encouraged to explore how her work can shape the future of education, leaving her more prepared for potential advancements in the field.
Inspired by her interest in digital accessibility during her internship with the UNC School of Government, Storyward collaborated with the UNC Digital Accessibility Office (DAO) to create an interactive, self-paced training for her final project. This training converts content from a recorded webinar and includes a directed capstone. Its goal is to prepare instructional faculty and staff to evaluate and improve the accessibility of their digital course materials.
“Accessibility is an evergreen issue in education,” Storyward said. “I’ve learned a lot about what to watch for and know that I still have much to learn. I will take this interest with me and look for ways to improve the digital accessibility of my future work, no matter where I am.”
Storyward expressed her appreciation for the variety in the MEITE program, noting its balance of theory, practical application, and technical skills. Reflecting on the Innovation Showcase experience, she shared that she particularly enjoyed seeing the results of her cohort’s hard work and learning more about their professional interests.
“The showcase was a presentation of my cohort’s capstone projects, and also a celebration of our work over the whole course of study,” Storyward said. “It felt great to share a project I am passionate about with a broader audience. I hope I turn more people onto small changes they can make to improve digital accessibility.”
Learn more about Storyward’s project.
Katie Cooper
Katie Cooper shared that one of her biggest takeaways from the MEITE program is the importance of design thinking in transforming education. She explained that this approach enhances the design process’s effectiveness and ensures that the outcomes are impactful and relevant.
Through the insights she garnered within the MEITE program, Copper curated her final project, Adaptive Learning Platforms: Revolutionizing Education through Data-driven Personalization, an ePublication that delves into the landscape of K-12 adaptive learning platforms, focusing on their utilization of data analytics, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to tailor content to individual student needs. She also highlighted Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s math tool, Waggle, and how it corresponds with the functionality and methodologies that define adaptive learning platforms.
“The program emphasized the importance of coming from a place of empathy and deeply understanding the needs and challenges of learners and educators before developing solutions,” Cooper said. “By prioritizing empathy and human-centered design, I learned how to create educational tools and experiences that are both innovative and deeply connected to the real-world needs of those they serve.”
Cooper highlighted that the MEITE program fosters a strong sense of community and collaboration. She also noted that the Innovation Showcase provided an opportunity to present her work to an audience of peers, educators, and industry professionals.
“Working closely with my peers, I was constantly inspired by the diverse perspectives and creative solutions that emerged from our collective efforts,” Cooper said. “This environment was crucial in shaping my approach to problem-solving and innovation in education.”
Learn more about Cooper’s project.
Elle Gallagher
Within her final project, AI-Powered Professional Development: Unveiling LinkedIn Learning’s Innovations, Elle Gallagher cultivated a report focusing on ways generative AI can revolutionize marketing strategies within professional development courses. Through this, she analyzed LinkedIn Learning and how AI algorithms, such as recommendation engines, play a pivotal role in tailoring course suggestions to users based on their online behaviors.
“The MEITE program has enabled me to explore the innovative aspects of education,” Gallagher said. “Through the program, I had the ability to explore different areas within education and business to find my passion for marketing. The MEITE program explores current events and trends in education through discussions led by professors and peers who encourage these conversations in the classroom.”
Gallagher prepared for the showcase by mapping out key ideas to ensure the presentation was both engaging and informative. To her, the presence of industry professionals and peers provided an opportunity to share the hard work invested in the thesis project and engage in meaningful discussions during the roundtable session.
“The MEITE program is a wonderful program to be a part of if you hold a passion for innovations happening within the education sector,” Gallagher said. “You are given the opportunity to explore and take ownership of your education through the classes and opportunities that the program and UNC School of Education staff provide.”
Learn more about Gallagher’s project.
Vicky Lisle
Reflecting on the program and preparation for the showcase, Vicky Lisle shared her excitement about seeing her peers present their projects and expressed gratitude for how the MEITE program provided ample opportunities to pitch ideas in various classes, effectively preparing her and her peers for the event.
During Lisle’s final presentation and product pitch, she introduced Pomona Learning Design, a capstone program that guides high school students in using the design thinking process to develop problem-solving and technology skills across their 9th-11th-grade social studies coursework. By embedding design thinking into existing curricula, Pomona simplifies the process for educators to teach problem-solving, foster student engagement, and connect academic learning with relevant, real-world issues.
“One significant takeaway from the MEITE program was design thinking,” Lisle said. “I have strategies and tools to help better understand educational problems and then quickly test out solutions to learn from. Another key takeaway from my Intro to Entrepreneurship class was advice to “fail fast” and learn from it.”
Learn more about Lisle’s project.
Click here to learn more about cohort 8 of the MEITE program and each project.
