Check out the Innovation Hub Annual Report 2022-23. Learn about what we have been up to and discover how to get involved in the work.
Written by Julia Allworth, Manager, Innovation Projects
It’s been 7 years since the Innovation Hub first launched in 2016, and we never would have imagined that in this time, the work would have grown so much. I’m so grateful to the hundreds of students who have shaped this work over the past year by participating as team members. This past year we were so grateful to our many partners, detailed in this report, for providing our students with meaningful projects. The best part of our work is taking a human-centered approach to understanding how the university works, and we hope this report offers a little glimpse into what we’ve been up to this past year.
Our Impact Since 2016
Since our inception in 2016, we’ve had the pleasure to connect with people in all areas of U of T to learn more about campus experiences through our design research projects. To date we have:
Completed 40 design research projects
Listened to 1500 students’ stories & experiences
Listened to 90 staff & faculty stories & experiences
Our Student Team
The students at the Innovation Hub are diverse and come from all programs and degree levels. Students are placed on project teams that provide real-world experiential learning to build skills in four areas: personal development, interpersonal relations, workplace skills and technical skills in design thinking.
This year we had:
96 Students Employed
84 Work Study Opportunities
12 Leadership Roles
23 Project Teams
Innovation Hub Projects 2022-23
This year we saw demand for our design thinking research grow as our teams had the opportunity to work on a wide range of meaningful projects detailed below.
Academic Integrity Video Series
We worked with Academic Integrity to create the It’s OK to ask For Help student-friendly video campaign to encourage students to reach out and seek help to learn with integrity.
Food Services at Chestnut Residence
We partnered with Food Services at Chestnut Residence to hear from students about their eating experiences and build reciprocity between staff and students.
Health & Wellness
We explored student perspectives on the topic of mental health to inform future program and service design.
Robarts Library 5th Floor
We explored how students and staff use and experience library spaces for digital scholarship, generating insights to inform the design process of the new library space.
Sport & Rec
We conducted design research to understand the perspectives of students who are not currently engaged in movement, particularly equity-deserving populations.
Transforming the Instructional Landscape
We continued our partnership with Transforming the Instructional Landscape (TIL), an initiative that seeks to draw on teaching and learning to inform teaching and learning best practices as they intersect with classroom space and technology.
University College
We conducted design research, exploring the needs of the UC community when it comes to space and identity at the college.
University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process
We continued our partnership with the Faculty of Arts & Science to support units as they prepare for their self-studies as part of the University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP).
Get Involved in Our Work
If you have a project that might benefit from a student design thinking team at the Innovation Hub, we’d love to talk to you! If you have any questions about the Innovation Hub or how to get involved, contact innovationhub@utoronto.ca for more information.
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