Our Mission & Values
Designing the future of learning
The University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation is committed to bringing educational opportunities from the university to a global network of lifelong learners.
Through curricular innovation, tools for student success and equity, and educational research and analytics, the center is building the future of education.
Our Vision
A future in which education connects and empowers learners everywhere to reach their full potential throughout their lives.
Our Mission & Work
To realize our vision, we make it our mission to collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere.
We invite academic units and campus partners to work with us to further our shared goals and develop the university’s blended future.
Online, hybrid, and blended learning programs, including for-credit and non-credit offerings. CAI offers learning experience design, media design, learner support, market research, and portfolio planning services to create, launch, and support learning experiences.
Educational technology tools and platforms. CAI offers integrated software development, behavioral science, and user experience design services to create educational technology solutions that enhance student success.
Educational research and analytics: CAI maintains the university’s online learning data warehouse, and offers educational research and learning analytics services.
Extended reality learning experiences: CAI develops virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual production experiences to support learning in residential courses and online learning.
Education and innovation policy: CAI offers policy development guidance and regulatory compliance support in service of learning innovation and student success programs and initiatives. CAI contributes expertise to campus efforts on digital privacy, vendor licensing, and analytics data governance.
Our Design Principles
Whether developing a software tool or online learning experience, our work is guided by core design principles.
Learner-centered.
Empathy and understanding of the needs of students and learners guide the solutions we develop.
Scalable.
We develop learning experiences that positively impact large communities of learners, students, and educators.
Research-driven.
Research and data shape and inform our understanding of complex issues, the solutions we develop, and the impact of our work.
Sustainable.
We are responsible stewards of the resources involved in creating and sustaining the learning experiences we develop.
Our Values
We embrace and strive to uphold the workplace values developed through the university’s culture journey: