Shifting what’s possible in K-12 education: A Q&A with Shift Education Lab director Brandin Conrath
VCU’s Shift Labs bring students, faculty and community partners into the same room to test bold ideas and build practical solutions. Supported by the Office of Innovation and Strategic Design, the Shift Education Lab is where that work meets the K-12 classroom. We talked with director Brandin Conrath, Ph.D., about what it means to “shift” education, why collaboration beats working in silos and what keeps him hopeful about the future of learning. We talked with director Brandin Conrath, Ph.D., about what it means to “shift” education, why collaboration beats working in silos and what keeps him hopeful about the future of learning.
The mission
When people first hear “Shift Education Lab,” what do you hope they understand about the work right away?
The goal is for them to recognize the work as truly shifting education. It’s an opportunity hub of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in service to finding solutions that support K-12 education. It serves the broader mission of VCU’s Office of Innovation and Strategic Design to lead at the cutting edge of front-end innovation and prototyping new interdisciplinary collaborations.
You recently stepped into the director role. What vision are you bringing into this next phase?
My vision really sits at the establishment of the lab. I don’t want Shift Education to be another siloed research lab of the kind that often exists in higher education. I want it to be much more, an amalgamation of research, outreach and teaching that brings people together to bridge the gap between practice and higher education. We’re all in this together to support students, so why aren’t we working together?
What gap or opportunity in education is the lab working to address?
The field of education is always changing, with new insights on how or what students should be learning. Shift Education Lab seeks to address a critical opportunity: moving from traditional forms of instruction to more innovative methods that prepare learners to be scientifically literate and to thrive in a modern technological society. Front-end innovation is a process that moves quickly to deliver valuable insights and inform new directions.
What does innovation look like when it’s grounded in real classrooms?
Innovation in this context is grounded in real classrooms by integrating new curricula, tools and experiences directly into students’ learning environment. One example is our integration of virtual reality (VR) headsets into middle school classrooms to support STEM instruction.
What was the catalyst for the Shift Education Lab?
The VCU Shift Education Lab was made possible in part through critical support from the Bob and Anna Lou Schaberg Foundation. A lifelong educator, Anna Lou Schaberg has had an enduring impact on education in the Richmond region, and her support and thought leadership around the intersection of innovation and education helped catalyze the work that became the Shift Education Lab. Her generosity and vision will continue to benefit students and educators for years to come as the lab expands its partnerships and creates new opportunities for innovative teaching and learning.
Collaboration in practice
What are educators and students telling you they need most right now?
Right now, educators and students are seeking support in facilitating non-traditional learning experiences to explore innovation and STEM. It’s all about discovering and prototyping new opportunities for students to learn.
The lab works amongst VCU, K-12 schools and community partners. What becomes possible when those groups collaborate intentionally?
So many groups nationwide are working in support of our K-12 students, from non-profits and curriculum developers to teachers, administrators, higher education and researchers, but there are few conversations across these groups. We want to bring together all of these partners to leverage their individual strengths to create greater educational impact. Public research universities like VCU are natural conveners and leaders in this space.
How do you make sure innovation efforts are community-informed?
The lab operates “in service of” its partners, tailoring its support to their specific needs, whether those are educators or students. Shift Education Lab designs with, not for, partners. A partner might reach out to us for use of our technologies or for professional development in areas like extended reality, STEM data science, LEGO Serious Play or design thinking. We then collaboratively develop a solution.
Can you share a project that captures what the Shift Education Lab is trying to accomplish?
One project that really captures the essence of Shift Education Lab is our study abroad program in Lisbon, Portugal. This VCU spring break program is a collaboration between the Office of Innovation and Strategic Design, Shift Education Lab, the Global Education Office and the VCU School of Education’s Center for Teacher Leadership. It’s an intensive one-credit course that gives pre-service teachers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Portugal’s international education system.
Also, this spring, I worked with some fantastic people to launch our first session with several students at our partner school, United Lisbon International School. We were excited for two reasons: VCU students built foundational pedagogical skills in a highly regarded international school, and they took part in a cross-cultural exchange that built global awareness through their practice teaching. Our team was even able to offer LEGO Serious Play for sixth graders at United Lisbon.
What’s next on the horizon?
A second project in development also speaks to the essence of collaboration. It’s focused on supporting data science in STEM education, and while I can’t share too much yet, our partners will include the VCU Rice Rivers Center, The Pennsylvania State University, a non-profit organization and local secondary science teachers and students. The end goal of all of our work is to make a meaningful contribution to the field of education, whether that’s helping teachers change the way they teach or helping students think more critically about STEM and the world around them.
How does VCU’s interdisciplinary culture shape the way the lab solves problems?
Shift Education Lab reflects and builds on VCU’s interdisciplinary culture by bringing together expertise from across the university. We partner closely with the School of Education and the School of Life Sciences to take on complex topics like sustainable, data-driven biology curricula. When we have an idea, the first thing we ask is how we can engage the VCU community and our current partners, or whether there are new partners to seek out.
In what ways does the lab reflect VCU’s broader role in Richmond?
As an urban research university, VCU is positioned to create lasting impact in the Richmond region, and the lab partners with major school divisions like Henrico County Public Schools and non-profit groups like AI Ready RVA. We work in service of our partners to address their educational needs and support their students. We’re here to provide the space to test and prototype bold ideas.
The road ahead
How do you sustain momentum in work that’s long-term and systems-focused?
So much of our work is long-term and systemically complex, so momentum across our projects and partnerships ebbs and flows. I just received feedback on an article I submitted early last fall. Luckily, I’m surrounded by a great team that helps me organize and prioritize what needs to be done and when.
What gives you hope about the future of education right now?
There are immense challenges facing education right now, but there is also hope. What gives me hope is that there are still students out there who are excited to learn and want to try new things. It actually feels great when I don’t have enough VR headsets for students on an open house night. We need to foster that excitement through innovative educational opportunities. It’s all for the students.
If someone worked with the Shift Education Lab five years from now, what would you hope they see?
In five years, my hope is that anyone working with Shift Education Lab will see a global network of collaborative education sites connecting educators, researchers, students and organizations, where innovation and collaboration are the standard, not the exception.
