Voices of the Provost Solutions Fellows
Aroutis Foster, PhD
Associate Professor of Learning Technologies/Creativity & Innovation
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies
School of Education
Aroutis leads the Games and Learning in Interactive Digital Environments (GLIDE) Lab and is the founder of the Drexel Learning Games Network. He teaches and conducts research on the theoretical and practical applications of designed environments such as games and interactive digital environments to advance our understanding of learners’ knowledge, identity, and motivation in different settings including schools and workplaces, as well as informal and online environments.
What word or words would you use to describe your experience as a Solutions Fellow?
Opportunity and exploratory. I am highly entrepreneurial, and DSI has provided a way to support my entrepreneurial skills at the University level. Faculty typically do not get an opportunity to do something like that. As for exploratory, I didn’t know what this experience would be like, so I decided to take an exploratory approach to it and, by doing that, it was a very rewarding experience.
What did you enjoy the most about being a Solutions Fellow and why?
I enjoyed interacting with other faculty members and learning the different skillsets of my colleagues. I usually don’t know what other faculty are working on, but through this program, I was able to engage in truly collaborative work with them.
What was an unexpected benefit or something you learned as a Solutions Fellow?
One of the unexpected benefits was the stipend. I was surprised about the stipend since I would do this for free to support the University. I learned while working with outside folks such as our project with Longwood Gardens that it is not the high-paced, hectic work that I usually do — the publish or perish mentality. This is more about doing the work, getting the outcome and the deliverable, and being done. That was a different kind of expectation. It’s the real world and if something doesn’t work, you put it aside and move on. It’s about what works and what is pragmatic.
How likely are you to recommend becoming a Solutions Fellow to a colleague and what is the main reason?
I have already, and I told him it was a great experience and that he should do it. As a Solutions Fellow, you have an opportunity to do something that gets you out of your comfort zone and allows you to grow in a different direction.
How would you describe working with DSI and what would you tell colleagues about the value of working with DSI?
DSI provides you with an opportunity to grow and expand your knowledge base, learn about colleagues and their work, and get more information about the direction of the University. It also provides you an opportunity to work outside of your college.
What do you believe are the top benefits to working with industry partners?
The top benefit of working with industry partners is expanding your horizons and the work that you do. By working with external partners, you are involved in a process of struggling with a real-world problem, solving that problem and delivering solutions in a real-world setting. That’s not something you get to do in a traditional university setting.
Anything else you would like to add?
I would like to do more with DSI and the Innovation Engine. That is a value-added area for Drexel. It will prepare students for jobs in the real world and help students to think about themselves dynamically. I believe the Innovation Engine can help students develop attitudes that lead to lifelong learning and provide them with the ability to pivot when they need to or want to during their career. We are in a period where people will not work for 20 years in one job or industry, so it is important to be able to do something by dynamically reinventing yourself. One aspect of the work I do with technology design and identity exploration addresses this issue, and DSI’s efforts seem to be aligned with this type of work.