Sony, Montclair State and National Higher Education Leaders Launch Collaborative Forum

Montclair State University has joined forces with Sony Electronics and 11 other colleges and universities across the country to form the Future Learning Collaborative, an initiative designed to foster open and candid dialogue among higher education institutions about the role of technology in supporting teaching and learning.

The Collaborative includes member institutions such as Duke University, Dartmouth College and Northwestern University, which are working together with Sony designers and researchers to develop new classroom technologies and enable more effective teaching methods, with the ultimate goal of creating a deeper and more immersive learning experience for students.

“Our partnership with Sony Electronics over the past few years has provided the University’s faculty, staff and students with invaluable benefits,” says Candace Fleming, Montclair State University vice president for information technology. “From our School of Communication and Media’s 4K production studios to our state-of-the-art lab spaces in the brand-new Center for Computing and Information Science, Sony enables Montclair State to be at the forefront of incorporating technology into teaching and learning.”

The group has met regularly since November 2017 for working sessions, focus groups and technology demonstrations facilitated by Entangled Studios – an education innovation studio headquartered in San Francisco. In the coming months, the Collaborative will begin regularly sharing its findings with the broader higher education community.

“The work of the Collaborative is rooted in Sony’s fundamental philosophy of designing with purpose and developing technology that reflects the experiences – and challenges – of practitioners across a range of fields,” said Satoshi Kanemura, Head of B2B of America, Sony Electronics. “Higher education’s mission and complexity present a unique opportunity for our team. Having the support of institutions through their investment of time, and their willingness to share perspectives, enables us to develop solutions that are both actionable and relevant.”

“We look forward to continuing to be a part of this important collaboration and to helping Sony impact the future of technology in higher education,” added Fleming.