Andrea Dunn: Leading Change Through Course Materials and OER
Episode Description
In this episode of the Engaged By Design Podcast, Dr. Michael Cottam is joined by Andrea Dunn, a strategic technology and operations leader with more than 20 years of experience driving large-scale initiatives in higher education.
Andrea shares behind-the-scenes insights from her work leading enterprise course materials and Open Educational Resource (OER) initiatives at scaleā€”impacting tens of thousands of learners. Together, we explore what it really takes to implement meaningful change across complex systems while keeping students, faculty, and staff at the center.
This conversation is especially valuable for leaders working from the middleā€”those navigating priorities, resistance, and execution across institutional boundaries.
In this episode, we discuss:
- How OER and digital course materials can reduce cost while improving access and learning outcomes
- What large-scale change looks like behind the scenes in higher education
- How agile and product-focused leadership supports sustainable innovation
- Why listening, iteration, and empathy matter as much as strategy
Whether you work in academic leadership, instructional design, IT, or student support, this episode offers practical lessons for leading change thoughtfully and effectively.
