Quinton Mayne, Innovations Award 2016

Drawn to the intersection of comparative and urban politics, Quinton Mayne studies how the design and reform of democratic political institutions affects how citizens think and act politically. Helping students to see the world through a structural lens is a key priority in his teaching. “Eager to make a visible difference quickly, we can often focus on policy design and programmatic issues. This is important, but I also want my students to be even more ambitious; I want them to think big about institutions and structures. In my classes I want students to learn not just about how to navigate institutions in the short term, but also why and how to change them for the better over the long term.” To help students see the important role that institutions and structures play in creating obstacles as well as opportunities for actors pursuing positive social change, and to engage students deeply before, during and after class, Mayne has deployed an impressive range of technological tools, including videos and multimedia cases, and developed a number of in-class simulations.

Samples of innovation:

• Forms of Power (excerpted clip) - A Video Animation by Quinton Mayne
• "Stuttgart 21’" Rail Project - An HKS Case by Pamela Varley for Quinton Mayne (requires educator access)
• The Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust - A Multimedia Case by Patricia Garcia-Rios for Quinton Mayne (requires educator access)
• Thinking Differently at HKS - An article on Quinton Mayne's innovations in Canvas

“Professor Mayne’s innovations deepen not only students’ engagement with but also their learning from more traditional course materials, including academic research as well as written cases. HKS students can sometimes struggle with translating and applying the concepts and empirical evidence developed by social scientists. And it can sometimes be difficult for students to bring cases to life in their own minds or for instructors to use valuable class time to do just that. In developing a range of multimedia tools and simulation exercises, Professor Mayne addresses these two pedagogical challenges and successfully motivates his students to engage and learn more interactively in the classroom and outside the classroom..” — HKS Nominator