On June 23, the University of San Diego Learning Design Center received the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Training and Professional Development, which recognizes individuals and/or institutions who use Blackboard programs to support and enhance faculty and staff’s training and professional development.
Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts and represent the very best in their field.
“We’re pleased to honor this year’s Blackboard Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners through EdTech and sharing these insights with the broader community,” says Lee Blakemore, chief client officer and president of global markets at Blackboard. “We’re proud to partner with institutions who are innovating to advance student success.”
Like many universities in the United States and across the world, USD had to shift its on-ground campus classes to a remote format due to the global COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. To help faculty plan for teaching remotely, the Learning Design Center developed a training program for faculty to leverage the tools in the Blackboard Learning Management system. This program consisted of training tutorials on the tools available as well as a course which introduced online course design using Blackboard tools and pedagogy guidance. Webinar events were also offered on the topics of flipped learning using Zoom and student retention using the Blackboard Retention Center.
“This training program was effective thanks to the collective efforts of the administrators, staff, and faculty who worked together to ensure that students could continue their studies without disruption,” says Heather Leslie, an instructional designer with the Learning Design Center. “This award shows how Toreros rose to meet one of humanity’s most urgent challenges when the campus was forced to close due to COVID-19, and ultimately persevered. Everyone at USD contributed to this endeavor and should feel proud of the success.”
The University of San Diego Learning Design Center team will also be announced alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during BbWorld 2021, Blackboard’s annual user conference to be held virtually over a two-week period, July 13-15 and 20-22.
For more information on the Blackboard Catalyst Awards, please visit: https://community.blackboard.com/catalystawards.
— Heather Leslie