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 the education and development of faculty and staff and improve.
Founded in 2005, the Catalyst Awards annually honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard practice community, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when using technology. The winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts and represent the best in their field.
“We are excited 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 wider community,” said Lee Blakemore, chief client officer and president of Global Markets at Blackboard. “We pride ourselves on working with institutions that innovate to promote academic success.”
Like many universities in the US and around the world, the USD had to switch its on-site campus courses to a remote format in the spring of 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. To help faculties plan distance learning, the Learning Design Center has developed a training program for educators to use the tools in the Blackboard Learning Management System. This program consisted of training tutorials on the tools available, as well as a course that introduced online course design using Blackboard tools and educational guidance. In addition, webinar events on the topics of flipped learning with zoom and student retention were offered with the Blackboard Retention Center.
“This training program was effective thanks to the combined efforts of administrators, staff, and faculties who worked together to ensure students could continue their studies without interruption,” said Heather Leslie, a teaching designer at the Learning Design Center. “This award shows how toreros mastered one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity when the campus had to close due to COVID-19, and ultimately held out. Everyone at USD contributed to this endeavor and should be proud of its success. “
The University of San Diego Learning Design Center team will join fellow Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during BbWorld 2021, Blackboard’s annual user conference, which will take place virtually over a two-week period from May 13th to 15th and May 20th to 22nd. July takes place, announced.
For more information on the Blackboard Catalyst Awards, visit: https://community.blackboard.com/catalystawards.
– Heather Leslie
