Now, more than ever, online learning through the use of technology is paramount to student success. WVU faculty are responding to the call and harnessing the power of technology to creatively educate students across disciplines and campuses, leading the charge to create more interactive online learning environments and hands-on outreach initiatives to local schools.
To celebrate excellence and innovation in digital learning across the University, the Office of the Provost and West Virginia Public Education Collaborative announced the second annual faculty Digital Learning Awards. Recipients will be honored with a professional development honorarium of $500 and recognized in Fall 2020 at an event at Blaney House.
The 2020 Digital Learning Award recipients include:
Mariette Barbier, professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, School of Medicine: Side-stepped a shortage of lab space by hosting virtual labs using Labster.
Christina Glance, graduate teaching assistant, Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies, College of Education and Human Services: Utilized tools such as VoiceThread to make online learning and discussion more engaging.
Kristina Hash, professor of Social Work, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences: Encouraged online storytelling through a variety of media platforms and supported student engagement with the social work community through professional best practices utilizing Twitter.
Ashley Martucci, professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development/Child Development and Family Studies, College of Education and Human Services: Enabled pre-service teachers to complete their student teaching placements in their home communities by connecting remotely with their professors through video, as well as engaging online, virtually sharing lesson plans, and using Voice Thread.
Clifton Smith, professor of Journalism, Reed College of Media: Wove essential skills like coding, Adobe Creative Cloud and web design into journalism coursework.
Jennifer Ripley Stueckle, professor of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences: Performed outreach to local schools through Trout in the Classroom and made sure students of all abilities could participate fully by using adaptive technology.
Susan Taylor, graduate teaching assistant, Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies, College of Education and Human Services: Encouraged students to share their favorite technology tools, including websites, software and apps to create a class “tech toolbox.”
WVU’s faculty Digital Learning Awards is inspired by national Digital Learning Day, which was established in 2012 by the Alliance for Excellent Education and inspired by a digital learning challenge day at Mountainview Elementary School in Morgantown. Digital Learning Day celebrates instructional practices that effectively use technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience, emphasizing high-quality instruction and access to challenging content to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.
WVU is the earliest official higher education supporter of Digital Learning Day, an event championed by the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative, which is committed to advancing public schools from early childhood through higher education.