The Institute for Learning and Teaching at Colorado State University named to prestigious Blackboard Reviewer Council

FORT COLLINS – The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT) at Colorado State University was named an inaugural member of the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Reviewer Council.  The Exemplary Course Program recognizes faculty and course designers from schools, colleges and universities around the world who develop exciting and innovative courses that represent the very best in technology and learning.

The Reviewer Council was formed to help share knowledge and foster teamwork around course design, to provide an elevated professional development opportunity for educators and instructional designers, and to enhance the quality of course reviews provided to Exemplary Course Program submitters. Tonya Buchan, Sandy Chapman, Elaine Chen, Mitzy Forbes, Chris Geanious, Barb Maynard and Greta Steber served as members of the TILT Reviewer Council team

The Reviewer Council has played a large role in helping choose Blackboard’s Exemplary Course Winners. The Exemplary Course Award is part of the annual Blackboard Catalyst Awards program, which annually recognizes and honors innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice. The Blackboard Exemplary Course Award highlights technologically rich, engaging, well designed, and pedagogically sound courses that showcase best practices for the user community.

Over 200 courses were evaluated in a rigorous peer-review process by more than 300 faculty and instructional designers. Submissions were judged on the following components: course design; interaction and collaboration; assessment; and learner support. The Reviewer Council received one-on-one mentoring by Exemplary Course Program Directors and evaluated courses for the second (of three) evaluation levels.

“The Reviewer Council provides an excellent opportunity for the Exemplary Course Program Directors to scale the program and expand the reach of those who can effectively evaluate the quality of course design," said Deborah Everhart, Exemplary Course Program Director. “We look forward to working with the Reviewer Council on an ongoing basis to exponentially increase effective practices benefiting faculty and learners.”

TILT will be honored for contributions to the Reviewer Council during BbWorld®, Blackboard’s annual user conference to be held in July in Las Vegas, Nev.

Blackboard is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard’s solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online.

The Institute for Learning and Teaching advances research, promotes effective practices, and provides direct support to students and faculty across the University community. To enhance learning, teaching, and student success, the Institute works to achieve its mission by creating and supporting collaborative programs, initiatives, and activities among students, faculty, and staff in the divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Enrollment and Access.

Direct support for students is provided through TILT’s Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry, which brings undergraduates together with faculty and industry mentors; its Learning Programs, which provide a variety of tutoring programs and academic skills workshops; its Service-Learning program, which supports the development of meaningful, active, hands-on learning experiences while serving genuine community needs; and its Academic Integrity program, which provides training and guidance in the cultivation of a culture of academic integrity.

Direct support for faculty, staff, and graduate student instructors is provided through programs that strengthen professional development in areas related to learning and teaching, scholarly inquiry into learning and teaching, course design and development, and the University’s instructional technology infrastructure.

To learn more about The Institute for Learning and Teaching, visit:  http://tilt.colostate.edu.

For more information about the Exemplary Course Program, please visit: http://blackboard.com/ecp.

About Colorado State University

Founded in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College, Colorado State University is a Carnegie RU/VH institution, a land-grant university and the "university of choice" for many Colorado residents: 30 percent of all of Colorado’s science, math, engineering and technology majors pursue degrees at CSU.

Our world-class research facilities in infectious disease, atmospheric science, clean energy technologies, environmental science, and biomedical technology attract more than $300 million in research funding annually. Our professional programs in veterinary medicine, occupational therapy, journalism, agriculture and construction management are ranked among the nation’s best.

 To learn more about Colorado State University, visit: http://colostate.edu