Excellence in Digital Course Design

Andrea Pesavento submitted her project entitled “The Senior Year Experience” where she showcased how her office supports students as they navigate the pressure of their senior year, while also tackling huge questions such as whether to get a job, or go to graduate school.  Through this site, a community of over 400 students was formed.  

The Senior Year Experience is an innovative, interactive, joinable, iLearn site for rising juniors and current seniors at Marist. For the first time ever, there is a single point of entry to conveniently access information and resources related to Employment, Graduate Schools, Alternative Paths After Graduation, a Senior Year To Do List, and Self-Care Resources. Online learning is often paired with in-person programs and seminars.

Innovative use of Technology

Jennifer Robinette submitted her project entitled “Com_401 Capping” where she built a community of knowledge.  The site provides both the instructor and the students the opportunity to collaborate on their research projects using knowledge from current and previous students.  Through this course, Jennifer fuses iLearn with other technology tools such as Padlet to foster the collaborative experience.

A total of 52 students have participated in it thus far. The goal of the site is to provide resources and build a sense of community for Capping students who complete unique projects in distinct areas of communication, including public relations, advertising, journalism, and sports communication. Students carry out primary research projects, write a research proposal and final paper, present their results during a class speech, and participate in a poster session at the end of the semester. They need help with secondary research and academic writing using APA Style as well as help conducting various forms of quantitative and/or qualitative primary research. Marist iLearn tools and Padlet have enabled Jennifer to develop a more substantive level of support for Capping students, which has improved the quality of their Capping projects, presentations, and posters. Quality Matters principles and best practices informed the development of the site.

 

Ms. Terri Garofalo - School of Communication and the Arts
2017 Overall Winner - Communication 103, Digital Toolbox

Ms. Terri Garofalo is the recipient of the 2017 Teaching with iLearn Innovation Award for her submission of “COM 103: Digital Toolbox.” Digital Toolbox is a face-to-face course that focuses on hands-on practice, project development, and learning community building. Ms. Garofalo flipped the course by using various iLearn tools to deliver less lectures and more tutorials. Lessons were well structured, loaded with artistically designed text, multimedia content, and self-check assessments. A plethora of communication tools such as Messages, Forums, and WebEx were used to connect students and facilitate brainstorming and creativity between class meetings. The course site accommodates a multiplicity of learning styles, encourages peer assessment, and promotes active learning strategies. 

 

 
Dr. Jane Bean-Folkes - School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
2017 Honorable Mention - Education 351, Literacy, Learning, and the Arts in the Social Studies Curriculum

Dr. Jane Bean-Folkes was awarded a 2017 Honorable Mention for her course “EDUC 351: Literacy, Learning, and the Arts in the Social Studies Curriculum.” This is the second of three reading courses integrating coursework with fieldwork experience. Students created and shared vlogs (video blogs) to reflect and record thoughts and insights from their experiences. This method and format implemented a unique form of communication that allowed students to report a summary of their experiences and draw connections with course content. This allowed Dr. Bean-Folkes to engage with her students asynchronously on a personal level, review weekly student progress, and address any individual concerns.

 

  
Ms. Patricia Barniak-Atkinson - School of Communication and the Arts
2017 Honorable Mention - Communication 200, Research Strategy and Methods
Ms. Patricia Barniak-Atkinson was awarded a 2017 Honorable Mention for her course “COM 200: Research Strategy and Methods.” Ms. Barniak-Atkinson uses iLearn to enhance the educational experience in a digital environment, applying various digital tools to meet the needs of her students. One assignment in particular implements a “Memos to Meme” concept designed to both enhance student communication skills while reducing confusion in the forums. This allows students to clarify, analyze, or reiterate key concepts with each other by creating memos or memes. By fostering class community and building group support this activity exemplifies the different communication methods that can be used within an online environment. 
 

Marist's Dr. Jennifer Robinette wins an international Apereo Teaching and Learning Award (ATLAS) Honorable Mention!

We are excited to announce that Dr. Jennifer Robinette, Assistant Professor of Communication and Public Relations, has earned Honorable Mention recognition in the 2017 International Apereo Teaching and Learning Awards.
Dr. Robinette is being recognized for her proposal entitled, “Bringing Communication Theory to Life through iLearn Interactive Experiences.” Through her submission, she demonstrated a creative and engaging use of Sakai, the open-source learning management system platform known as "iLearn" at Marist.

“When developing a new site for the class, iLearn tools enabled me to bring theory to life for students by creating experiences with communication theories in action that would be impossible in a traditional classroom,” wrote Dr. Robinette.

The intent of the award is to highlight examples of educational applications of Apereo tools which fall into an innovative or transformative category. Each of the winners will be recognized for their use of the Sakai CLE, Xerte, OAE, and/or Opencast, for teaching and learning, at the Open Apereo Conference being held from 4-8 June 2017, in Philadelphia. For information about the conference, go to http://conference.apereo.org/

Dr. Sasha Shivers - School of Liberal Arts
2016 Overall Winner - Philosophy 200, Ethics Online

Dr. Sasha Shivers was awarded the 2016 Teaching with iLearn Innovation Award for her Philosophy 200, Ethics Online course. Dr. Shivers presented her work to faculty and staff through a Faculty Showcase entitled, "Lessons I Learned: Facilitating a Holistic Learning Experience with Everything iLearn Has to Offer," based on her course design and utilization of iLearn. Ethics Online is a fully online course that accommodates multiple learning styles, encourages critical thinking skills, and promotes active learning strategies.  

 

Dr. Michelle Smith and Dr. Angela Laflen - School of Liberal Arts
2016 Honorable Mention - Using iLearn Site Statistics to Improve Online Writing Pedagogy

Drs. Laflen & Smith were awarded a 2016 Honorable Mention for their use of iLearn Site Statistics to improve online writing pedagogy. They presented their work to faculty and staff through a Faculty Showcase entitled, "What iLearn Knows That You Don’t: Are Your Students Reading Your Feedback?" based on their research about how students access instructor feedback on their writing assignments by analyzing data collected through the iLearn Site Statistics tool. Through this research, they have developed a number of strategies to encourage students to actively engage instructor feedback and use it to improve their writing.

 

Dr. Jennifer Robinette - School of Communication and the Arts
2016 Honorable Mention - Power Presenting Workshop 

Dr. Jennifer Robinette was awarded a 2016 Honorable Mention for her creative use of iLearn to create a highly engaging, self-paced "Power Presenting Workshop" for faculty, staff and students, to assist in the development of public presentation skills. Dr. Robinette presented her work to faculty and staff through a Faculty Showcase entitled, "Crafting Digital Learning Quests", based on her unique workshop design, her expertise in creating high quality learning experiences, and her utilization of a wide array of iLearn tools and features.