At the Teaching TechXploration event held on October 29, 2020, we had the pleasure of recognizing the 2019 UFIT Exceptional Course Development Award recipients. In case you missed it, our winner was VEM5321 Integrating Veterinary Medicine into Shelter Systems, a team-taught course developed by Drs. Julie Levy, Cynda Crawford, Brenda Griffin, Sarah Kirk, and Ms. Chrissy Sedgley from Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program, with instructional design support from Ms. Ariel Gunn. The team demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation through multiple cycles of course refinement and creation of high-quality multimedia teaching materials. Student feedback highlighted appreciation for the frontline perspectives and authentic assignments that engaged them in a highly reflective application of course concepts to their future professional lives.

We would also like to celebrate our runner-up, CGS2531 Problem Solving Using Computer Software taught by Dr. John Mendoza-Garcia with instructional design support from Dr. Heather Maness. Again, an important factor in the selection was the student feedback on the real-world assessments, which were designed following Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines. Furthermore, the committee was impressed with Dr. Mendoza-Garcia’s learner-centered introductory videos to prepare students for success in an increasingly diverse classroom and global workforce. Earlier this year, CGS2531 was also awarded a 2020 Exemplary Online Award in the Large Enrollment Strategies category.

The recipients were chosen from among the 77 courses that received instructional design support from the UFIT Center for Instructional Technology and Training (CITT) in the 2018-2019 academic year. Please join us in celebrating these exceptional people creating exceptional courses. We encourage you to send them a virtual congratulatory hug, gif, or other creative laurels!

Tags: Course Design, Instructional Design, UFIT, Online Teaching, Feedback, CTE