[image 1]A few years ago, NVC had a Distance Learning department. Its focus was simple: distance learning. The department was responsible for ensuring courses, faculty, and students were well prepared for teaching and learning online and for supporting students and faculty in their online classes. But online classes were less than 9 percent of the total number of offerings each semester.
Fast forward to 2014. Although the makeup of the department has not changed — a director, a coordinator, a program specialist, and a part-time faculty trainer — the areas of responsibility have expanded to include many new programs and tools. The number of online classes continues to grow. And the number of face-to-face courses that use at least some technology edges closer and closer to 100 percent.
The distance learning team now finds itself supporting all students and all faculty who use online tools, such as the learning management system, called Canvas.With the introduction of online tools for grading, testing, videoconferencing, course content, syllabus entry, identity authentication, end-of-course surveys, faculty promotion and tenure portfolios, online training modules, and online tutoring, and the hefty added responsibility for faculty development, the team felt its name had become outdated.
[image 2]Some of the other Alamo Colleges have an “IIC”— an Instructional Innovation Center — a name that fits well but that implies a physical center where faculty and students can go for support. NVC decided to choose a name that better fits the broad spectrum of areas this team supports, without a “center,” so the team chose the name “Teaching with Technology.”
“Virtually every faculty member uses technology — from those who simply log into ACES to print out a course roster or enter final grades to those who teach fully online courses,” explains Laura Lawrence, the director of Instructional and Professional Development. “We wanted a name that reflected the diversity of our services.”
In July of both 2013 and 2014, the team hosted a one-day conference called TeachTechFest. The idea was a full day of faculty development sessions, guest speakers, and vendors, all related to teaching with technology.
“We played around with a lot of possible names, for both the conference and for the team, and we decided that everything we do centers on the teaching and learning with technology,” added Laura.
Someday, Laura said, there will probably be no such thing as teaching and learning that doesn’t include at least some technology; we may be closer to that day than we think. But in the meantime, the Teaching with Technology team will continue to help today’s instructors and learners as they navigate the world of higher education — a world that is increasingly interwoven with technology.
Contributed by Laura Lawrence, Director of Instructional and Professional Development