As part of a continuing collaboration with the Division of Professional Studies (DPS) to advance digital learning at UMBC, DoIT is pleased to announce that Instructional Systems Specialist Collin Sullivan will be "on loan" to DPS as Coordinator of Digital Credentialing. 

Specifically, Collin will be be working with UMBC@USG, applied master's programs, Shriver Center, and other academic affairs units to coordinate three major efforts:

1. Create a comprehensive catalog of microcredentials aligned with national best-practices;
2. Coordinate our efforts related to building a large-scale micro-credentialing operation. On this effort, he will continue to collaborate with his DoIT colleagues advancing work we have already begun; and
3. Coordinate our efforts related to creating and deploying UMBC's comprehensive learner record (CLR).

"As Vice Provost for DPS Chris Steele and I discussed these opportunities we both felt it was essential that DPS take the lead in moving these programs forward," says VP of IT and CIO Jack Suess. "For me personally, I am very excited for Collin, and this collaboration with DPS that fully aligns with the larger vision we had when we started this effort. This represents an opportunity to take the work that the Instructional Technology team has done to get us to this point and expand our impact on campus."

Since joining DoIT as a student intern supporting faculty use of clickers in 2015, Collin has shown a remarkable ability to quickly and effectively explore, refine, support and scale a variety of innovative student assessment technologies. In addition to his growing digital credentials portfolio and research, Collin has led or supported DoIT's explorations and use of Akindi for "bubble sheet" test scoring and exam question banks in Blackboard, and our pilot of Poll Everywhere. He also created UMBC's first TechFest, and helped make a compelling case for why and how UMBC might consider establishing a campus testing center. All of this while graduating with two bachelor's degrees in 2019 (Information Systems and Economics) -- and serving as SGA president his senior year -- earning his master's in public policy in 2021, and starting his Ph.D. in Technology, Learning and Leadership at the University of Maryland College Park this Fall.

Please join us in congratulating Collin on his new role. We wish him the very best and thank him for all he's done for DoIT and UMBC -- so far! ;-)

In collaboration with DoIT, UMBC's Bookstore has reduced the price of all clicker "bundles" (hardware + software) to match the direct purchase price for a one year code ($34.99) by Turning Point (now known as Point Solutions following its merger with Echo360 earlier this year). This is being done to facilitate sales of the remaining, pre-pandemic hardware clickers that the Bookstore has in stock.  

In addition, students who previously purchased a clicker bundle for $45.00 this semester, can request a refund of $10.00 from the Bookstore to match the new clicker bundle pricing. Students must show a receipt for proof of purchase, and the refund offer expires after Friday, September 30, 2022. 

Note: The access code available in a clicker "bundle" can be used either on the hardware device or on a student's mobile device (but the two devices cannot be used  at the same time in the same session). For more information, see the following FAQ:

How do I register my clicker OR phone for TurningPoint in Blackboard

https://wiki.umbc.edu/x/oweGBQ

Background

Currently, the Bookstore has 990 clicker bundles in stock and 192 students have already purchased bundles this semester. The Bookstore does not plan to offer software (code only) sales until the current hardware clicker bundle inventory is sold off, but will continue to match the one year Turning/Point Solutions price for all clicker bundles until they are all sold.

For more information about clickers at UMBC, see umbc.edu/go/clickers.

After participating in rigorous peer reviews of their online and hybrid courses, four additional UMBC faculty have earned Quality Matters certification as part of the campus’ Quality Matters Impact (QMI) pilot.

Faculty participants received feedback from certified Quality Matters peer reviewers at UMBC and other online learning experts in the QM community. 

The four courses are:

EHS 115 - Medical Terminology  Gary Williams Date certified: 06.01.2022
GWST 210 - Introduction to Critical Sexuality Studies Kate Drabinski Date certified: 05.23.2022
SOCY 351 - Health, Illness, and Medicine John Schumacher Date certified: 05.27.2022
CMSC 104 - Problem Solving and Computer Programming  Chris Marron Date certified: 07.26.2022

These four faculty join those who earned QM Certification earlier this year: 

• AGNG 355 - The Experience of Dementia (Louise Murray)
• CHEM 101 - Principles of Chemistry 1 (Sarah Bass)
• EDUC 667 - Structure of English for TESOL (Mary Tabaa)
• ENCH 300 - Chemical Process Thermodynamics (Mariajose Castellanos)
• PBHL 100 - Survey of the US Healthcare System (Katie Birger)