IRSC Earns 2019 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Innovative Open Educational Resources (OER) Courses

July 25, 2019 Robert Lane

Recognizing innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, Indian River State College (IRSC) Criminal Justice Department and Virtual Campus teams have been selected as 2019 Blackboard Catalyst Award winners in the “Teaching and Learning” category. This award recognizes work adopting flexible, distance and online delivery, including using mobile technologies to positively impact the educational experience. Winners demonstrate innovative use of the Blackboard platforms, increasing flexibility, furthering learner and instructor effectiveness and efficiency.

IRSC was selected as the 2019 Blackboard Catalyst award winner in the "Teaching and Learning" category.

Lee Blakemore, Chief Client Officer & President of Global Markets at Blackboard (left) and Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Blackboard (right) present Dr. Leigh Clay, Student Learning Coordinator for the IRSC Virtual Campus (center) with the 2019 Blackboard Catalyst Award. Clay accepted the award on behalf of the IRSC Criminal Justice Department and Virtual Campus Learning teams who were chosen as 2019 Blackboard Catalyst Award winners in the “Teaching and Learning” category.

IRSC Criminal Justice Department faculty members Richard Dewey, Dr. Kate Bradford, and Dr. Kim Massnick worked with Virtual Campus Team members Luci Mello, Dr. Leigh Clay, and Katie Profeta to offer Open Educational Resources (OER) that provide customized course materials and eliminate the need for textbooks in Criminal Justice courses. OER courses provide both increased affordability while also improving the quality of course materials offered in Criminal Justice students. During their first semester of use, OER in Criminal Justice courses saved students more than $133,000 in course materials.

“I am proud of the work done by the Virtual Campus and Criminal Justice departments. Their collaborative efforts have had a direct influence on online teaching and learning at IRSC,” shares Kendall St. Hilaire, Assistant Dean of IRSC Virtual Campus. She continues, “This award speaks to the teams’ dedication to student success.”

"We’re thrilled to honor this year's Blackboard Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners through EdTech and sharing these insights with the broader community," said Lee Blakemore, Chief Client Officer and President, Global Markets at Blackboard. "Clients like these inspire us to accelerate innovation that drives student success and we’re proud to be a part of their story.”

Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts.

The IRSC teams will be recognized alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during Blackboard's annual user conference, BbWorld to be held July 23-25, 2019 in Austin, Texas.

About Indian River State College

A leader in education and innovation, Indian River State College (IRSC) transforms lives by offering high quality, affordable and accessible education to the residents of Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties through traditional and online delivery. IRSC is recipient of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

IRSC serves nearly 30,000 students annually and offers more than 100 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, Associate degrees, technical certificates and applied technology diplomas.

About Blackboard
Blackboard partners with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change.