For the past 16 years, the Catalyst Awards program has honored innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community. In this series, a group of 2021 winners from across the globe shares their success stories and best practices.

This post was guest authored by Kyle Charron, Learning Systems Technologist at Nipissing University’s Teaching Hub and Dr. Sarah Driessens, Manager of eLearning at Nipissing University’s Teaching Hub.

Kyle is a Learning Systems Technologist for the Teaching Hub, as well as an instructor for the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics at Nipissing University. Kyle has taught in both blended and online environments. He is focused on universal design, specifically, alternative assessment design and the use and creation of non-traditional media.      

Sarah has taught in a variety of contexts since 2013, including online, face-to-face, hybrid, and hyflex. Her focus is on creating equitable, caring, and inclusive learning environments, meeting learners where they are at, and nudging them to where they can go as empowered changemakers.  

Nipissing University is a 2021 “Student Success” Catalyst Award winner. 

Nipissing University is a small, primarily undergraduate university in North Bay, Ontario. We have approximately 5300 students (3450 full-time and 1850 part-time) and 250 instructors. We offer a wide array of undergraduate programs in arts, science, education, and professional studies. We also have a small offering of graduate programs in education, environmental studies, history, kinesiology, mathematics, and sociology. We have a mixture of onsite and online programs. In the winter term of 2020, like many colleges and universities, we were hit with closures due to the pandemic, which required a quick pivot to remote course offering and support. This had a significant impact on both students and instructors, and Nipissing University’s response was two-fold: 1.) Proven methods to help faculty identify and assist “at risk” students, and 2.) Peer-to-peer support.

Solution #1: Identifying “At Risk” Students 

Nipissing University’s team of Learning Systems Technologists (LSTs) worked with instructors to utilize student data through the Blackboard Retention Centre. This data, and a tool to manage it, has helped instructors pinpoint the “at risk" students who require more support, as well as highly engaged students who should be celebrated and praised for their efforts. Additionally, LSTs worked to help redesign onsite courses to remote courses during the pandemic, which consisted of instructional design principles (e.g., adult learning theory, multimodality, interactive design, Bloom's Taxonomy) and accessible content design.   

Onboarding Traditional Onsite Faculty to New Remote Teaching Styles 

The LSTs worked collaboratively with each other and various faculties and departments to first learn how to access, utilize, and interpret student data within the Retention Centre. This knowledge transfer primarily took place through various workshops, but the LSTs also supported faculty through one-on-one meetings and virtual office hours. From there, instructors could utilize student data to reach out to those students who were less engaged in course material (i.e., not completing course work such as readings, discussion posts, or assignments) to determine a course of action for continued growth and success. On the other side of the engagement spectrum, instructors could also utilize student data to connect with students who were highly engaged to not only praise and celebrate their efforts, but to also meaningfully engage these students to provide further guidance and support to their peers. The development of these supports targeted student retention, engagement, and success across a variety of programs, disciplines, and year levels.  

Solution #2: Peer-to-Peer Support 

Amidst the pandemic, Nipissing University’s Teaching Hub developed a new peer-led support system, Online Learning Partners (OLPs), where upper-year students would provide peer-to-peer support for matters concerning online learning, specifically Blackboard-related questions. OLPs answered questions via email about Blackboard Learn (e.g., how to log in, navigate, and access course materials), provided advice regarding other EdTech tools, and met with students for virtual appointments. This small group of OLPs (four) harnessed their collective experiences and expertise to help support peers during the pandemic. They also contributed to the institution by offering drop-in sessions, hosting workshops, and getting involved in virtual events run by various departments. 

Positive Impacts of this Two-Pronged Approach 

The significance and impact of this achievement is: 

• Student well-being, particularly their mental health, has suffered during the pandemic. By utilizing the Retention Centre, instructors can help connect with students who might, on the surface, appear disengaged, but might be struggling with mental health issues such as feeling overwhelmed by online learning or isolated during the pandemic. Doing so allows instructors to infuse trauma-informed pedagogy into their course with a particular focus on care, compassion, and empathy for students. OLPs also positively contributed to student well-being by offering guidance and mentorship during the pandemic. 

• Utilizing student data to connect with students streamlines and strengthens communication between instructor and student. Clear communication is an important part of online learning. This process has further helped instructors weave this best practice throughout their courses. 

• From March 8th to December 31st, 2020,  
  • 637 instructors and staff attended workshops run by LSTs (eight at a targeted Retention Centre workshop held on Sept. 18th, 2020) 
  • 174 instructors attended various drop-in sessions 
  • 400 instructors teaching over 1000 courses/semester were supported 
  • 5000 FTE (approximately 20,000) Blackboard users were supported across the institution 
• Though we haven’t yet fully analyzed quantitative evidence of improved student engagement or student satisfaction, anecdotal conversations between instructors, students, LSTs, and OLPs suggest that these supports have had a strong impact on the above-mentioned metrics. 

Lessons Learned and Recommendations to Other Institutions 

The pandemic, via the various stay-at-home orders enacted in Ontario (where Nipissing University is located), has taught our institution that communication is key when we are physically isolated from one another. This requires flexible tools that allow the accumulation and sharing of information. These tools, such as assessment and retention tools, may not be commonly used by faculty who teach onsite. These faculty may be unaware of these options. This introduces the opportunity for group and one-on-one training opportunities that create spaces ideal for sharing instructional methods and concerns by faculty. Once these methods and concerns are shared, training in various media tools, such as the Retention Centre, can be used as a support to continue proven practices and methods that enhance and deepen student engagement, while simultaneously contributing to a positive and successful classroom environment, both onsite and online. 

To learn more about Nipissing University’s Teaching Hub, please visit our website.    

For more on our Catalyst Awards Program visit our Catalyst Awards Page.