ITS News

By Chris Collins
Multi Media Producer
Design & Development Services

The department of Learning Technologies and Scholar Learner Services has won the 2007-8 University of Akron Shared Leadership award. UA President Luis Proenza presented the award to department Director John Savery on May 2 during the annual Founders Day Luncheon at the Martin Center.

The award citation commended the unit for, “providing significant leadership in supporting student academic success, and exemplifying commitment to engaging individuals in the department with other campus units and members of the community.”

In nominating LTSLS for the award, Savery noted the unit deserved the honor primarily for its extensive efforts to aid in the selection and adoption of a new learning management system (LMS) to replace WebCT. In September 2007, UA’s Board of Trustees approved a contract with Desire2 Learn for its LMS, which UA dubbed SpringBoard!. Hundreds of courses were migrated to the new LMS for spring semester.

Savery wrote that: “This successful project was the result of working collaboratively with many individuals and groups within the UA community and would not have been possible without the dedication of the staff in Learning Technologies who invested their time, talents and energy to make it happen.”

Part of Information Technology Services (ITS), Learning Technologies and Scholar/Learner Services consists of four units – Audio Visual Services, Distance Learning, Computer-Based Assessment and Evaluation, and Design and Development Services.