Innovative Educator Series

Building Blackboard Experts: EPCC Faculty Training Through Mastery and Practice Luz E. Cadena, Director of Distance Learning Support Services, El Paso Community College

Speakers: Bevin Rainwater, Assistant Director of Academic Technology & Digital Innovation, University of Hartford Wendy Torres, Senior Instructional and Digital Accessibility Specialist, Coppin State

Sessions held: The One Where Classrooms Have No Walls, The One Where Engagement Meets Innovation, The One Where Accessibility and Quality Take Center Stage, and The One Where AI Transforms Teaching.

Innovative Educator Series - The One That Made Accessibility Effortless - Dec 12 2025 The Engagement Entourage: An Ensemble of Practices for Digital Teaching to Foster Engagement and Inclusion.

Using Asynchronous Discussions in Face-to-Face Courses, Bret Sikkink, Drake University Is Anyone Out There? Cultivating a Sense of Belonging through Instructor Presence Carol Westcamp-Sessums.

This session explores how gamification can be used to promote engagement, problem-solving, and deeper learning through purposeful course design.

The One Where AI supports Learning This session explores how AI tools in Blackboard — including the AI Design Assistant, Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA), and conversational AI are shaping course design, student support, and assessment.