WMUx in Action

True partnership is a two-way street and if WMUx Instructional Development & Support were a class, Professor Sandra Vamos would be a model student. With each party bringing ideas and expertise to the table, the result is constantly changing and engaging content that utilizes the right technology tools to support excellent student learning experiences.

What is WMU-Grand Rapids doing to address the lack of talent available to meet the high demand for manufacturers, engineers, designers and other skilled employees in West Michigan? Step one was the creation of the AMP Lab @ WMU. Step two is happening now with a one-of-a-kind program for local high school students that helps paint a picture of what pursuing a career in these fields could look like in their lives.

That's what Professor of Communication Sandra Borden did to fine-tune the student learning experience in her COM 3070 Freedom of Expression course. When her class transitioned from 30 students online to 90 face-to-face, Borden was able to successfully adjust how she designed and taught her course with the help of her “trusted teaching friend” – WMUx Instructional Development and Support.

If you want to know about rocks, Associate Professor Dane Alexander is your guy, but he does not consider himself to be particularly tech-savvy. He has tons of ideas about engaging and interesting elements he wants to incorporate into his course, but he doesn't always know how to do it. That's why he relies on WMUx's Instructional Design teams to help him bring his creative ideas to life and seamlessly integrate them into his online course.

Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into course content is a key priority, so what needs to be done to get started? That is precisely the question Dr. Suzan Smith-Ayers, Chair of Family and Consumer Sciences, had when she began to assess her department’s curriculum for inclusivity. Reaching out to WMUx for support, Smith-Ayers kicked off an on-going collaboration that provides faculty with the information and tools they need to create accessible course materials that strengthen the learning experience.

Few things are more frustrating than technology problems. When Professor of Communications Julie Apker found herself at her wits end trying to support students when technology support was not meeting their needs, she reached out to WMUx’s Instructional Development & Support team to find a solution that could get her course and her students back on track and moving forward.

Technology can be helpful in many situations, but sometimes what we wish we could do exceeds the tools and applications we know how to use. That is precisely why Brian Gogan, Associate Professor of English, reached out to the WMUx Instructional Design team for help discovering the solution to his challenge. With training and support from WMUx, he was able to easily implement a customized online tool for his first-year writing class, allowing them to better accomplish their project objectives.

When an Economics course that deals with big policy questions like, “Why is health insurance so expensive?” moves entirely online, how do you continue to promote engaging discourse among students? That is exactly the problem Economics professor Don Meyer faced and why he turned to WMUx’s Instructional Design team for support.

Accurately measuring student learning outcomes depends on having a thorough understanding of assessment. Every year, WMU’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness sponsors the Assessment in Action Conference, aimed at helping faculty and staff discover new techniques and strategies. A few years ago, Program Manager Karen Stokes Chapo wanted to take the conference to the next level, so she reached out to WMUx’s Instructional Design team, and a powerful partnership began.

When your goal is to develop and nurture thought leaders, you extend your definition of “students” beyond those enrolled in your for-credit program when a need presents itself. That is precisely what the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation program at Western Michigan University did when it partnered with WMUx to create a non-credit, professional development course for external professionals looking to take their evaluation skills to the next level.

All instructors want to see their WMU students prosper once they graduate, but how can they make sure they are equipping their students with the right tools and knowledge they’ll need to accomplish their professional goals? That was precisely the question Meghann Meeusan, Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of English, had when she approached the WMUx Market Research team.

When cross-campus collaborators come together, incredible things can happen. A WMUx-facilitated partnership between the Graduate College and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at WMU empowers graduate students to practice teaching techniques in a supportive, low stakes environment while OLLI adult learners gain access to new courses on engaging topics.

Sometimes the best learning experiences take place beyond the classroom walls. A uniquely engaging – and delicious – learning opportunity emerged for a lucky group of Global Engagement Program students when WMUx staff facilitated the collaboration of a prominent Grand Rapids businessman with the head of WMU’s Haenicke Institute for Global Education.