Distance Learning

Today for our Staff Spotlight story we’re sitting down with Bernadette Bacero, one of our Instructional Designers, or IDs for short. She shares more about this important role and also gives us some insight into our Distance Learning team.

Schoolcraft College: Hello, Bernadette Bacero! Please tell us a little about your background and what led you to Schoolcraft College.

Bernadette Bacero: Hello! Feel free to call me Bee. I started my career as a secondary history teacher, teaching first at Mumford High School in Detroit and then my alma mater Divine Child High School in Dearborn. I loved sharing my passion for history and watching students grow throughout the school year. When COVID-19 arrived, I discovered I also had a knack for supporting my colleagues as we made the switch to online spaces. When the opportunity arrived to do similar work at Schoolcraft College, I leapt at the opportunity to contribute something new!

Schoolcraft College: Can you please explain what an Instructional Designer does?

Bernadette Bacero: We partner with Schoolcraft College’s faculty to design and build the best possible version of our online courses. Faculty create drafts of their online courses, and then we work with them to polish the course into its first-rate final version. The Instructional Designers approach each development in two ways:

First, we go through the course as the stand-in student. Does the material flow in an intuitive way? Does it feel welcoming (especially if the students aren’t familiar with the subject matter)? Does the workload feel manageable? Does it feel like there’s a person on the other side of the screen?

Next, we put on our Instructional Designer hats. As IDs, we’re always keeping up with the latest educational technology trends and research-based best practices. We use this expertise to keep our online courses as up to date as possible, empowering our Ocelot students to take control of their learning using the latest tools in the best ways. We also work hard to ensure that all our courses meet accessibility standards so that all students are able to actively engage in their courses.

At the end of the day, if we’re doing our job well, most people won’t notice that we’re there.

Schoolcraft College: What does a “typical” day look like for you?

Bernadette Bacero: You can usually find me working in BTC 140, affectionately nicknamed “The ID Bunker.” I’ll start my day by going over courses that are currently in development. Faculty send me the first and second drafts for their online courses. I look them over to make sure they’re properly aligned with course competencies (i.e., Are students learning exactly what we want them to learn?) and meet accessibility standards (i.e., Will all students be able to interact with this course?). I’ll offer feedback and suggestions and then send the course drafts back to faculty. We’ll continue this process several times over the course’s development until it’s ready to be built in Blackboard.

My day will also include brainstorming sessions with the other Instructional Designers and sometimes the larger Distance Learning team. The IDs consistently work as a team to troubleshoot problems common to more than one course, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of such an energetic think tank. If one of us doesn’t have the answer, Jason Kane or Kaylynn Mortensen (our other two IDs) will be more than ready to offer a helping hand. We work as a team as much as a possible, and we wouldn’t be nearly as effective without the level of trust and professionalism between us.

Schoolcraft College: What are some of the challenges for you and your team?

Bernadette Bacero at a computer — Bernadette Bacero, Instructional Designer, is part of the team that partners with Schoolcraft College’s faculty to design and build the best possible version of our online courses.

Bernadette Bacero: I think the most obvious challenge is that we’re working with a wide variety of disciplines throughout the college. I could start my day working on a course in Microbiology and after lunch change gears to Spanish. This variety is what makes our partnerships with faculty so important! Our faculty are experts in their fields, and they know what students need to learn in their classrooms. We meet in the middle and collaborate on the best ways to deliver the best learning experiences for our students. What will work well in French might not translate well into a class for Criminal Investigations. We do our best to learn from every successful course development but also tackle each new course in its own unique context.

I think another challenge that comes to mind is less of a challenge and more of an opportunity. Distance Learning is taking the lead as Schoolcraft College transitions from Blackboard to Blackboard Ultra. We’re very excited to make this update as Blackboard Ultra will offer students and faculty improved course design and navigation, and Blackboard Ultra’s mobile app has been redesigned to provide a better student experience overall. There’s plenty of work ahead of us in this project, but ultimately, I think it’s work that is incredibly necessary for Schoolcraft College to stay relevant and current in the education field.

Schoolcraft College: What are some highlights for you so far?

Bernadette Bacero: I came on board to Schoolcraft at the end of June 2020. It was still early(ish) days in the pandemic, and I was working entirely remote. It would have been all too easy to feel isolated from the rest of the Distance Learning team, but they worked hard to ensure that I felt included and supported as I grew into my role. I’m incredibly grateful to each and every one of them for reaching out to me, supporting my questions, and (digitally) showing an interest in getting to know me as a person.

I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know other members of the college, particularly through the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. It’s a topic I’m particularly passionate about as a first-generation Filipino-American, and getting to know colleagues outside of Distance Learning has made me feel an even stronger connection to the Schoolcraft community.

Oh, and I can’t forget to mention my first meal at American Harvest. Just thinking about it makes me and my stomach happy.

Schoolcraft College: The COVID-19 pandemic put an even greater focus on Distance Learning. This is an area Schoolcraft College has excelled at for many years – in fact, we’re celebrating 40 years of Distance Learning. What are your thoughts about this milestone and what’s next for Distance Learning?

Bernadette Bacero: In my mind, Schoolcraft College has always been a positive fixture of the community, and so much of that can be credited to the work Distance Learning has accomplished in the past 40 years. From mailing coursework to students to broadcasting faculty lessons on public TV stations, Distance Learning has earned its reputation as a leader in the field. As a member of the Livonia community and now working here as an Instructional Designer, I can confidently say that the spirit of Distance Learning has been a combination of enthusiasm to try new things and the expertise to ground these new ideas in solid pedagogy. I hope that this attitude will continue to drive Distance Learning forward for another 40 years, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.

What’s next for us? I mentioned that Blackboard Ultra is on the horizon. We’re elbow-deep in converting current and future courses to the new format and working on the next season of Distance Learning’s award-winning series What’s Your Problem?

Schoolcraft College: Thank you, Bernadette! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Bernadette Bacero: I’m looking forward to getting to know more of my Schoolcraft Colleagues as we transition to a post-COVID19 world. Feel free to stop me in the hallways to chat or pop by the ID Bunker in BTC. I would be very happy to show off my office plants. (I’m very proud of them.)

She looks to build upon a well-respected and important department at the College

Today for Staff Spotlight we’re sitting down with Lori Timmis, who recently joined Schoolcraft College as Dean of Distance Learning. Lori comes to us from Siena Heights University in Adrian, where she served for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles.

Schoolcraft College: First of all, welcome to Schoolcraft College! We’re happy to have you here. How have things been going so far?

Lori Timmis: Thank you for the warm welcome! I’m happy to join the creative and hardworking Distance Learning team and work with Schoolcraft’s dedicated faculty, staff, administrators and other key stakeholders. Since starting my position in mid-August, Schoolcraft employees continue to enthusiastically welcome me to the college. I appreciate becoming acquainted with faculty and staff across departments, many of whom maintain longstanding service to the college, understanding their important roles and the common threads we share in our higher education careers. The Schoolcraft community integrates daily the college mission in fostering a transformative learning experience for students. Likewise, Schoolcraft students reflect distinct generations with unique, evolving needs, representing first-generation students and returning students.

During this time, I continue to gain knowledge of people, systems, processes, and initiatives to inform intentional and thoughtful planning for continued distance learning program growth.

Schoolcraft College: How did you get involved in higher education and why did you decide to pursue a career in higher education, specifically with a focus on Distance Learning?

A portrait of Lori Timmis — Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning

Lori Timmis: A favorite quote, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, reflects my higher education journey: “Do not go where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path, and leave a trail.” My journey comprises winding paths that, simultaneously, situated my commitment to serve in higher education and distance learning.

As a first-generation college graduate, I achieved my associate degree while a full-time student and working adult. Consequently, this progressed my interest to serve in higher education. I transferred to a bachelor degree completion program at Cleary University. This was my first exposure to distance learning through a hybrid cohort model, a setting I thrived in and one that propelled my passion for distance learning. Upon graduation, I started my higher ed career at Siena Heights University.

My nearly 20-year career at Siena brought encounters to build and sustain quality online and hybrid learning initiatives. I completed my master’s degree with a thesis focus on developing a blended online program that I applied directly to my work. I served as the founding director of the university’s distance learning programs, as an online adjunct instructor and developer, and in various leadership roles with oversight of distance learning initiatives. Within these roles, I collaborated closely with faculty and staff peers. At the core, our professions reflect cultivating engagement with others, and our efforts to deliver quality online learning largely derive from shared collaboration.

Schoolcraft College: Is there anything in particular that appealed to you to pursue the Dean of Distance Learning position here?

Lori Timmis: Yes. Several aspects spoke to me in applying for the Dean of Distance Learning position at Schoolcraft. It would allow me to come full circle honoring my educational roots, as a community college graduate, and serve at a well-regarded community college. Likewise, I could serve in a successive leadership role to champion, in partnership, a continued vision of flexible learning experiences delivered through adaptable modalities, distinct services and resources, and emerging instructional models.

My research and progressing through the interview process highlighted the college’s longevity, over a multi-decade period, with and commitment to quality distance learning for students, embraced by dedicated faculty and staff. These and other unique aspects highlighted an exceptional opportunity to me and why Schoolcraft holds a respected position as a forward-thinking institution in the community, state, and nationally.

“No longer is distance learning an ‘alternative’ model, but part of a flexible and transformative learning experience.”
Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning

Schoolcraft College: The importance of having a strong Distance Learning department has been magnified by the pandemic. What are your goals for Distance Learning both in the near future and long term?

Lori Timmis: Schoolcraft’s Distance Learning Programs maintain a distinct history over the last several decades with a growing portfolio of online degrees, certificates, and courses. The infrastructure encompasses a conscientious quality assurance framework for online course design and delivery. This foundation and the efforts of the Schoolcraft distance learning team, faculty, and staff allowed Schoolcraft to quickly respond to the shift in remote and online learning in the pandemic’s onset. Nevertheless, the pandemic continues to uncover additional needs and provide lessons to move us forward, which requires research, planning, and implementation.

Short-term, I seek to build internal cross-departmental and program alliances and external alliances to support student and institutional success. It takes an extensive base to coordinate quality-driven instruction, student learning and student success, and faculty support and development. Likewise, I plan to incorporate evidence-based decision making from institutional and other scholarly data to drive long-term DL strategic planning. Distance Learning also will embark on numerous goals this academic year including a phased-shift to BB Ultra, new and revised RTT courses including SC’s Professional Development Series, and continued adoption of OER, accessibility, and inclusive practices and strategies. These short-term goals will springboard in creating a shared purpose and vision for distance learning in concert with SC Momentum 2021.

Faculty responded to massive change in a short time during the pandemic. Looking ahead, new and evolving technologies and their associated pedagogies will necessitate ongoing faculty support and development. Faculty, as subject matter experts, work closely with our instructional designers and course managers to develop and teach high-quality online courses. Distance Learning will continue to support faculty, in collaboration with the Center for Academic Innovation, with relevant instructional professional development and recertification pathways to inspire interactive and authentic distance learning design and delivery.

As national trends continue to show, students desire more flexible options through online, hybrid, and remote modalities, and Schoolcraft is positioned to respond with additional programs, courses, instructional models, and modalities. We also must stay well informed of the evolving landscape including trends, research, regulations, technologies, and competition. Correspondingly, the pandemic identified gaps and needs for students that we will continue to examine to support effective and engaging student learning, one that promotes comprehensive interaction and active learning. This requires long-term agility in designing accessible, equitable, and innovative approaches.

Distance learning can offer more students access to higher education to boost their professional and personal endeavors. No longer is distance learning an “alternative” model, but part of a flexible and transformative learning experience. This coupled with a robust community college education, such as through Schoolcraft’s comprehensive academic portfolio, brings opportunities for future unique learning and workforce contributions.

Schoolcraft College: You are currently pursuing your doctorate in Global Leadership and Change from Tiffin University. How is that coming along?

Lori Timmis: Thank you for asking. I’m halfway through my coursework in Tiffin’s Ph.D. program. The program format encompasses rigorous 7-week online courses, three residencies, and a dissertation with a curricular emphasis on global leadership and change and cultural awareness competencies. Today’s workforce environment incorporates cross-cultural characteristics. While our work may bring a local, physical context, our professions should espouse a global mindset, which celebrates a rich cultural diversity that contributes to successful work.

As a working adult student, the online program accommodates the needs of my schedule. I value the flexibility coupled with the faculty and student engagement in the program to build active learning communities. We can deliver this in any modality with thoughtful planning and humanized pedagogy. My online student experience strengthens purpose in creating a collaborative infrastructure that meets the needs and capabilities of our students, develops active and meaningful learning, and advances professional development for our faculty and staff.

Schoolcraft College: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Lori Timmis: I look forward to continued interactions, idea sharing, and collaboration with the Schoolcraft Community. I’m excited to build connections with the community to champion a vibrant future for online teaching and learning at Schoolcraft College.