Gateway's Mauk Wins Blackboard Catalyst Award

Gateway Community & Technical Colleges Craig Mauk has won a Blackboard Catalyst Award for his Introduction to Biology online course. The Blackboard LearnTM Exemplary Course Directors Choice award honors online instructors who design and develop exciting and innovative courses that represent the very best in technology and learning.

This award is another indication of the high quality education that students receive at Gateway, said Ed Hughes, Gateway president and CEO.

Mauk, associate professor, has been teaching biological sciences in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System for 20 years. He has taught Introduction to Biology in all formats: in-person, hybrid, and now online. Without question, the online version is far superior, said Mauk. It provides ease of scheduling for me and my students who could not attend an in-person class due to their lifestyles.

Gateway's E-learning program has taken online courses to the next level. Beginning in 2011, Gateway partnered with TiER1 Performance Solutions to create an innovative E-learning course development process. A Department of Labor Grant awarded in 2011 made the partnership possible.

During the 12-week process, instructional designers mentor faculty members as the course is designed and developed. Courses undergo a quality assurance review to ensure national best practice standards are being achieved. One key component of Gateway's E-Learning success is delivering quality online courses, said Doug Penix, director of learning environments.

Catalyst Award-winning courses are recognized for course design, student engagement and demonstrating a new way of learning. Students are engaged from the get-go. Interactive lectures, links to videos, embedded quizzes all make for a more personalized learning experience. This is hands-on electronically and engaging to the students, said Mauk.

Catalyst Award winners represent some of today's finest examples of leveraging technology to improve the education experience, said Ray Henderson, chief technology officer and president of academic platforms at Blackboard. Each winner has established best-in-field approaches in critical areas including online learning, course development, school communication and mobile education. We congratulate the winners on their vision and their excellent work, and we celebrate this accomplishment with them.

Mauk will be honored alongside other Blackboard Catalyst Award winners during Blackboards annual user conference in July in Las Vegas. This award is huge! I am honored to receive it and to be part of the rise of quality online courses, Mauk said.