College of Nursing Director of Instructional Design Recognized as Apple Distinguished Educator

UC College of Nursing Director of Instructional Design Melanie Bauer has been named an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) for her work leveraging the college’s iPad initiative (iCoN).

ADE is a community that recognizes educational leaders who have accomplished great things with Apple technology in the classroom. The program unites educational leaders from 48 countries.  

Bauer’s knowledge of pedagogy, combined with faculty expertise and the UC Center for Academic Technologies & Educational Resources (CATER) mastery of technology, gives iCoN the ability to provide students with a learning experience like no other. 

In her application to become an ADE, Bauer stated that it is her role to assist faculty in the transition from simply delivering content to guiding individual understanding and application of that content. Bauer has practiced this role effectively, as she has developed a process to turn faculty lectures into multi-touch books using iBooks Author. The multi-touch books, used for class presentations, feature lecture content as well as pre-class quizzes, self-assessments, case studies, multimedia and other resources.

“Each embedded activity allows students to play an active role in their learning while in the classroom,” Bauer wrote in her application. “Whether they are testing their own understanding individually or completing a case study as a group, students are no longer simply passive absorbers of knowledge.”

Bauer also has worked with other instructional designers, as well as CATER, to develop and present app-based workshops for faculty. In these workshops, Bauer presented suggestions for app-based learning activities while technological experts presented how-to lessons of the various apps. 

Bauer said this technological-pedagogical approach to training is now used in almost all technology-related trainings offered by the college. 

“I think that the technology is really just part of the catalyst for the change,” Bauer said. “It helps faculty to sort of envision opportunities for assignments and activities in the classroom that they previously hadn’t thought of before.”

Bauer said the most important part of implementing technology in the classroom is making sure that technology is being used in a meaningful way that is helping to achieve the learning outcome.

“I think it is important not to use technology for technology’s sake, but to really enhance what is you’re doing with your students in the classroom,” Bauer said. “Enhance their ability to meet those goals and objectives you set up for them.”