A Digital Pioneer
Drawn to TU’s reputation for innovation, Bill Sadera is guiding faculty who are taking the instructional technology graduate program fully online.
It was TU’s reputation for innovation in education that led Bill Sadera to join the Department of Learning Technologies, Design and School Library Media in 2000. As school systems began integrating technology and devices into their classrooms, teachers had to reboot, and Sadera was there to lead the charge.
“I saw an opportunity to apply a new medium and to broaden TU’s reach to meet the needs of students and teachers throughout Maryland and beyond,” he says. Today classroom technology use is commonplace, and TU is a leader in the field of instructional technology and teacher technology preparation.
In an effort to reach a global audience and impact teaching across a variety of learning environments, Sadera is working with a group of faculty to offer three graduate programs and several certificate programs completely online.
Offered in accelerated, seven-week course formats, the master’s program in instructional technology with concentrations in instructional design and development, educational technology and school library media began in fall 2019. The programs allow students to earn their master’s degrees in 24 months through innovative and engaging online learning experiences that “leverage TU’s experience and reputation and taps the expertise of faculty who have studied distance-based learning for years,” explains Sadera.
As founding director of TU’s Ph.D. in Instructional Technology program, Sadera says “online learning has come a long way and there are many ways to teach even the most advanced material to the distance-based student.” Following suit, the doctoral program will be offered fully online once the master’s programs are up and running.
Sadera is committed to keeping TU on the cutting edge. “There are always opportunities to pursue something different and find new and innovative ways to reach learners,” explains Sadera. “We want to help our students to design instruction and use it to meet the teaching and needs of 21st century schools and businesses.”
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