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Judith Slapak-Barski

Halmos College of Arts & Sciences, Nova Southeastern University

United States of America - Fort Lauderdale

Judith Slapak-Barski, Ed.D., is the Instructional Technology and Design Specialist at the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography of Nova Southeastern University. Judith lives and breathes the many sides of online education by also serving as a bilingual faculty development specialist.

Biography

Dr. Judith Slapak-Barski is the Instructional Technology and Design Specialist at the Halmos College of Arts and Sciences of Nova Southeastern University. Judith holds a doctorate degree in Education with focus on Instructional Design and Technology from Nova Southeastern University, and an Experiential Education certification from the National Society of Experiential Education's Academy. Her doctoral dissertation titled "Faculty and Student Perceptions of Teaching Presence in Distance Education Courses: A Mixed Methods Examination" was awarded the Dr. Charles L. Faires Dissertation of Distinction Award (2017). In 2018, Judith graduated from the NSEE's (National Society for Experiential Education) EEA (Experiential Learning Academy), and became a curriculum committee member, course designer and instructor for the EEA. Dr. Slapak-Barski has also delivered numerous faculty development workshops on instructional technology, course design, Experiential Education principles, and best practices in teaching. Judith supports faculty through professional learning opportunities that focus on cultural change to promote institutional adoption of Experiential Learning practices combined with instructional technology applications.

At NSU, Judith lives and breathes the many sides of online education as an instructor, faculty trainer, mentor, researcher, and/or facilitator of sessions on best practices in Online Teaching and Learning. Judith works with subject matter experts and administrators to improve the teaching and learning process through student-centered instruction, problem-based learning, and improvement of instruction in all its forms, whether in face-to-face, fully online, or blended environments. Judith specializes in Faculty Development, Online Learning Management Systems, Instructional Technology, and Teacher Education, among others. Judith collaborates with LEC (Learning and Educational Center) as a member of the LEC Advisory Council and workshop facilitator, and with the ExEL-Experiential Education and Learning- team, an initiative presented to the class of 2020 and all undergraduate classes moving forward. This initiative is strengthened by the added focus of adapting experiential learning strategies to online course delivery. On any typical day Judith's activities may include any, or all, of the following: working on instructional design projects, teaching a workshop for faculty, helping a professor plan instruction for a course, producing, filming and/or editing an instructional video, conducting program evaluations, organizing faculty meetings, presenting at national and international conferences, collaborating with administration in program development and implementation, and publishing in a variety of media. Those are the main ones, but there are many more! All of them feature an intentional shift to strengthen experiential education to provide students with the opportunity of gaining diverse, meaningful experiences, through learning activities designed to enhance the student experience, ultimately benefiting students both personally and professionally, by providing them with real world, hands on educational opportunities.