The Best-in-Track Award for Student Support and Success at OLC Innovate 2023 was awarded to InScribe for their timely session on fostering a sense of belonging for online learners.

DENVER, March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — InScribe Education is delighted to share our achievement alongside a distinguished guest panel in receiving the Best-in-Track Award for Student Support and Success at the OLC Innovate 2023 conference. This accolade celebrates the most impactful presentations, as chosen by conference attendees.

Our celebrated session, “Unpacking Sense of Belonging: Can we really build authentic relationships for students learning online?”, moderated by Katy Kappler, Co-Founder and CEO of InScribe, covered the fundamental human need for belonging—a secure and valued place within a community. The panel included Dr. Tawnya Means, Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation and Chief Learning Officer at Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Dr. Andrew Feldstein, Assistant Provost for Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies at Fort Hays State University; and Dr. Omid Fotuhi, Director of Learning Innovation at WGU Labs and Research Associate at The University of Pittsburgh. This group of leaders explored the critical role that a sense of belonging plays in student success, highlighting its necessity for students to feel safe, confident, and ready to contribute.

Emphasizing the importance of belonging, particularly how spontaneous, organic interactions between students, faculty, and staff in physical environments foster belonging. Contrasted to the challenges faced by online learners, who often experience isolation that can lead to feelings of inadequacy and disconnection. The discussion provided actionable insights and evidence-based strategies for educators to enhance connection and belonging among online students, demonstrating how even minor adjustments can drive significant improvements in student success and persistence.

By winning this award, based on direct feedback from conference attendees, it is clear the topic of belonging in online education struck a chord with the community, offering valuable perspectives and solutions to one of the most pressing challenges in online education today.

On behalf of the entire panel, InScribe extends our gratitude to the OLC for recognizing our hard work, innovation, and dedication to improving the online learning experience. We are committed to continuing our efforts in supporting educators within the online learning community.

We invite the wider community to access the session recording, available here, as we collectively strive to create more inclusive and connected online learning environments. Notably, the session also features insights from Dr. Roxanne Gonzales, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs at New Mexico Highlands University. Although Dr. Gonzales was unable to join us live, we are immensely grateful for her contributions to the pre-recorded session, enriching our discussion with her expertise.

InScribe warmly congratulates our panelists and appreciates their vital contributions to this session. Dr. Means, Dr. Feldstein, and Dr. Fotuhi, your vision, expertise, and willingness to share your knowledge have profoundly impacted OLC members and the broader online learning community, driving us toward a future where every student feels a sense of belonging and is set up to succeed.

About the Winners:

Session Panelist

• Dr. Tawnya Means is the Assistant Dean for Educational Innovation and Chief Learning Officer at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, course design, and educational consulting, Tawnya has led teaching and learning teams and taught residential, online, and blended courses in entrepreneurship, strategy, technology, and leadership in remote teams. Her research interests include online and blended learning, active learning, learning space design, technology innovation in teaching, access to digital learning resources, generative AI for education, and faculty preparation to teach. Connect with Dr. Tawnya Means.

Webinar Panelist

• Dr. Roxanne M. Gonzales is the Provost/VP of Academic Affairs at New Mexico Highlands University. Dr. Gonzales’ career has been focused on institutions and programs that provide access to post-secondary education for underrepresented populations. She has over 25 years as a leader and administrator in the U.S., England, and Germany and is a tenured professor in Adult Education and Training. She currently serves as the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at New Mexico Highlands University, a Hispanic Serving Institution. Prior to Highlands University, she served as Executive Dean of Venango College at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Academic Dean of the College for Professional Studies at Regis University, and Dean of Distance Learning at Park University. Dr. Gonzales has extensive experience with models that serve first-generation learners, provide flexibility for today’s learners, and remove barriers to higher education. She is a recipient of the Association for Continuing Higher Education’s Leadership award and has served on many national and local boards that support higher education access. Connect with Dr. Roxanne Gonzales.

Moderator

• Katy Kappler, Co-Founder and CEO at InScribe. Katy is an impact-driven CEO who has spent 25 years creating solutions that extend access to high-quality education for every student. She is the co-founder and CEO of InScribe, an innovative digital community platform that is proven to improve student outcomes, increase a sense of belonging, and scale support for non-traditional and underserved student populations. Leveraging her experience and strategic abilities, Katy specializes in ed-tech innovations, student success, and communities of belonging. Katy’s work has received multiple CODiE Awards and was recognized in Fast Company’s list of Top 10 Most Innovative Education Companies. Katy graduated from Brown University and has an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. Connect with Katy Kappler or email her at Katy@inscribeapp.com.

About InScribe
InScribe is a digital student support platform that leverages the power of community and artificial intelligence to connect students with the answers, resources, and individuals they need to succeed. InScribe’s digital communities cut across the traditional support silos in higher education, giving students a single place to turn when they need help—no matter the topic or time of day. Students benefit from on-demand, peer-to-peer, and student-to-expert collaboration which helps them feel more connected, increasing student engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Learn more about InScribe at https://www.inscribeapp.com/.

Press Contact
Danielle Bonner, Sr. Director of Sales and Marketing Operations
InScribe
Email: danielle@inscribeapp.com
Telephone: (480) 277-2415

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SOURCE InScribe Education