Meet Karin Bast
,
UW-La Crosse's Learning Technology Development Council Representative

TTT:
Please describe your work at UW-La Crosse.
KB: I have been involved in faculty development for many years, starting with the faculty in the College of Business Administration (CBA) at UW-L. I am a faculty member in the Information Systems department and teach three classes each semester. My areas of expertise are managing technology and networking. I have spent a quarter of my time year around on technology support for the faculty and staff in the CBA since 1991. I have two students working for me who help with PC support and network management. It makes a great internship opportunity for the students and keeps the CBA a technology leader on campus. As you will see below, I started working with faculty on the entire campus about six years ago.

In the early years, I mainly taught faculty and instructional staff how to use the various software packages that they would find on computers in the computer classrooms and labs. I also did many workshops on how to create a faculty web site for classroom support. I supported a number of instructional technology grants with technical expertise. Each year I have been involved in coordinating several campus-wide workshops along with a number of other individuals. As programs like Blackboard became available, I taught faculty how to use the programs and worked with them in course development. I use these products in my own classrooms and have modeled faculty usage of instructional technology.

Recently, my responsibilities are more one-on-one support of faculty who are incorporating technology into their instruction. Another unit has taken over the hands-on training for most software packages. Occasionally, we work together to put on workshops and training involving both a "how to" component and instructional support. Our last workshop was on low threshold technology applications for classroom support.

I have also been a strong advocate for faculty on a number of committees over the years.

TTT: How long have you been in your current position?
KB:
About six years ago another faculty member and I were asked to spend a summer developing a faculty instructional technology development plan for the campus. Our plan was adopted that fall and we began offering courses and workshops. We called ourselves the Instructional Technology Learning Center (ITLC). Our funding came from the faculty development DIN and we were each given a quarter release each semester for this work. After several semesters my dean insisted that I "come back" to the CBA full time and that I do any faculty development on an overload basis. We were just growing our track in the Management department into a full-blown major and I was needed for courses that we incorporated into the major and search and screen activity as we more than doubled the
size of our department.

I have continued to do work in the ITLC on an overload basis even after my colleague left the campus and a replacement also resigned the position when the load became too time consuming. I'm just stubborn enough that I wanted to see faculty support continue and I worked to get approval for a full-time position in faculty support of instructional technology. Our new provost did approve a full-time position last summer and we formed a search
committee. The position is a recent casualty because of the budget crisis.

TTT: What do you enjoy most about your job?
KB: I am energized by both new and long-time faculty who really care about their students' learning. Watching faculty experiment and seeing their enthusiasm when something works and their determination to try something else when it doesn't is my greatest satisfaction.

TTT: What's the most memorable thing that has happened to you at this job?
KB:
This is a tough question! I would say that the most memorable thing that has happened to me because of my contact with other faculty and instructional academic staff is that I have become a better teacher myself. I have learned more than I have taught by hearing how others are using instructional technology and other teaching techniques in their classrooms.

TTT: What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any hobbies, recent trips or hidden talents you'd care to tell our readers about?
KB: I am spending the winter in Carlsbad California. I am about 18 months away from retirement and I am telecommuting for the winter. I taught a full load last fall and I will again next fall. My duties as ITLC coordinator are in transition. I attend some meetings electronically and my faculty development duties are being allocated among a number of individuals until the faculty development position can be revived. I am playing lots of golf and am about to become a member of the Carlsbad library. I love reading mysteries and just about anything else in my spare time. My biggest challenge right now (other than my putting) is letting go ... especially since there is no replacement for my position in the ITLC.


Thanks, Karin!