#instructionaltechnology

Instructional Design and Technology graduate program ranked second in the nation

Bloomsburg University is ranked second nationally among top online schools for instructional technology in 2020 by the College Affordability Guide.

BU is one of two institutions from Pennsylvania, and the only university from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ranked in the top 20.

"This is wonderful recognition for the great work being done by the faculty and students in the MSIT program,” said BU President Bashar W. Hanna. “To be ranked second in the nation shows the value our graduates are bringing to this highly competitive field."

Karl Kapp, a professor in the department of instructional technology and director of the Institute for Interactive Technologies, is thrilled for the ranking.  

"We are extremely proud to be featured number two on this list for two reasons. First, it shows just how affordable a master's degree in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University can be. Many of our students indicate the instructional design degree pays for itself in just a short time after graduation. And second, it validates the knowledge, contribution, and impact our graduates make in the field of instructional technology. Our goal is for our students to go out and dent the universe and this ranking shows they are having an impact."

Kapp continued. "This ranking also shows why our students have won the DevLearn DemoFest student design and development contest five years in a row. Our students consistently rise to the occasion and are shining examples of what BU can produce."

College Affordability Guide writes that BU students in the online program leading to a Master of Science in Instructional Technology and Design receive hands-on experience working for a real-world client. Each student is matched with an external organization, which could be a business or nonprofit, and creates a working instructional technology product for that organization. 

The college runs a national center called the Institute for Interactive Technologies, which receives requests for instructional technology assistance from organizations all over the country. The curriculum for this master's program requires 33 credits, and students can choose a concentration in corporate training or prepare for a Pennsylvania Instructional Technology Specialist Certification.

The College Affordability Guide based its rankings on:

Regional accreditation

CAEP/NCATE/TEAC accreditation (BU accreditation: CAEP-Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation)

Meets state licensing criteria

Strong "brick and mortar" reputation (e.g., excellent rankings, dedicated educational research centers, history of being a teaching school, etc.)

High graduate placement rates

Experienced faculty teaching the online and on-campus courses

Top U.S. News & World Report online rankings

IT intern helps create eLearning lessons for NASA

As NASA’s crew on the International Space Station becomes increasingly better at their jobs, a recent Bloomsburg University instructional technology graduate can take pride in knowing he played a role in that.  

Patrick Berridge ’17, who recently earned a master’s degree in instructional technology, spent the past academic year as an intern with the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, working in the Flight Operations Directorate with the Distance Learning Lab. There he helped create eLearning lessons for the International Space Station and crew.

“Honestly, it’s been incredible experience,” says Berridge, who graduated from BU two years ago with a business administration management degree. “My favorite moments come from touring the facility and getting an up-close look at things like the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility and Mission Control. I’m grateful to have met a ton of brilliant people who aspire to advance our knowledge of space.”

According to Berridge, one major lesson he’s taken away from this experience is the value of being opening minded and asking for help.

“Being at NASA I felt the pressure to prove myself, but I quickly realized I didn’t need to know it all,” Berridge says. “I simply had to be willing to ask the people who did have the answers.”

Bloomsburg to Houston to Mars was a journey Berridge thought about for quite some time.

“My heart has always held a deep fascination for space, plus all signs indicate that humans will reach Mars in my lifetime,” Berridge says. “To play even a minor role in that pursuit is extremely attractive. This opportunity aligns with my career aspirations, because I use the skills I learned in class to contribute to something that matters to me.”

In just nine months, Berridge says he has seen a dramatic change in himself.

“I learn something new every single day here,” Berridge says. “It’s refreshing to be in place where everyone is highly curious and ambitious. We’re encouraged to ‘reach for the stars’ (pun intended) and constantly push our abilities.”

According to Berridge, every challenge is a new opportunity to learn.

“My skills benefitted from having to figure out clever work arounds for specific projects or learning entirely new software on my own,” Berridge says. “The Instructional Technology program did an excellent job preparing me on a technical level. My mentors at NASA were genuinely impressed I knew how use eLearning software, such as Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate.”