How UCATT Supports Teaching and Learning
Most people interact with University Center for Assessment, Teaching and Technology (UCATT) through a workshop or a Brightspace question. What they may not see is the broader network of support the team provides to instructors and departments throughout the university.
UCATT serves as the university's teaching and learning center, bringing together instructional designers, educational development specialists, multimedia experts, instructional technology professionals and others who help faculty create engaging learning experiences for students.
"Technology is not a separate tool or competency anymore," said Janet Smith, director of operations and communications for UCATT. "You cannot opt in and opt out of technology anymore."
Technology has become an essential part of teaching and learning. Supporting the platforms, tools and resources instructors rely on requires collaboration across multiple teams and areas of expertise.
UCATT is made up of approximately 70 employees across seven teams, each contributing a different piece of the teaching and learning experience. Some support Brightspace and the tools that integrate with it. Others partner directly with instructors to design online courses, develop instructional materials or explore new approaches to teaching with technology.
The unit also manages multimedia studios where instructors can record lectures, demonstrations and interviews, and supports digital makerspaces that provide students and faculty access to specialized technologies and creative tools.
For Smith, however, the technology itself is only part of the equation.
"The investment is, yes, in the tool, but equally in the people that sort of bring that tool to life," she said.
That human-centered approach has become increasingly important as technology continues to evolve. During the pandemic, instructors across higher education rapidly adopted digital tools out of necessity. In the years since, UCATT has focused on helping faculty continue developing their skills, regardless of their starting point.
"We try to meet people where they are and teach them how to use the tool from whatever their starting point is," Smith said.
Beyond supporting instructional technologies, UCATT is also investing in professional development opportunities for instructors. One initiative gaining momentum is Professional Development Pathways (PD Pathways), a program designed to help faculty build teaching skills and explore new approaches to instruction through structured learning experiences.
The program recently completed its first year and continues to evolve through partnerships across the university. Smith said UCATT hopes to further connect PD Pathways with efforts such as new faculty orientation and mentoring programs.
"We're really looking to build that out as a signature program that we do," Smith said.
Although UCATT's work often overlaps with technology services, Smith said there is sometimes confusion about the distinction between UCATT and UITS.
"It's a synergistic relationship," she said.
Looking ahead, Smith sees artificial intelligence as both an opportunity and a challenge for higher education. As new technologies emerge, UCATT continues to help instructors navigate how those tools intersect with teaching practices, policies and student needs.
"Education is messy. It's squishy, and it's messy, and it's supposed to be," Smith said. "That's where all the good stuff happens."
For UCATT, supporting teaching and learning means embracing that complexity while helping instructors and students make the most of the technologies that shape today's classroom experience.