Spotlight on Innovation
Dr. Diana Ruggiero's Contributions to Open Education
In alignment with GOAL 1 of ASCEND aggressively providing access, Dr. Diana Ruggiero's most recent project is a shining example of access, advancement, and diversity within the dynamic field of educational transformation. Ruggiero, professor of Spanish, led a groundbreaking initiative with a $30,000 award, which created a new benchmark for educational materials in the field of medical interpretation and Spanish-language training, thanks to the kind support of the TN Open Education OER award Cycle 3 FY2023.
The Open Educational Resources (OER) project led by Ruggiero has significantly influenced academics and student involvement. Ruggiero worked in conjunction with UM3D, Instructional designer Trish Lange and became a Instructional designer herself, certified by the Online Learning Consortium. Both Trish Lange and Ruggiero re-design the course SPAN-4705-M50 Healthcare Interpreting and Translation for the UM Global program. Through interpreting videos featuring various medical settings, students have acquired vital knowledge about the vast range of medical practices. The videos are an OER essential tool for comprehending the subtle medical frameworks unique to each medical interpreting standard. These open educational resources (OER) recordings have become essential resources for students, offering them advantages beyond the classroom, use in classrooms globally.
The project has had a lasting impact on faculty members whose teaching approaches have undergone a transformation. The development of OER products has made more comprehensive and engaging lesson design possible, enhancing faculty comprehension and proficiency in medical interpretation, and is being used in the design of online courses. The use of interactive and multimedia components, enabled by the adaptability of open educational materials, has greatly enhanced student involvement and enabled a more customized method of evaluation and feedback.
Ruggiero's project has encouraged a collaborative and sharing spirit within the academic community, even outside the University of Memphis. Teachers locally and internationally have benefited from the project's distribution of OER content through various channels and forums. The project's resources have been praised for their invaluable nature and versatility in medical interpreting instruction, signifying a noteworthy advancement in the area.
The 2023–24 Teach Access Faculty Grant Awards Selection Committee granted Ruggiero an additional $1,000 grant in recognition of the project's brilliance and promise. Ruggiero's project was chosen from a competitive pool of submissions and received praise for its significant impact, creative outreach strategies, and thorough assessment plans. This award highlights the project's dedication to raising student awareness of impairments and accessibility and advancing an inclusive and equitable approach to education. She also serves on the Digital & Learning Environment Subcommittee as well.
Ruggiero received the Women's and Gender Studies Research Grants for a project to improve the mental and emotional well-being of Latinx women in Memphis. She co-chairs the engaged scholarship network with Dr. Alison Happel-Parkins, associate professor in Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research. She started a journey together with Latino Memphis to address critical issues, including mental health, domestic abuse, and health inequities that disproportionately affect Latinx women. Their effort aims to give critical tools and create empathy for our personnel and partners by producing educational videos, workshops, and Open Education Resources (OER). Their work resulted in the release of "Corazón y Mente: A Journey to Mental Wellness for Latinx Women," a thorough, open educational resource (OER) designed to extend the boundaries of social justice education.
Subsequent NEH grant application: Drs. Casal and Ruggiero anticipate collaborating with Cazateatro and developing a Place-Based, Data-Driven approach to medical Spanish language instruction in Memphis, increasing our influence even further. With this strategy, they aim to improve the employability of language learners in the healthcare industry and go one step closer to a healthcare system that is fair to the Latinx population. Through utilizing Memphis' abundant cultural heritage and emphasizing the distinct requirements of its Spanish-speaking populace, they aim to cultivate an atmosphere that is more tolerant and accepting of all.
We anticipate Ruggiero's work advancing as we honor her accomplishments. Her commitment to expanding Open Education Resources is creating new opportunities for medical interpretation and language learning and will lead to more inclusive and accessible education in the future. She is eager to collaborate with faculty addressing mental health issues, so please reach out to her if you would like to network.
For more information, contact Ruggiero at dmrggero@memphis.edu.
