By: Erik Pedersen, Senior Communications Manager
BALTIMORE – A Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Education professor earned a statewide award in recognition of his efforts promoting the effective use of technology in the classroom.
Ryan Schaaf was selected as the inaugural Outstanding HigherEd Award winner by the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET). The HigherEd Award is designed to recognize an outstanding full-time or part-time faculty member, dean, department chair, or president in the state of Maryland who supports the MSET’s mission of advancing excellence in teaching and leading with technology.
Schaaf, currently an associate professor of educational technology, recently completed his 13th academic year as a faculty member at Notre Dame. He was presented with the award at the School of Education’s 2022-23 Graduate Awards Dinner in Doyle Hall.
“It was an honor to simply be nominated for the award, and to find out that I was the winner was both surprising and exciting,” Schaaf said. “We had a great group of finalists from across the state.”
Schaaf serves as chair of the Information and Education Technology Committee at NDMU, and he oversees the Master of Arts Leadership in Teaching program specializing in Digital Technology Leadership. In addition to his work educating undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in the School of Education, he also teaches a course titled “Gaming and Society” for Elizabeth Morrissy Honors Program members.
In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Schaaf played an instrumental role in helping the University pivot to online learning, aiding in the implementation of the Brightspace online learning system and mentoring colleagues on effective strategies for teaching students virtually. After NDMU was able to return to on-campus learning, the School of Education has continued to offer virtual instruction for its courses, greatly increasing its pool of potential students in the process.
“We constantly survey our teachers to see if they prefer this type of learning format, and a lot of them love online learning,” Schaaf said. “They don’t have to battle traffic, they don’t have to find parking. It gives them more flexibility after a busy day of teaching in their own classrooms.”
Technology has been a primary focus throughout Schaaf’s career as an educator, which began with an 11-year stint teaching for the Howard County Public School System. Recent initiatives include starting up the MSET’s Higher Education Professional Learning Network, which has encouraged more professors to join the organization, and assisting NDMU’s School of Education in using state and federal grant money to help integrate new technologies into local schools.
A portion of that grant money is also helping the School of Education develop a new makerspace room on campus to increase learning opportunities for students.
“We’re developing the makerspace for really fun hands-on learning with technology,” Schaaf said. “We recently received some new 3D printers, and we’re just waiting on some additional equipment to come in to get the room fully operational. The whole process has been really exciting. We will have classes in there once its complete, and we hope to offer workshops for educators as well.”
Schaaf is the author of seven books focusing on digital-age learning, game-based learning and education reform, and he has presented work at numerous regional and national conferences throughout his time at Notre Dame.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
