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Dr. Shaber’s design of an online module structure for OT 6101 in which the circular arrangement of the icons indicates to students that they may complete the activities in any order, although they are designed to be sequential.
Dr. Patricia Schaber has been a risk taker since beginning her career in occupational therapy. It is because of her passion and commitment that she has been recognized by the Academic Health Center (AHC) Academy for Excellence in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. This award serves as the highest recognition of excellence in the AHC educational mission. Those selected have contributed to developing a culture of learning by demonstrating a sustained and recognized commitment to teaching and student learning through innovation, creativity, and dissemination of scholarly works, and are known nationally and/or internationally for their expertise in health-related fields.
After more than 20 years in clinical practice in geriatric services, Dr. Schaber accepted a faculty appointment in the Program in Occupational Therapy in 1996. She is what educational trainers refer to as a “fast starter,” dedicating her initial years of teaching to perfecting her skills as an educator. She has been a leader in transitioning the Program in Occupational Therapy through changes in the profession and changes in educational delivery. She has studied, published, and presented her innovative approaches to teaching nationally.
Throughout her teaching career, Dr. Shaber has promoted student involvement in scholarship and teaching, not only in the OT program, but throughout the AHC. Her commitment to professional development extends within and beyond the University. She has provided leadership within the University and the Center for Allied Health Programs (CAHP). She has been an advocate for the CAHP learning platform using online and technology enhanced tools for teaching and learning.
She is also willing to experiment with new teaching methodologies such as using a collaborative model for course development and design. At the 2008 MultiMedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) Conference, Dr. Shaber presented a piece called “Creating a Hybrid Course from Scratch or an Introduction to the Online Course Development Process.” This presentation demonstrated the necessity for truly understanding and utilizing course planning and design, thought to be more important than the technology use. “Moving from the classroom to online instruction is not a matter of uploading course content into course management software,” writes Dr. Schaber. She is also eager to share new instructional methodologies and online course development and provided a brief presentation at the Fall Faculty Forum and 4th Annual Best Practices Institute in the AHC.
Dr. Schaber has made a significant contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning in the Program in Occupational Therapy, the Center for Allied Health Programs, the University of Minnesota, and the occupational therapy profession nationwide. With her experience and expertise in online learning instructional methodologies, she is at the forefront in her field and in health science education, locally and nationally, and stands out as a true educator.