Bev Hoerig wears many hats as an instructional designer for the Center for Teaching Innovation in the University of Houston-Victoria Provost’s Office.

Bev Hoerig

Hoerig said she is not only a designer, but also a trainer, consultant, researcher and fixer all in one. Ultimately, her job is to find solutions, she said.

“I help instructors find and implement tools, strategies and effective practices to meet their teaching and learning objectives,” Hoerig said. “It’s not just about the technology; it’s about employing sound pedagogical practices, such as active learning, collaboration, communication and feedback.”

For more than 15 years, Hoerig has provided technology demonstrations, training and workshops for faculty members across all disciplines. She has designed and produced instructional media or content, created electronic resources such as newsletters and tutorials, researched and evaluated technology, and provided faculty members with technical support for various technologies.

Hoerig has helped faculty members in their classrooms with lecture capture, student response and feedback tools, online and blended learning tools, web conferencing, communication and collaboration tools, audio and video recording and editing, presentations, mobile devices and much more.

“It’s about the learning,” she said. “The needs of the learner drive the technology choices. Students need to be engaged and active in their learning, so it’s important to choose technologies that support those goals.”

For example, Hoerig recently developed an interactive, branching decision tree tool for students learning psychological diagnoses. For face-to-face instruction, she frequently suggests various tools to increase student engagement, such as student response tools, backchannel communication and brainstorming.

Hoerig also teaches a six-week Distance Learning Academy each semester for faculty that covers best practices for teaching online and how to incorporate technology in classrooms.

In 2014, Hoerig helped implement UHV’s first free Massive Open Online Courses or MOOC. “Applying Principles of Behavior in the K-12 Classroom” was developed and taught by Andria Young, a UHV associate professor of education.

“She, of course, was the subject matter expert, and I provided the technology support,” Hoerig said. “The course came about as part of a partnership between the UH System and Coursera, a MOOC platform.”

Before Hoerig became an instructional designer, she was a multimedia specialist for UHV.

“The multimedia specialist role was created to address the growth of multimedia in online learning, particularly audio and video production,” she said. “The position grew, though, to support all forms of instructional technology and was really a precursor to the instructional designer position.”

Throughout her career, Hoerig has developed various levels of individual and group training.

“I have many years of experience in technology-related fields, including data processing, technical sales and process analysis, but a common thread through all the years has been a passion to help people learn about technology,” she said. “I saw the job at UHV as a perfect match. It was a great opportunity to work with others who are passionate about teaching and learning while continuing to work with many technologies.”

What Hoerig has enjoyed the most from her time at UHV is working with faculty, staff and students, she said.

“I learn something from my interactions and collaborations every day,” she said. “Each day presents something different – a problem to troubleshoot, a new technology to discover, a tutorial to develop. You never know what lies ahead. Technology is ever-changing and it’s exciting to explore possibilities and especially the impact on education.”

Staff Feature is an online profile highlighting staff members at the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a staff member, contact Jeremy Shapiro, UHV communications manager, or call 361-570-4296.