Why SHSU's Blackboard Catalyst Award Is Really About Faculty, Not Software
Every semester, higher education introduces new technologies intended to improve teaching and learning. Some disappear almost as quickly as they arrive. Others become indispensable.
Why?
As SHSU Online was recently recognized with the 2026 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Adoption & Engagement, I've found myself reflecting on a question that has followed me throughout much of my professional career:
Why do some educational technologies become a natural part of teaching while others remain "just another tool"?
The answer, I've come to believe, has very little to do with the technology itself. It has everything to do with how thoughtfully that technology is integrated into the daily work of teaching.
Technology Is Not the Goal
I don’t think many of us wake up thinking, "I hope I get to use Blackboard today." I think most of us wake up thinking about helping students learn. Technology succeeds only when it becomes nearly invisible—when it supports good teaching instead of competing for attention.
Unfortunately, many technology implementations unintentionally ask faculty to change their teaching simply to accommodate a new system. That approach rarely lasts. Instead, technology should be designed to support what faculty already strive to accomplish:
- Organize learning effectively
- Communicate clearly
- Provide meaningful feedback
- Foster student engagement
- Create accessible learning experiences
- Simplify routine administrative work
When technology advances those goals, faculty adoption becomes a natural consequence rather than an administrative mandate.
Throughout my career, both as a technology consultant and now leading SHSU Online Operations, I've noticed a recurring pattern. Organizations often equate implementation with success. They purchase a system → They configure it → They train users → Then they hope adoption follows.
But implementation is only the beginning. Real success occurs when technology becomes embedded within existing instructional practices, institutional processes, and student support systems. This realization ultimately led me to develop what I now call the Deep Embed Strategy.
What Is the Deep Embed Strategy?
The Deep Embed Strategy is based on one simple premise: Technology should become part of how an institution works—not simply another application it owns.
Rather than asking, "How do we get faculty to use Blackboard?" we ask, "How can Blackboard make excellent teaching easier?" That subtle shift changes everything. It moves the conversation away from software and toward student learning.
What This Looks Like at SHSU
At SHSU, Blackboard is intentionally integrated into far more than online courses. It supports online, hybrid, and face-to-face instruction, faculty development, student organizations, advising initiatives, accessibility efforts, academic support services, institutional communication, and professional development. Faculty are not expected to master Blackboard simply because it is available. Instead, Blackboard is woven into instructional design support, course quality standards, accessibility initiatives, and ongoing faculty development. Our goal has never been to increase Blackboard usage. Our goal has been to make effective teaching easier. The award recognizes that philosophy.
The Human Side of Technology
Another lesson I've learned over the years is that successful technology adoption is rarely about technology. It is about trust. Faculty trust systems that respect their time. Students trust systems that reduce confusion. Institutions trust systems that consistently support their mission. When those conditions exist, technology stops feeling like an obligation. It becomes an extension of the educational experience itself.
Looking Forward
The technologies available to higher education will continue to evolve. Artificial intelligence will reshape instructional design. Learning analytics will become more sophisticated. Accessibility expectations will continue to expand. But one principle, I believe, will remain constant: Technology should never ask educators to become technologists. It should help educators become even better teachers.
That philosophy has guided SHSU Online's work for many years and is ultimately what the Blackboard Catalyst Award recognizes. The recognition is certainly something to celebrate. More importantly, however, it affirms something that many faculty have known all along: The most effective educational technology is the technology that quietly helps great teaching happen.