LaSaundria Glenn-Bass knows that the only constant in life 鈥� and education 鈥� is change. Growing up with a father in the U.S. Air Force, she moved frequently, learning to adapt and thrive in new environments. That learned adaptability fuels her work today as a training and support consultant with USF Digital Learning, Innovative Education. In this role, she ensures that our faculty are skilled experts in institutional platforms (e.g. Teams, Canvas, Kaltura) and the best practices in delivering the best possible learning experience for our students through digital platforms.
But her journey to this career wasn鈥檛 traditional.
A PATH FORGED THROUGH OPPORTUNITY AND SUPPORT
Glenn-Bass didn鈥檛 initially set out to work in the discipline of learning design. Her journey began in her 30s when she embarked on a bachelor's degree in English, specializing in professional and technical writing, with the ultimate goal of teaching English. However, an opportunity at Florida Virtual School piqued her interest in instructional technology. While she had associated skills, she lacked the required master鈥檚 degree.
She worked at USF as a test development specialist and later at USF鈥檚 Institute for Instructional Research and Practice. In 2010, with the support of a supervisor and interest in the field, she enrolled in USF鈥檚 M.Ed. in Instructional Technology, now called the Master of Science in Learning Design and Technology.
鈥淚 was able to leverage both my experience and USF鈥檚 tuition benefits to forge a new
career path,鈥� she said.
HER JOURNEY WITH INED DIGITAL LEARNING BEGINS
Glenn-Bass acquired a position with Innovative Education in 2014, where she now works as a digital learning training and support consultant. Integral to the USF community, she and the Training Support team build the skills of USF faculty through workshops, digital resources, individual faculty consultation sessions, and on-demand assistance via Live Support.
鈥淲e have a really tight-knit team,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile we have our own areas of expertise,
we鈥檙e versed in all of USF鈥檚 digital platforms 鈥� we wear a lot of hats!鈥�
SUPPORTING FACULTY THROUGH INNOVATION
As a training and support consultant, Glenn-Bass works with USF faculty to reimagine their teaching and learning through digital solutions for all course delivery formats.
鈥淥ne day, you might be teaching a group of faculty about how to optimize instructor presence using Canvas grade book tools, while the next day, you are assisting a faculty member with setting up their Teams session and brainstorming active learning strategies,鈥� she said.
While Glenn-Bass is knowledgeable about a variety of platforms, she is the team鈥檚 resident expert in Canvas New Quizzes and best practices related to optimizing instructor presence with digital tools.
Along with her teammates, Glenn-Bass works hard to stay up to date on evolving technology, such as generative AI, to make sure she has the most current knowledge to share with faculty.
鈥淭hings change fast, and we frequently meet with vendors to know what鈥檚 coming,鈥� she said.
A LIFELONG LEARNER, ON AND OFF THE CLOCK
For Glenn-Bass, learning never stops. She takes to heart the advice she received from a former colleague, Reba Garth:
鈥淒o what is necessary to learn. If you need to take a day off to learn a new technology, go and do that. There鈥檚 always time 鈥� just find it and do it.鈥�
Staying current with rapidly advancing technology is one of the most exciting parts of her role 鈥� and one of the most challenging. Generative AI, for example, evolves almost daily, and she works hard to ensure that faculty can responsibly and effectively use it to save time, enhance their courses, and improve the overall learning experience for students.
She not only continually learns new tools, but she also must retain knowledge of older
technologies to help instructors who may still rely on them.
BEYOND THE OFFICE: LEARNING NEW LANGUAGES, GARDENING, AND HORROR MOVIES
Outside of work, Glenn-Bass applies Garth鈥檚 鈥渏ust do it鈥� philosophy to her personal life. She鈥檚 currently learning Thai and recently practiced with native speakers in a beginner鈥檚 course. With aspirations to visit Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, her new language skills will certainly come in handy.
When she鈥檚 not exploring new technology or languages, Glenn-Bass enjoys gardening 鈥� growing her own fruits and vegetables at home. Just like in her profession, she said, 鈥淵ou must be patient and invest鈥here鈥檚 no quick fix in gardening.鈥�
Beyond this, Glenn-Bass is also a true horror movie aficionado.
鈥淚 get a kick out of B-horror movies 鈥� any film that ranks less than five out of 10,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here are a number of them that turn out to be surprisingly good. One that comes to mind is 100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck. It has a score of 3.8, but it's really good. One horror movie I will never watch again is The Grudge (2004) with Sarah Michelle Geller. That movie still haunts me to this day.鈥�
ADVICE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERTS
For those interested in a career in the field of learning design, Glenn-Bass offers this advice: 鈥淛ust do it. It鈥檚 a great field with tons of potential. You will never get bored, and the ever-evolving nature of the field will definitely keep you on your toes.鈥�
To USF鈥檚 instructors, her message is clear, 鈥淥ur team is here for you, and we value the relationships we have with our faculty. Regardless of your background and technological skill set, we鈥檒l meet you wherever you are and support you in your journey. We have a variety of resources to ensure that our faculty have a choice in how they want to engage with us.鈥�
With her dedication to education, innovation, and exploration, Glenn-Bass embodies the spirit of continuous learning at USF, ensuring faculty and students thrive in the evolving digital learning environment.