Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment - Western Washington University's Teaching and Learning Center

Who We Are

The Center for Instructional Innovation and Assessment (CIIA) has served Western's campus community as a teaching and learning center since 1998. Our staff, as you will find below is a team of experts in various instructional, technical, and administrative arenas. Although much of the work at the CIIA involves coordinating and presenting workshops & events, working with faculty on the Innovative Teaching Showcase, teaching, doing research, and publishing, some of the most visually exciting projects we create are instructional materials for video and the web.

Staff

NOTE: Karen Casto resigned from the director position in Spring 2010. For details on Karen Casto's next endeavor, see the press release.

Justina Brown, M.Ed.
Instructional & Multimedia Designer
Email: Justina.Brown@wwu.edu
College Hall 301
Tel. Ext. 7210

Justina came to the CIIA first as a graduate research assistant in 1999. With her Bachelor's degree in psychology, focusing on learning theory, her Masters of Education in adult education and instructional technology, and a background in graphic design, she brings a broad range of skills to the design of instructional multimedia solutions. She works together with the student technology assistants as a team in all of the CIIA's projects.

Student Staff

The student technology assistants in the CIIA work as a team, assembling their complimentary talents and skills in all of our projects—whether it is a custom application for a professor or building the components of the Innovative Teaching Showcase publication. Working at the CIIA, students can gather useful work samples to add to their portfolios and working skills they can draw upon as they enter their new professions after graduation.

Ian Couch

Ian brings a new perspective to the CIIA with his creative vision, striking photography, and multimedia wizardry. He is majoring in Environmental Journalism and spends his summers working, playing, and taking photos in the great outdoors.

RJ Harding

RJ is in the downhill portion of his computer science major here at Western. At the CIIA, he is developing web applications that students at WWU may use to support their learning. RJ has worked with technology his entire life and in his free time enjoys designing and programming video games and being the "go to" guy for math and technology.

Marc Ravaris

Marc is the graduate assistant at CIIA. He is currently attending Woodring College's Continuing and College Education program (CCE) to obtain his M.Ed. Marc brings his past experiences in media production and teaching ESL, as well as his new interests in developing instructional technology to the CIIA. Working in the CIIA he applies the content learned in the CCE program, researches teaching and learning pedagogies, and gains experience in designing components for blended courses. When not working at CIIA or attending class, Marc can usually be found out on his sailboat in the beautiful San Juan Islands.

Jenna Wilson

Jenna is a Fairhaven student majoring in American Cultural Studies with an education concentration. She brings to the CIIA a passion for education and learning, especially in integrating innovative and creative learning methods in the classroom. She loves to learn and brings an eye for detail to our office.