Phoebe Ballard

Phoebe Ballard joined SPS in April 2017. In her role, Phoebe oversees the work of the Online Curriculum and Instruction (OCI) team, leads cross-functional discussions about online learning operations at SPS -- including coordination with other SPS teams, and partners with senior leadership, academic directors, faculty, and staff to plan, develop, and maintain high-quality online programs, courses, and services. 

Prior to joining SPS, Phoebe enjoyed a 14-year career at The University of Toledo as the Director of Instructional Design and Development for one of the largest online learning operations in the state of Ohio. In that role, she managed course design, strategic planning, assessment, and research initiatives for the instructional design, multimedia, and assistive technology teams, spearheaded the design, implementation, and assessment of online faculty development programs, and oversaw the QM review process and its University-wide implementation. 

Phoebe has been an active member of the Quality Matters community since 2011. She is a QM Certified Peer and Master Reviewer for Higher Education, CPE, and K-12 programs, as well as a Certified Facilitator for QM’s Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) and Improving Your Online Course (IYOC) workshops. Most recently, she served as the State Lead and Professional Development Coordinator for the Ohio QM Consortium's Executive Committee, and the Member-at-Large on the national leadership team of the QM Instructional Designer Association (QM-IDA).

Phoebe has extensive online teaching experience in higher education. Since 2010, Phoebe has taught online and web-assisted courses in The University of Toledo’s Department of Art and Department of Communication, as well as online faculty development courses for The University of Toledo's University College. As faculty, Phoebe was named the 2013 Emerging Outstanding Alumna for The University of Toledo’s College of Communication and the Arts and is a two-time recipient of an international Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Course Design.

Phoebe holds an M.Ed. in Educational Technology and a B.A. in Studio Art, both from The University of Toledo. Her presentation and research interests include online faculty development, academic support services for online learners, legal and ethical issues impacting online delivery, and quality assurance at scale.