In a montage video for his Sustainability Design Lab, T.H. Culhane is dressed as Willy Wonka, inviting learners to imagine bold possibilities. In the next scene, he breaks into song while a brainstorm cloud with sustainable development solutions swirls in the distance.
That was just Culhane鈥檚 introductory course video, or 鈥渋ntrigos鈥� as the Patel College of Global Sustainability faculty member calls them. Culhane and his learners also extend beyond the online classroom and find real-world opportunities to get their messages of sustainability out to wider audiences. In one instance, they gave a live demonstration of a biodigester build to the public using Oculus Quests and 3D imaging.
The unconventional project is just one example of Culhane鈥檚 immersive, learner-driven approach, which is powered by creative communication and earned him top honors in the 草莓视频鈥檚 2025 Innovation in Online Design and Teaching Award.
A Course Where Students Think 鈥淥ut Loudest鈥�
Culhane鈥檚 course invites learners to tackle sustainability challenges through varied technologies and simulations, multimedia storytelling, and applied design.
Learners shape the curriculum, collaborate virtually, and choose from freelance-style or real-world project opportunities. Organized in 鈥渁cts and scenes,鈥� the course features gamified grading, peer discussions, and continuous reflective opportunities that build community and reinforce learning. It also gives them access to VR, augmented reality, and other tools that can help them communicate their ideas.
Culhane worked closely with learning designer Alexandra Ward to ensure the course sparked curiosity and explorative learning while delivering meaningful learning outcomes.
鈥淭his course gives learners the opportunity and supports to learn about purpose driven video production, 3D modeling and world building, custom avatar and XR environment creation, and VR and augmented reality,鈥� said Ward. One of the core ideas of the course is giving learners access to the tools and skills they need to communicate their sustainability ideas to audiences.
鈥淲e foster active participation, critical thinking, and a strong sense of community in this online course. I use gamification techniques, such as "if you make a point, you earn a point to your grade," to reward student effort and intellectual contribution. "It is based on McGregor's Theory Y and Plato's 'Maieutic Method' of midwifing ideas into realities through collaboration rather than competition. Rhetorical points translate into credit points,鈥� Culhane said.
It delivered on that promise of participatory design, he said
鈥淒r. Culhane鈥檚 course is more than innovative. It鈥檚 transformative,鈥� said Christie Nicholas, director of learning design and research at Innovative Education. 鈥淭he use of technology, gamification, and real-world assignments created an active, collaborative learning experience. They played a major role in shaping the course content, producing work that was both authentic and deeply connected to practice.鈥�
Students echo that point.
鈥淒r. Culhane's transformative and innovative educational approaches will forever change how I approach academic research,鈥� said student Laura Root. 鈥淭hrough the series of engaging and prescient video lectures, we saw first-hand how the power of 5-dimensional thinking could influence our abilities to conduct and share our own research.鈥�
Advancing Online Excellence at USF
Presented by USF Innovative Education and the Office of the Provost, honorees for the Innovation in Online Design and Teaching Award were selected by a review committee of faculty who teach online and learning designers who assess course design, student engagement, learning gains, and satisfaction. The honor includes a $5,000 prize, which Culhane said he will donate to a community partner, The Rosebud Continuum Eco-Science Center, to use for machinery for a zero-waste initiative that students model in the design laboratory.
Two additional faculty members were named finalists in the program:
- Brianna JeeWon Paulich, an associate professor in the School of Marketing and Innovation at the USF Muma College of Business, was honored for her work alongside learning designer Chad Garcia for the Marketing Research course. The course, required for all marketing majors, equips them with the tools to collect, analyze, and apply consumer data to real-world business problems. It blended strong instructor presence, meaningful peer interaction, and real-world assignments. She actively adapted the course throughout the semester based on their feedback, creating a responsive, student-centric learning experience.
- Brian Turnbull, an associate professor of instruction in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, was recognized for his Introduction to Social Science course. He worked with Angelika Fairweather to create a course that helps students view social issues ranging from poverty to quality education to affordable and clean energy from various perspectives. It included clear design, real-world relevance, and thought-provoking content. Through scaffolded assignments, student-led discussions, and purposeful use of analytics, it encouraged deep reflection and lasting engagement.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 honorees reflect USF鈥檚 continued investment in faculty-led innovation and high-impact digital learning,鈥� said Christine Brown, associate vice president for Innovative Education. 鈥淭heir work shows what鈥檚 possible when rigorous learning design meets creativity, flexibility, and a deep commitment to student success.鈥�