Dr. Agnes Smith

The Organizational Power of eCollege . . . .

Dr. Agnes Smith of the Department of Leadership and Teacher Education was once a self-described “technophobe.” But Educational Leadership was one of the first departments on campus to go online, seeing a need for online courses because of state departmental changes and encouragement.

Dr. Smith then attended faculty development workshops sponsored by the Online Learning Lab, working specifically with Dr. Jack Dempsey. Now she teaches with both eCollege and eCompanion, even designing two 500 level online courses, School Finance and School Law.

Her advice to faculty members thinking about teaching a full or partially online course would be to develop structure for delivering different topics, because different subjects require different formats for instruction. Also, Dr. Smith said, “Don't limit yourself to that which is familiar. Experiment: don't be shy about trying new things.”

In her online courses, she uses many types of activities, including anything she does in a traditional classroom: small group, whole class, and individual assignments. Some of the eCollege tools she uses are threaded discussions, online chats, and exams, where she combines different delivery systems such as an objective section and another section where the students respond to different situations.

She also uses the chat function, offering alternative assignments for those who cannot make the online chat. In addition, she offers more than one chat per term, so students can schedule one even if they live in different time zones, such as one of her students who lived in Japan.

Dr. Smith said that “the students enjoy the chats, but they move fast.” So she prints out the chats, which allows her to read them and email them to students.

Another positive thing that has come from teaching online courses is more organizational skills. “I believe that eCollege may have helped me to organize more tightly. Now I approach the traditional classroom differently, leaving less to chance.” Overall, she said “online courses help strengthen the delivery in both directions.”

She encourages other faculty to try eCollege or eCompanion because it benefits delivery and it helps students who work.

Ms. Debra Chapman

 Ms. Debra Chapman is a Senior Instructor in the School of Computer and Information Sciences. She has been teaching online classes since the fall semester in 2004. Ms. Chapman started teaching CIS 150, Introduction to Computer Applications, online in the fall of 2004.

It is a requirement that all undergraduate students enrolled at the University of South Alabama demonstrate Computer Proficiency skills prior to graduating. They must pass the Computer Proficiency Exam, or pass CIS 150 (or another computing class as specified by their major).

Due to the fact that CIS 150 is the computer foundation class for most students, it is very essential it is taught in a way students learn as much as they can. That is why Ms. Chapman makes sure she organizes the course content effectively so students can benefit from this course. She understands if she lays a strong foundation for students’ computer skills, they will benefit during their entire college lives. She believes it is better to get it right the first time by being very organized.

Even though she accepts online student interaction is different from traditional classrooms, she tries to come up with innovative ways to encourage student interaction. She has created a virtual office where students post questions. She uses eCollege discussion boards and open discussion boards for student interaction. All students are required to post a discussion and respond to others’ posts. She also incorporates multimedia in the course.

When asked about what she had to share with other online instructors, she said, “Organizational structure and be prepared for your students” is the most important thing. “With traditional classrooms you can at times not be prepared and just swing the class but with online classes you just can’t do that.”

Ms. Chapman is in the preparation stages of transitioning almost all of the traditionally taught classes in the CIS department to a hybrid setting by spring 2008. She plans to use wiki’s and have students do group activities for interaction. For those new students planning to take CIS 150, Ms. Chapman is the instructor you are looking for because she loves teaching online.

Dr Coker

Dr. Coker is the chair of the Philosophy department and has been teaching online classes since Spring, 2003. Curiosity inititated his online teaching career experince. Curiosity initiated his online teaching career experience as he wanted to see what would happen if the philosophy classes were taught online.

His thoughts on online classes are positive. Diverse student interaction and feedback from the students increases the excitement in the course. There are many students who never participate in classroom discussions because they are shy or just do not like drawing attention to themselves. With online classes, everybody's opinion is important and valid. Email, threaded discussions, and chatrooms are some of the ways he gets interaction from his online students.

When asked about what he wanted to share with other online instructors, Dr. Coker simply said, "the toolbox in eCollege is enormously helpful, use it to get the most out of your course development."

Since Dr. Coker started teaching online all the other professors in the Philosophy department have followed his direction. The department has had it's highest enrollments during the summer semesters with students from all over the world. Students in his class have to write research papers instead of writing exams. The students have a tremendous amount of research to complete throughout the course which he believes adds more educational value to the online classes.

Dr. Coker is the leader and instigator who has taken teaching of philosophy classes in his department to a whole new level.

Dr. Dan Surry

Dr. Dan Surry is an Associate Professor in the College of Education,Professional Studies Department. He teaches online courses on instructional design, training systems, and performance systems technology.  He started teaching online in 1998, while he was at the University of Southern Mississippi, because the Instructional Technology program, led by his mentor and role model Dr. Steve Yuen, decided to explore the possibilities of online learning.

When asked how he feels about teaching online, Dr. Surry said that he loves teaching online because it helps him do a better job keeping his courses focused. He also thinks it helps him better organize his instructional materials and student assignments.  He thinks online learning is a good set up for Instructional Designers who tend to think about instruction in an organized and structured way.

He explained that he offers a lot more flexibility in his online
courses because he feels that there is really not enough time for him to
spell out exactly what he wants done on an asssignment. As he explained
it, professors in a face-to-face setting can easily discuss expectations
and answer questions from all the students about the specific
requirements of an assignment. Online professors have a harder time
addressing all the issues and questions students have, so he feels
students should be given more flexibility and latitude in how they
complete assignments.

In order to get student interaction in his online classes, Dr. Surry
uses simulations and examples. He has a fictional company called "Dr.
Dan’s SpeeDee Pizza"  which he uses as an example to highlight key
points and bring up potential issues. He thinks scenarios give students
a tangible structure they can use to understand abstract concepts. By
using the pizza company scenario, he allows students to apply their
prior knowledge related to ordering, buying, making, and eating pizza to
the discussion of training problems and performance issues a large pizza
company might have.

To other online professors, Dr. Surry’s advice is, “The first time
you teach online, it is not going to be perfect. Use it as a learning
experience for yourself and your students.” He said that many
professors expect their online classes to be done and perfect at the
beginning of the course, but he states that “designing any course is
always a work in progress, especially a course you teach in a new way or
using a new technology”. Instructors, he says, should try to
constantly get better at their course design but shouldn’t get too
stressed out at first. He also encourages other professors to create a
way for students to get questions answered once to avoid answering the
same question many times. He suggested that one way to accomplish this
is through the use of a Frequently Asked Questions page. Also, using
something that ties the class together like a theme, concept, or ongoing
role playing activity is another suggestion that Dr. Surry offers to
other online professors.

For his final thoughts as an online professor, Dr. Surry said the job
of a professor is changing. “Our responsibility is to be intelligent
consumers of new technologies”, he said. “It’s okay to like or not
like teaching online”, he said “but as professors our challenge is
to figure out ways to use online learning, or at least some aspect of
it,  in a way that will help us do our job effectively in the changing
higher education environment.”

Dr. Dennis Fell

Dr. Dennis Fell, who is the department chair for the Physical Therapy department started teaching online courses for the Doctoral Program about three years ago. The Doctor of Philosophy program is offered both online and on campus. The online program was designed by faculty in the Physical Therapy department.

Dr. Fell was not sure that he would like teaching online classes better than he did the traditional classrooms when he started teaching online. To his surprise he has found out he gets better interaction from all his students online than he does in the classroom. The structure of his online courses helps with getting interaction from students who would not normally participate in discussions in the traditional classrooms. He feels like he gets to know his students much better online than he would in the classroom.

Threaded discussions are one of the ways he promotes students interaction. When asked to say what he is doing differently online, he said he uses more cooperative learning online than in the regular classrooms. He says online courses work well for the Doctor of Philosophy program because the students already have backgrounds in Physical Therapy. The online threaded discussions require the students to do some research because their opinions have to be backed up by evidence from the literature. He occasionally makes his students do peer assessments of each others assignments and give each other feedback. He also gives the students his feedback.

When asked about what advice he would give to fellow instructors teaching online courses, Dr. Fell said “time management” has to be worked on, especially when planning and designing online courses. He said, “It looks like you have a lot of time, but once you get started and things don’t really work out as they should, then you realize the importance of proper time management”. He advises other instructors to use the grade book “to standardize how grades are presented,” even when only using eCompanion for the classes. The grade book not only helps with giving timely information to the students but also saves the instructor time when dealing with students’ inquiries about their grades.

As department chair, Dr. Fell encourages the professors under his leadership to adapt to teaching online courses using eCollege. As a last word to all the other professors teaching online or using eCompanion, he said, “create a positive learning experience for the students through your course design and content.” Dr. Fell and the Physical Therapy department had their first two doctoral students graduate from the online program last semester. He got to meet the students for the first time on graduation day. We recognize his excellent work both as the department chair and an online instructor.

Dr. Elizabeth VandeWaa

Dr. Elizabeth VandeWaa was one of the first professors to teach online courses at the University Of South Alabama College Of Nursing. She began teaching online in the Fall semester of 2002 as a result of the initiative taken by the College of Nursing to meet the growing demand of nursing students throughout the state of Alabama. Since then the graduate nursing program has been made available online.

In the beginning, Dr. VandeWaa was unsure about online teaching but later found it enjoyable. Students prefer online courses due to the convenience that it offers. As an online instructor, Dr. VandeWaa found that more student interaction occurred online than in the classroom. Email, Questions and Answers (Q&A), and phone calls are the different types of communication she practices with her online students. She understands that most of her students have other commitments outside school so she tries to be available for them on her cell phone in case of emergencies.

When asked about what advice she would like to offer the other online instructors, she said that it is very important for online instructors to set boundaries with the students. Failure to do so can make the students “bleed you dry”. She also advises instructors to make sure that all the students feel connected in the online learning environment. It is easy for students to become easily discouraged when they feel disconnected from their instructors. Furthermore, she encourages other professors to use video lectures for both visual and auditory learning, personal pictures to make your students feel a personal connection, and use email or course “home” to make announcements during the course. Whenever she posts an announcement on the course home page she follows with an email to ensure that her students get the information.

Dr. VandeWaa is an online pharmacology and physiology instructor who understands the demands of graduate school. She continues to make certain her students receive a quality graduate education despite their other commitments. We recognize and applaud her hard work as an online instructor in the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama.

Dr. Julie Sanford

Dr. Julie Sanford is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing started teaching online courses in 1999. She was among the first group to be asked to start teaching online. Dr. Sanford loves teaching online courses even though they lack the face-to-face interaction.

Through online classes students are known at a greater depth because they have more time to gather their thoughts before participating in discussions. The idea that even the quiet students can participate in online discussions is what she likes.

When asked to explain what she is doing differently online, she said that she feels that she is more accessible to her students online than she is in the traditional classroom setting. She is able to respond daily to her students via email. She loves online classes because they offer a more sense of family feeling.

Further interaction with her student’s includes online instruction through the use of threaded discussions and "the attic place" where students can respond to questions and evaluate other student’s answers. She understands that her students need a lot of encouragement because the nursing program is very challenging. She usually posts "Simple Truths Videos" which are inspirational to motivate her students.

When teaching online, instructors can be tempted to offer the students a lot of information and assignments to do without really thinking about the pedagogy. Dr. Sanford encourages her fellow instructors to take time to plan the courses and also to attend Online Learning Lab WOW workshops where they can further their skills to help them with their online courses. She also advices her fellow instructors to praise their students, practice proper time management, and be available to the students online.

Dr. Sanford is one of the change leaders, innovators, and motivators when it comes to Online Courses at the University of South Alabama. We recognize her efforts, hard work, and applaud her for all of her accomplishments.

Dr. Mohan K. Menon

Students taking Marketing and e-Commerce classes at the University of South Alabama are utilizing technology.

Dr. Menon, Professor and Chair of Department of Marketing and e-Commerce in the Mitchell College of Business, employs E-Learning and Distance Education in his courses.

“The number one reason others use distance learning is convenience. Teaching with eCollege is almost like shopping on the Internet. You can use it weeknights, weekends, weekdays when not teaching. Also professors do not have to come to campus,” Dr. Menon said.

Dr. Menon's favorite aspect of eCollege is the threaded discussions, which he uses in every one of his online classes. When using threaded discussions, students are more likely to interact with faculty and each other than in a traditional classroom. According to Dr. Menon, “students are more likely to express opinions than they would in the classroom. Students are also more likely to express unpopular opinions in threaded discussions.” The threaded discussions give him insight into how students think. Before students would write answers on tests, and the answers seemed to come out of nowhere, but now, because of the threaded discussions, he is more aware of where the students are coming from conceptually.

He uses Powerpoint lectures online with audio, “That way once in a while the students can take a break from class but still get knowledge. Conferences are another great use for eCollege. Instead of getting a faculty replacement, the instructor can allow the students to get the lecture online.”

Dr. Menon also praises the PAWS system. He gives early information to his classes so everyone can hit the ground running. This gives him the ability to assign a topic for the first day so more time can be spent on topic rather than on logistics. Students then come in the first day already knowing about the class, syllabus, readings, etc. He then has introductions and the class jumps into the material .

His research interests include e-commerce, international business and marketing, ethics, and logistics. His teaching interests include e-commerce, Internet marketing, international business, international marketing, and marketing management. He also served as the Web Master for the Mitchell College of Business's Web Site.

For those students interested in e-Commerce or e-Learning, they should check out Dr. Menon's courses.

Ms. Cynthia Leigh Delaney

Leigh Delaney of Biology was one of the first faculty members at USA to teach an online course. She has used both eCollege and eCompanion since 2001.

She likes to personalize her class by making sure she's active. She gives the option of calling her, for more traditional students who want more interaction. Journals and chat rooms for study groups and review are ways in which she uses the tools of distance education. She notes that she sees a correlation between those who do well in class and those students who are strongly involved in the chats.

She said online education can be extremely specific with content, uploading handouts, reviews, PowerPoints. “You can bombard them with info. I email my class daily,” she said. She also notes students who might not participate in a traditional classroom participate more fully in online courses.

She said she had no distinct computer skills before teaching an online class, “I could run software, but that was about it.” She spent the fall semester preparing, and started as soon as she got the shell. Set up took from January to May.

Her advice to faculty members thinking of teaching an online class: be prepared for a little more work. “In class you can quickly answer questions,” she said, “but online you must check email, write a response, edit, send, etc., so schedule more time for such things, or use mass emails or the welcome announcements for frequently asked questions.”