LIMA, Ohio, February 2, 2021 – Eight faculty members from Rhodes State have jumped at the chance to improve their online teaching skills by participating in a 25-week Effective Online Teaching Practices course offered in collaboration with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
The following Rhodes State faculty members will be joining more than 150 faculty members from 22 Ohio community colleges as they learn and implement equity-promoting, evidence-based teaching practices shown to improve student engagement, persistence, course completion, and learning: Tracy Bitler (Harrod), Instructor, Marketing; Holly Evinger (Defiance), Instructor, Psychology/Sociology; Joy Macke (Pandora), Instructor, Education; Justin Nance (Wapakoneta), Instructor, Dental Hygiene; Gabe Oakley (Montezuma), Assistant Professor, Digital Media; Dr. Lisa Schaffner (Delaware), Associate Professor, Physical and Biological Sciences; Laurin Wolf (Lima), Instructor, Humanities; and Amy Yahl (St. Marys), Assistant Professor, Nursing.
The program is part of a collaboration between the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) and the Association of College and University Educators. ACUE programs in effective teaching practices are based on more than three decades of research that demonstrate effective teaching improves learning for all students.
Considered a graduate-level course, the program consists of 25 modules separated into four blocks—Creating an Inclusive and Supportive Online Learning Environment, Promoting Active Learning Online, Inspiring Inquiry and Lifelong Learning in Your Online Course, and Designing an Effective Course. Equity-promoting teaching practices are among the hundreds of recommended approaches that faculty learn about and develop in ACUE courses, as demonstrated in ACUE’s Inclusive and Equitable Teaching Curriculum Crosswalk.
Faculty will be teaching classes at Rhodes State while taking the course, which started in January, so they will use what they learn immediately. Faculty who satisfy program requirements will be awarded ACUE’s Certificate in Effective College Instruction, the only nationally-recognized college teaching credential endorsed by the American Council on Education.
The opportunity is offered free of charge to faculty through a partnership between ACUE and OACC’s Success Center as part of the Every Learner Everywhere (ELE) initiative—and was made possible by Achieving the Dream, an ELE network partner.
Jack Hershey, president and chief executive officer of the OACC, said the training will teach faculty ways to keep their online courses fresh and impactful. “We are working hard to level the playing field to close equity gaps among Ohio students,” Hershey said. “Offering this course to faculty is one more way to do that.”
Dr. Cynthia Spiers, President of Rhodes State added “We know this is a critical time for student learning, especially since so many are taking online courses. Our goal is not only to deliver course-related content but to find meaningful ways to keep students engaged in the classroom. By taking this coursework, Rhodes State faculty will enhance their online teaching skills which, in turn, will have a direct impact on student success.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Paula Siebeneck, 419-302-6920, siebeneck.p@RhodesState.edu.
