Online Learning Awards 2008
There’s nothing like positive reinforcement. Two RIT professors and an online learning student recently benefitted from some kudos and corroboration that their teaching and learning has been a job well done.
Online Learning presented its annual exemplary awards for the 2007-2008 academic year at a ceremony on September 24, 2008. RIT Provost Jeremy Haefner presented awards to professors Neil Hair and S. Manian Ramkumar. Assistant Provost for Faculty Success, Lynn Wild presented the student award to Kevin Hinshaw. Among the notable attendees was RIT President William Destler. It was the first time an institute president attended the awards.
Exemplary Online Faculty Award
Neil Hair, assistant professor of marketing in the E. Philip Saunders College of Business, received the Exemplary Online Faculty Award. The award recognizes outstanding faculty whose courses demonstrate extraordinary achievements in an online learning environment. Recipients of this award are nominated by students.
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Nominating comments included, "Professor Hair is the most involved professor I have ever had (online or in class). He is engaged daily in our online discussion boards and is constantly motivating the class to keep up. It was the best uses of myCourses that I have seen so far in an online course."
Another student said, "The feedback on research papers was excellent. It is impossible to find a professor who would go to that extent to comment about a student's paper – he gave almost a page of feedback. That is impressive."
Students also appreciated the use of various communication formats – MP3 recordings, voice-annotated (with captioning) PowerPoint slides and PDFs – and using Adobe Connect with web cams for synchronous meetings and real-time online office hours. Use of these tools gave students a sense of connection that may otherwise be absent from an online course.
Hair's student-oriented focus was pointed out by several students. "I am a sixth-year student at RIT and I've never had a professor take this much of an interest in helping students," said one.
Other comments included the timeliness of posting upcoming lectures, consistently updating course materials, providing well thought out course content and giving prompt feedback. "A lot of work was expected, more than in other classes I have had, but he worked just as hard as us in ensuring we understood the material and understood his expectations. He answered questions quickly and returned homework with very detailed explanations of how we did and what we can do to improve."
Hair received a $1,000 cash stipend at the awards ceremony.
Innovation in Teaching and Learning with Technology Award
S. Manian Ramkumar, professor of manufacturing & mechanical engineering technology in the College of Applied Science and Technology, and director of the Center for Electronics Manufacturing and Assembly, received the Innovation in Teaching and Learning with Technology Award – a new award this year. It honors a faculty member for outstanding and innovative use of any technology that enhances learning and teaching.
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Faculty members nominate themselves for this award. In his nomination, Ramkumar wrote about the use of real-time streaming video in his online course, Controls for Manufacturing Automation, to allow students to view the robotics lab, giving them feedback on their control programs.
Rather than having to use simulation software in this laboratory-based hands-on course, students can conduct lab experiences without coming to campus and still get the experience of being in the lab.
"This hands-on laboratory experience included two main components. The first component was the use of the RSLogix and RSLinx software to create and download the laboratory programs, to control the experimental setup in the lab from the remote site. The second component was viewing the program execution on the experimental setup using a real-time video streaming link provided within myCourses. A camera streamed live video of the setup as it executed the program. Using remote desktop access, the access to the laboratory setup was limited to one person at a time."
Ramkumar also used technology to assist in other aspects of the course. To help students install the needed software on their own computers, he recorded a setup procedure using Adobe Captivate (software that is used to create web-based screen-shot tutorials). "This proved to be invaluable in reducing the confusion that used to arise for students while setting up the software. It also helped me teach the proper use of the software tool. Students were able to get ready for the laboratory experience quickly and with a better understanding of how to use the software tools," he said in his nomination.
Lectures, which used to be recorded presentations on tapes or DVDs, were divided into half-hour segments and recorded as voice-annotated PowerPoint slides. In some lectures, Ramkumar used a tablet PC, recording his pen movements to better illustrate and teach certain concepts. "This lecture format has tremendously enhanced the student learning process," Ramkumar said.
The online course also utilized voice-enabled live chat sessions with students using Adobe Connect. These weekly synchronous chat sessions allowed students to listen to Ramkumar teach, while illustrating concepts on his tablet PC. "Many students were extremely happy with the synchronous component, because it was like watching the white board in a classroom while I wrote and explained concepts." These sessions were also recorded and posted for students who were not able to participate.
Ramkumar received a $1,000 cash stipend at the awards ceremony.
Exemplary Online Student Award
Kevin Hinshaw, bachelor of science, candidate, in electrical/mechanical engineering technology, was the winner of this year's Exemplary Online Student Award for showing academic excellence in the online environment. The award comes with a $2,500 scholarship. He was nominated by four faculty members – more than any other student.
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Hinshaw's nominators praised his conscientiousness, drive, initiative and willingness to help other students succeed. "He became the group leader in my courses, freely giving his time and expertise to other team members who were struggling with the material. He obviously has a great drive to succeed, and his submitted work clearly indicated the extensive personal pride he applied to whatever he was asked to do," said one professor.
"Of the hundreds of students I have worked with over the many years during which I have taught at RIT, I cannot recall a student who excelled any more than Kevin. His conscientiousness towards his own work and that of his peers is unparalleled," said another.His efforts were also recognized by fellow students who took the time to publically thank him on a discussion board. "It was clear that he had significantly added to the quality of learning for these two students because he took the time to learn his material, and then share his perspective with the other students," said the course’s professor. "And while doing so, he often checked in with me to ensure that he wasn't overstepping his bounds. It was probably the best interaction I've seen in this course in the four or five years I have taught it, and I believe it was because of Kevin's dedication.”
After being nominated by a faculty member, to be considered for the award, students must submit an essay describing why they feel they are deserving of it. In his essay, Hinshaw wrote that he embraces the spirit of online learning. "Online learning is not just about being successful in your own degree program. Online learning is also about helping others be successful, too."
Several of his professors have said that students learn as much by their involvement and participation in discussion forums as they do by reading a textbook or watching a lecture. Not only has Hinshaw taken this to heart, but he further believes that you don’t really understand something until you've tried to explain it to someone else. Because of this, he fully engages in online discussions to get all he can out of the experience.
His efforts clearly have not gone unnoticed, "Kevin is one of the most driven and thorough students I have had, either online or in a regular class setting," said a nominating professor. "He consistently helped other students (not just his study group), answered any and all questions posted to the discussion sites and provided an excellent example of 'peer teaching.' Kevin was an asset to the entire class."