Oakton College faculty earn national credential in online teaching excellence
Oakton College faculty earn national credential in online teaching excellence
(June 9, 2022) — More than 60 Oakton College faculty members recently earned a nationally recognized teaching credential designed to improve the learning experience for students enrolled in online courses. The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Effective Online Teaching Practices course is an intensive 25-week, evidence-based course designed to empower participants to be impactful online instructors and ensure student success today and in the future.
The modules addressed five major areas of development:
Designing an effective course.
Establishing a productive learning environment.
Using active learning strategies.
Promoting higher-order thinking.
Assessing to inform instruction and promote learning.
ACUE's standards-based approach leads to the only nationally recognized Certificate in Effective Instruction endorsed by the American Council on Education (ACE). Numerous, independently validated studies confirm that students learn more, and more equitably, when taught by ACUE-credentialed educators.
"ACUE gave us the time and space to really talk about our teaching and the students for whom we care so deeply," said Mary Johannesen-Schmidt, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and coordinator of Oakton's Center for Teaching Innovation.
Program completers, comprised of two cohorts, were recognized during a pinning ceremony at Oakton's Des Plaines campus in May. Completers include:
Effective Online Teaching Practices Cohort 1
Ragaa Abdallah, Professor of Computer Information Systems
Stephanie Levi Blumer, Associate Professor of Biology
Olabisi Adenekan, Professor of English
Maria Antonopoulos, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Arti Ayachit, Lecturer, Division of STEM and Health Careers
Eva de la Riva Lopez, Professor of Psychology
Bob Gynn, Professor of Speech and Theater
Anna Hammer, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Ji-Hyae Park, Associate Professor of English
Khursheed Ichhaporia, Associate Professor of Biology
Mary Johannesen-Schmidt, Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Paul Johnson, Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Scott Johnson, Professor of English/ Coordinator of Technical Communication
Cheryl L. Joseph, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
Steven Ko, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Marcia Kiraly, Lecturer, Division of Business and Career Technologies
Megan Klein, Associate Professor, Anthropology and Sociology
Kristine Lefeber, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Kanchana Mendes, Professor of Biology
Ragy Mikhaeel, Lecturer, Division of STEM and Health Careers
David Molley, Lecturer, Division of Business and Career Technologies
Edith Monroy, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Sarah Moses, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Myrthe Potts, Medical Assistant Advisor
Philip Prale, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Gerardo Salvacion, Lecturer, Division of STEM and Health Careers
Bill Strond, Professor of Biology
Cecilia Villarruel, Assistant Professor of English
David Williams, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Bradley R. Young, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Effective Online Teaching Practices Cohort 2
Danielle Aquiline, Professor of English
Elena Belova, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Larry Benjamin, Lecturer, Division of Business and Career Technologies
Linda Berendsen, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Thomas Byrne, Lecturer, Division of Business and Career Technologies
Lisa Cherivtch, Professor of Business
Reza Dai, Distinguished Professor of Electronics, Local Area Networks & Mathematics
Mary Hope Griffin, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Iftikhar Haider, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Greg Hamill, Distinguished Professor of Sociology
Spencer Kimura, Chair, Fire Science
Matthew Lee, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Paula Luszcz, Professor of Early Childhood Education
Richard Lyon, Lecturer, Division of Business and Career Technologies
Michael Mauritzen, Associate Professor of English
Harper Mazock, Assistant Professor of Biology
Michelle Naffziger-Hirsch, Professor of Sociology
Janet Nogowski, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Margaret O'Kerns, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Lori Oster, Professor of English
Kalpa Patel, Associate Professor of Biology
Larry Penar, Chair/Professor of AHR/FME
Kritika Pershad, Associate Professor of Biology
Jessica Pinedo, Associate Professor of English
Mary Ringstad-Gagliano, Professor of Speech and Theater
Marian Staats, Professor of English/Co-Coordinator of Environmental Studies
Jack Taha, Lecturer, Division of STEM and Health Careers
Nargis Wardak, Lecturer, Division of STEM and Health Careers
Kasia Wereszczynska, Lecturer, Division of Liberal Arts
Hanna Wierzchowski, Chair and Professor of Health Information Technology
Boguslaw Zapal, Associate Professor of Manufacturing
Oakton is committed to creating high-quality academic programs and supporting students in a variety of course formats. In fall 2021, 86% of Oakton students enrolled in exclusively online or a combination of online and face-to-face courses. That's a significant increase from the pre-pandemic fall 2019 semester, during which 35% of students enrolled in at least one course with an online component. Registration for summer and fall 2022 courses is now open, and Oakton offers a variety of in-person and online courses. Visit Oakton's newly redesigned website to learn more and register for classes. For more information about the Association of College and University Educations (ACUE) visit acue.org.