San Jacinto College (SJC) personnel who contributed to the ACAdemic Learning course include, (front row) from left: Leslie Childress, David Kohne, Sedrick Sexton, and Laura Armer, (who are educational technology services instructional designers); back row: Dr. Chris Duke, director of curriculum and assessment, Sherry Ransdell, director of instructional design services; Niki Whiteside, vice president for educational technology services; Laurel Williamson, vice chancellor learning and student success; and Huff Mann, instructional designer. Photo credit: Keith Hudson, San Jacinto College multimedia support specialist.

Online training course earns prestigious national award

Rob Vanya, May 31, 2012

PASADENA Texas – San Jacinto College’s (SJC) educational technology services department recently earned national recognition for ACAdemic Learning, a course that provides professors training for teaching online and hybrid classes.

Blackboard Inc., a global leader in enterprise technology for educators, professional, corporate, and government organizations, selected ACAdemic Learning as winner of the Catalyst Award as an Exemplary Course. The ACAdemic training course also earned Blackboard’s Directors Choice for Courses with Distinction. Blackboard’s Catalyst Awards ceremony will be held in New Orleans in July.

The San Jacinto College educational technology services department developed and implemented the ACAdemic Learning course over the past two and a half years with 370 faculty completing the course to date, and many more enrolled to take the training in coming semesters.

 “ACAdemic Learning is a multi-layered approach to educating faculty on basic instructional design principles and teaching methods,” commented Niki Whiteside, the College’s vice president for educational technology services. Content in the course emphasizes educational design principles and teaching methods, including effective content design and delivery, learning environment design, alternative methods of assessments, and effective integration of technology resources.

“By the end of the program, faculty have a clear understanding of how to design and develop active, collaborative, and authentic learning experiences for students, and how to effectively use technology and online learning environments to mediate instruction for online, hybrid and on-campus classes,” Whiteside added. In addition to providing direct content and instruction, ACAdemic Learning also makes new tools and teaching approaches available, providing faculty with a better understanding of the student perspective.

“It’s an honor to have the work of the San Jacinto College instructional design team recognized,” remarked Whiteside. “Our goal was to create a quality course that instructs faculty on effective methodologies for online teaching, and that models the practices we are teaching, with a focus on helping faculty create content that supports student success. Being recognized by the Blackboard Exemplary Course program, and further honored as Director’s Choice for Course of Distinction is validation that we are making great strides to achieve that goal.”

Developers and instructors contributing to the ACAdemic Learning project include educational technology services instructional designers Leslie Childress, Huff Mann, Laura Armer, Sedrick Sexton, and David Kohne. Other contributors include Dr. Chris Duke, director of curriculum and assessment, and Sherry Ransdell, director of instructional design services.

San Jacinto College currently offers two-year associate degree programs in accounting and criminal justice that students can complete by taking courses exclusively online. The College also offers several online only, one-year certificate programs in accounting, criminal justice, general office clerk, management specialty, air conditioning technology, and business office technology. In addition, more than 450 academic and technical courses are offered in online and hybrid formats (half online, half classroom). More online-only associate degree and certificate programs are also under development.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for more than 50 years. The Achieving the Dream Leader College is committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of 30,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career preparation. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of growing industries in the region. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $630 million each year to the Texas workforce. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.