In collaboration with the Ohio Association of Community Colleges and the Association of College and University Educators, a group of Clark State professors will participate in a 25-week course to learn about evidence-based teaching strategies to improve online instruction and close common gaps in equity.
Clark State Community College is among 22 community colleges in Ohio selected to participate in the Effective Online Teaching Practices course offered by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE). The course is centered on strategies for improving online instruction in a way that increases rates of student engagement, particularly among students who face barriers to access. Administrators are grateful for the opportunity to help faculty be able to engage more students, particularly as online courses become more common.
In a news release, CSCC explained that six faculty members will participate, with two additional faculty members on the waitlist to participate in the next session of the course scheduled for this coming fall. The selection process allowed faculty to volunteer to participate and in the final decision, preference was given to instructors who teach courses with high rates of low or failing grades. As Dr. Tiffany Hunter, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Clark State described, "Consideration was given to faculty who had expressed a need for professional development related to online teaching, faculty who teach high D-F-W rate courses, faculty in disciplines where students typically struggle and faculty actively teaching during the spring and fall terms, 2021. Participants will be placed into professionally facilitated cohorts of peers across institutions to create communities of practice."
Hunter went on to explain that the graduate-level course is divided into 25 modules. The modules are broken down into four main groups that center on inclusivity, active online learning, inspiring lifelong learning, and effective course design. The course materials and work are based on evidence-based methods shown to improve outcomes for all students. The course will be offered free-of-charge to the chosen Clark State faculty, made possible by a partnership between Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) and the ACUE. President of OACC, Jack Hershey, said that the course will help faculty design their online courses with the latest techniques for providing equitable education for all students, "We are working hard to level the playing field to close equity gaps among Ohio students. Offering this course to faculty is one more way to do that."