Staff Profile: Harriet
Manager, Instructional Design
Center for Distance Education, UT Arlington
At UTA’s Center for Distance Education you help faculty bring their courses online. How did you get involved in online course design?
I started out designing courses for the military. I worked as a contractor for the Department of Defense, both teaching in a face-to-face setting and designing training to be deployed online. I loved the creative aspect of course design. I decided to get my master’s degree from American Intercontinental University (online) in instructional technology, and the rest as they say, ‘is history.’
How many faculty do you work with?
Tons! O.K., maybe that’s a slight overstatement. I work with all UT Arlington faculty who have new courses going online. That’s about 8-10 new faculty per semester. I touch base with them for an initial meeting before assigning them to their instructional designer here at the Center. I also have my own group of faculty I work with. The faculty is a variation of new and seasoned online teachers. They come from different colleges. My main bevy of faculty comes from the School of Nursing right now. I assign designers to courses based upon many factors; such as the faculty member’s familiarity with the LMS, their comfort level with technology, their particular course subject matter, etc. Our designers each have their own “design personality” and I try to match them up according to those factors and others – in the end it’s a winning combination.
What’s the designer’s role in helping faculty succeed in their online courses?
Our assistance is crucial. I see our role as the bridge between the subject matter expert and the student. We provide technical expertise and the structure for the courses, so the delivery to the student is a seamless and rich learning experience. I think in our job communication is essential if we’re going to succeed.
What are three things you’d ask faculty to remember or be mindful of when partnering with you?
1. Relax. I’m here to make the process smooth for you.
2. Plan ahead. Faculty need to think about the learning outcomes they want the students to achieve throughout the course. They also need to think about interaction and assessment…how will the students interact and how will faculty know they’ve succeeded.
3. Stay on track. It’s key that the faculty get a schedule for content delivery to their designer, and then adhere to that schedule.
What’s the ‘next big thing’ you see coming in the evolution of online course design and delivery?
Web 3.0, 4.0, 10.0 yikes! It is amazing to me to see how social networking tools are becoming the expectation rather than the exception. These constructivist tools are being used in some very interesting and effective ways. I see instructional design moving toward a wiki-like experience, with students having the freedom to construct their own learning as opposed to the former ‘old school’ construct many of us experienced in the classroom.
What is the most common design flaw you see in online courses?
I’d have to say too much text, coupled with not enough interaction. This lethal combination creates boring and thoughtless courses that don’t engage students, or encourage them toward additional exploration of the subject matter.
What’s the greatest challenge in your job as manager of instructional design at the university?
Keeping up with the ever-changing technology!
What’s been the greatest reward in the two years you’ve been working at the Center?
Seeing the proverbial light bulb go on in a faculty member’s head when she or he have that moment where they truly ‘get’ what online instruction is all about. Many faculty teaching online for the first time come into the process thinking they know exactly what online instruction entails because they had used parts of a course management system in their face-to-face course. When they see and understand the process and the time it takes to do it right, well… that’s just a beautiful thing.
What advice would you offer faculty preparing to teach online?
Take a deep breath! Don’t assume or expect this to be an easy transition but you’ll get through it fine if you prepare to put the same amount of time and effort (or more) into your online course that you would your face-to-face course. I encourage them to keep their focus on the student… on providing a rich learning experience for them.
What’s your favorite spot on the Web?
The Edugeek Journal for sure! It was started by one of our instructional designers, Matt Crosslin. www.edugeekjournal.com I am getting addicted to Facebook.
How about favorite cool new app?
One appears daily now it seems. I just checked out a cool new WSIWYG Flash widget creator/editor called Sproutbuilder. As designers, we should always be on the lookout for cool new ways to design and deliver content.
Is there anything about the Center’s partnership with the UT TeleCampus that especially works for you?
The TeleCampus is extremely responsive and very proactive in addressing the questions and needs of anyone on our team. That’s so important when we need to get an accurate answer back quickly to students or faculty.
What do you do when you’re not in front of your monitor?
I spoil my new seven-month-old grand daughter Kaylen. It’s my new hobby! I teach software applications for UTA Continuing Education. I also serve as faculty advisor for Golden Key International Honour Society here on campus. I am a voracious reader…books on leadership (John Maxwell) and legal thrillers (John Grisham) are favorites. I enjoy watching the classic old black and white movies.
Back to UTTC Stories