Student-Nominated Faculty Awards for Effective/Innovative Technology Use

by Sloan-C

Author Information

Author(s):

Laurie Poklop, Northeastern University

Institution(s) or Organization(s) Where EP Occured:

Northeastern University

Effective Practice Abstract/Summary

Abstract/Summary of Effective Practice:

Northeastern University's Effective Or Innovative Use Of Technology In Teaching Awards program enables faculty to find out what students find valuable about faculty use of course management systems and other technology. Faculty receive recognition for effective or innovative use of technology to support good teaching and learning; students feel empowered by nominating examples of effective practice.

Description of the Effective Practice

Description of the Effective Practice:

Supporting Information for this Effective Practice

Evidence of Effectiveness:

When we notified faculty that they had been nominated for an award, we received many email responses describing how pleased faculty were to be nominated and to receive any form of feedback and recognition from students. Many were interested in students' specific comments. Faculty also notified us that they were including recognition of their nomination in their teaching portfolios and tenure or promotion packages, and deans and department heads were sent letters notifying them of award winners. Faculty who received awards were even more grateful for the recognition and the opportunity to present their teaching practices to peers.

How this practice improves pillar(s):

faculty satisfaction:
Northeastern University's (NU) Center for Innovative Course Design (CICD) initiated an awards program to recognize models of using technology to support good teaching in online, blended, and classroom courses, and to provide a means for NU faculty to share these ideas with their colleagues. For the inaugural Effective Or Innovative Use Of Technology In Teaching Awards, 330 students nominated 167 courses for the awards. Instructional designers at NU's EdTech Center selected 16 winners in the categories of Online Learning, Thinking Out of the Box, Course Enhancement, and Student Choice. The awards program thus serves as another form of faculty recognition.

Another motivation for starting the awards program was to answer faculty questions about what students find valuable in Blackboard, NU's course management system. The nomination form included the open-ended question, "Why does this faculty member deserve recognition?" Responses from 213 students were grouped as 48 different items classified into five categories: course components, benefits received by students, faculty behaviors, forms of online communication, and types of online activities. The most frequently cited items in each category (in ascending order) were:

Course Components:

*Lecture slides or notes

*Course documents

*Assignments/due date

*Supplementary links

*Supplementary learning materials

Benefits to Students:

*Materials available in one place

*Improved preparation before class

*Helps students stay on track/manage time

*Facilitated studying for exams

*Materials available if you missed a class

Faculty Behaviors:

*Kept site up-to-date

*Put in a lot of effort

*Organized materials well

*Responded to questions promptly

*Provided prompt feedback

Onliine Communication:

*Increased accessibility of professor

*Communicated schedule changes

*Facilitated contact among students

Online Activities:

*Online discussion

*Discussion forum to ask questions

*Digital homework submission

Equipment necessary to implement Effective Practice:

Estimate the probable costs associated with this practice:

There were very few hard costs associated with this project (plaques for awards, minor promotional costs), but the course evaluation process was time consuming. The EdTech Center instructional designers created a comprehensive course evaluation rubric, and individually reviewed and documented results for all 167 nominated courses. In future programs, we would use a simpler set of high-level criteria to parse courses that deserve more rigorous evaluation.

Relation to other Pillars:

Learning effectiveness: This awards program helped us to identify course examples that can be used in EdTech Center workshops on strategies for effective teaching with technology. Most of these strategies are not new to EdTech Center staff, but faculty are very interested in actual examples from peers. The rubric we developed for evaluating courses can also serve as a useful framework for discussing effective course design and as a tool for faculty self-evaluation of courses.

Student satisfaction: Student satisfaction is increased by this program because students feel empowered by nominating examples of effective practice and by commenting on what they find specifically useful.

Cost effectiveness: The literature often reflects faculty concerns that online teaching takes time away from activities that support promotion and tenure decisions. Because this program provides formal recognition that can be included in P&T packages, it may have a positive impact on faculty retention and, thereby, cost effectiveness.

Useful Links:

article about awards program

Other Comments:

Contact for this Effective Practice

Effective Practice Contact:

Laurie Poklop

Email this contact:

Email Contact Form