EduTrendsOnline

What Makes a Good Online Instructor?

By Dr. Conrad Lotze
Dean, School of Education, American Public University

What  qualifications and characteristics are key to being  a good online instructor?

In order to evaluate candidates for online faculty positions, I typically ask myself a series of questions:

• Do they possess the requisite content knowledge and degree necessary for the position? 
• Do they have knowledge and experience in pedagogy or andragogy, that is, the science and art of teaching children and adults, respectively?

The Benefit of Adding Virtual Field Trips to Online Biology Courses

By Dr. Tricia Keiter
Associate Professor, School of Science and Technology at American Public University

Traditionally, introductory college biology courses have been structured in a manner such that the student is introduced to basic terminology and concepts by means of standardized textbooks, lab experiments and examination-based assessments. At American Public University System, we desire to make the biology experience much more engaging for our students, and we will be doing this by way of incorporating virtual field trips into the curriculum.

Innovative Teaching: The Rise of Online Science Labs

By Katie Berryhill
Fulltime Faculty, School of Science and Technology at American Public University

The development of science literacy and critical thinking skills are a primary reason for requiring college students to take laboratory science. The goal is to understand what science is—a way of thinking and learning about the world around us, rather than merely a collection of facts (especially as those facts are often supplanted by future knowledge).