Glowing Feedback for ACUE Online Course
The Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) course in effective teaching practices is designed to equip faculty with the instructional skills shown to promote student motivation, learning and persistence. The ACUE course was offered to full and part-time lecturer faculty who teach large classes during the Winter 2019 quarter.
Krystal Rawls, lecturer of business management organizational behavior and theory, is a participant of the ACUE online course and she shares her experience with implementing the techniques learned through the online course. Rawls believes it speaks strongly to the value of engaging students using the practices being taught in the course.
“My students have wholeheartedly embraced the concept map as a discussion tool so they use it when outlining our topics which means, we actually cover so much more” says Rawls. Using the closing techniques, it has allowed her and the students to feel better prepared for the next class meeting. These techniques, along with many others, are discussed throughout the onine course.
Rawls also shares the feedback she received from an evaluation of her classroom by another professor. The evaluation highlights that Rawls has effectively incorporated numerous innovative methods for delivering the content of the organizational behavior course as well as assessing learning in such a large section of 60 students.
“Student-led discussions and the ‘volunteer vs. voluntold’ approach appears to be working to motivate some, if not most, students to read the textbook in advance” the evaluation states.
The feedback also suggests that Rawls’ creative manner in which she developed an innovative reward system using achievements that are related to effort and learning was impressive and worth noting.
The evaluation comment further emphasizes this by saying, “These achievement ‘certificates’ are very much aligned with the recognition and incentives used by actual organizations, which give many students a glimpse into the corporate methods of motivating employees”.
Long-time CSUSB lecturer from communication studies, and winner of the 2017 College of Arts and Letters’ Outstanding Lecturer Award, Donna Gotch, has lead the faculty cohort in 25 learning modules throughout the winter quarter and mentor them in using new skills in their classes. Gotch shared the information to Teaching Resource Center Director, Jo Anna Grant.
Grant explains more about the ACUE online course and highlights what the course involves
“The ACUE course uses an evidence-based framework, offered online, to support and grow expertise in teaching practice. The 25-module course prepares college instructors to use research-based techniques demonstrated to help students succeed,” Grant said.
“Our goal is to help and encourage our faculty to use proven teaching methods and cutting-edge techniques to help our students succeed.”
Krystal Rawls values the process of engaging students using the practices that were taught in the ACUE course. Her organizational behavior course is proof that the ACUE course is supporting and encouraging faculty to use the proven teaching methods and cutting-edge techniques to help students succeed.