Bio information

I am Assistant Director, Distance Learning, which means that my primary responsibility is to support faculty who teach online. Our campus is part of the SUNY Learning Network, and SLN refers to this faculty support position as a MID – a Multimedia Instructional Designer.

Support for distance learning is housed in the Division of Continuing Education.

Our program provides opportunities for working adults to obtain or complete a degree from SUNY Oswego via our evening degree programs as well as online. We also administer Summer Sessions and WinterSession –in other words, we’re all about opportunity!

Education: BA., Radio and Television Production, SUNY Oswego

MS., Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation, Syracuse University

How are you using technology in your job?

A better question would be “when do you NOT use technology as part of your job”?  We view online learning as a mission critical service to our students and faculty. A major part of my day is spent reviewing courses in development in ANGEL (our learning management system), addressing faculty support concerns regarding ANGEL, and in my “free time” managing the flow of questions and answers that pass through my email inbox daily.  Given the “anywhere, any time” nature of distance learning, I typically spend some amount of time either after normal business hours or on weekends continuing to support our online faculty. I guess that’s one disadvantage of the ubiquity of the Internet, it’s hard to “leave at the office” .

In what way has technology transformed your job?

When SUNY Oswego put it’s toe in the water of distance learning with telecourses, the Internet and the World Wide Web were in it’s relative infancy. Now, the majority of distance learning in higher ed is delivered via the Internet. To teach successfully on the Internet requires an understanding of pedagogy in general, an ability to translate instructional design theory and concepts into actions, and a willingness to teach without immediate visceral student feedback. At times I’m referred to as the “techie” behind the scenes, but what we really do is apply current and emerging learning theories about online learning.

When I started my graduate program in instructional design, “online learning” meant using text based interfaces like MUDs, MUSHs, and MOOs –when was the last time you heard of those? As the Internet evolves, our toolset changes and expands. Every day brings a new challenge, which is really part of the joy of this job.

What does technology add that would not be possible without it?

Simply, technology equates to opportunity and possibility in distance learning. It provides an opportunity to fit education into our busy lives. It gives us the possibility for continuous personal and professional development. Technology crosses and erases time zones, geographic borders, and facilitates cultural exchange and understanding.

How do you see technology improving learning?

Probably the most exciting things to me involve low stakes testing, peer feedback, and individualized learning. Low stakes testing is a means of reinforcing basic concepts and facts through frequent assessments that aren’t a major part of the final grade. It’s a means of helping learners master entry level knowledge without having to reiterate the textbook in class. Being online provides both a certain level of anonymity and time for reflection, both of which are valuable in learning interchanges where students can critique each others’ work.  Lastly, I think we have the ability both to remediate as well as expand beyond the basic concepts we’d cover in a course, by providing “just in time” instruction to online students based on their performance on key learning activities. This last one is rather ambitious, but I believe we can create rich learning environments that aren’t “one size fits all”.

In what ways do you find technology frustrating?

I suppose it can be frustrating when technology isn’t designed with the end user in mind. If you can use software that was created through user-centered design, you’ll probably find it easier and more intuitive to use. I guess that’s a hidden plug for our HCI program!

How are you using technology in interesting or unique ways?

We continue to explore and seek out what we think will be the “next big thing” . I’ve been exposing and encouraging faculty to experiment in new environments, such as podcasting and virtual worlds like Second Life. The key theme here is to seek out media rich ways in which students can actively produce knowledge products or artifacts that aren’t just another paper or PowerPoint presentation.

How are you using technology to develop and deliver staff development?

We’re collaboratively producing documentation, job aids and FAQs for ANGEL faculty support and providing that material online. We’re also in the conceptual stages of developing and presenting some of our distance faculty development workshops in an online format- stay tuned for more on that in the future. Lastly, I try to offer just in time teaching tips via our distance-l listserv for our online faculty.

How are you applying  technology in your personal life?

Hmm, have you ever heard the story about the shoemaker’s children? I had an iPod, but it ended up as a Christmas gift for my oldest daughter! I do have a personal GPS unit that’s kind of fun to play with out in the woods- geocaching is a great way to use your gadget as a family outing.

One of my hobbies is 18th century military reenacting; I actually backed into the hobby from being the listserv manager for an active community of 2,000 plus reenactors, historians, and museum curators. In that case I moved from “virtual” exchanges of ideas to real world friendship.

Is there a single technological  item you can't imagine living without?

The refrigerator. No, seriously, when you consider how it changed not only our shopping habits but our access to food that can be stored and shipped nationally and globally, that’s a huge impact. I could probably live without the Internet, without cable TV, without a phone, but we’d experience serious culture shock if we didn’t have refrigeration for food preservation, and running water. We need to step back from time to time to consider what elements actually are essential to our quality of life, and what we can do in terms of stewardship for those key elements like clean air and fresh water.

Is there a particular technological item that you plan on learning  and/or purchasing in the near future?

If my wife reads this, I’d really, really like my own iPod for Christmas!