Proposals

Instructional Technology Conference 2009

Title: Tips for Successful Online Teaching

Name: George Kontos, Ed.D.

Audience: Faculty, deans, general

Audience Level: Beginning, intermediate

Length: One hour (If needed, length less than one hour can be arranged.)

Abstract: The seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, developed by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson, will be reviewed. The use of technology, especially web-based online technology, to apply these principles in teaching and learning will be examined and an example of such an implementation in an online computer class will be discussed. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future implementations will be also discussed.

Description: The seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education were developed by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson. The principles first appeared in the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) Bulletin (Chickering and Gamson, 1987). As a result of a two-year research Chickering and Gamson in cooperation with AAHE and a number of higher education faculty and colleagues, concluded that good practice in undergraduate education:

1. encourages contact between students and faculty,
2. encourages cooperation among students,
3. encourages active learning,
4. gives prompt feedback,
5. emphasizes time on task,
6. communicates high expectations, and
7. respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

These principles were initially conceived for face-to-face instruction but later with the advent of information technologies they were implemented for technology-based teaching by Chickering and Ehrmann's paper (Chickering and Ehrmann, 1996). In this paper, the authors described some of the best and most appropriate ways to use technologies such as video and computers to advance these seven principles. How does technology facilitate the above seven principles of good practice?

An online course was designed and taught with the seven principles in mind. This is a freshman-level 3-hour course and is offered through the Bowling Green Community College of Western Kentucky University. The course (Introduction to Computer Systems) is designed to provide an overview of computer terminology and organization with an emphasis on word processing, electronic spreadsheets, computer programming and databases

Here are highlights of how these seven principles were integrated into the course.





Session Type: Lecture/Presentation (or Panel Discussion or other)

On-Site Equipment Requirements: PC with USB, MS PowerPoint and projector (for my presentation), and Internet access

Contact Information/Affiliation:
George Kontos, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
Business Division
Bowling Green Community College of
Western Kentucky University
george.kontos@wku.edu