Evaluación de una Certificación para Docentes que Enseñan en Entornos Virtuales

By: Dr. Ivette Torres-Vera

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

 

Evaluación de una Certificación para Docentes que Enseñan en Entornos Virtuales

Evaluation of a Certification for Professors who Teach in Virtual Environments

 

Resumen

Este artículo presenta los hallazgos de un estudio realizado para determinar cuán eficiente es la certificación que utiliza una universidad privada en Puerto Rico para enseñar las competencias del docente virtual. El estudio utilizó un enfoque de investigación cuantitativa no experimental con un diseño transeccional descriptivo. La población del estudio estuvo constituida por el personal docente que tomó la certificación para enseñar cursos híbridos y a distancia que ofrece la institución. Para la realización del estudio se utilizó una muestra probabilística. La muestra fue seleccionada utilizando la técnica de muestra aleatoria simple. Para lograr el propósito de este estudio se utilizó un cuestionario en línea adaptado de la Escala de Competencias del Docente Virtual de Ruiz (2010). El instrumento midió la opinión de los docentes sobre las competencias pedagógica, tecnológica, interpersonal y gerencial que se enseñaron en la certificación. Los hallazgos reflejaron que las variables años de experiencia en la educación superior y años de experiencia como docente en la institución son factores que influyen en la dimensión tecnológica y gerencial. Se evidenció la necesidad de revisar la certificación y de crear un proceso de evaluación para determinar el nivel de conocimiento adquirido por el docente de las dimensiones de enseñanza virtual.

 

Palabras Claves

Educación a Distancia, Desarrollo Profesional, Aprendizaje a Distancia, Educación Superior, Competencias del Docente Virtual

 

Hostos Online Learning Assessment: A Survey of Student Perceptions

 

By: Prof. Kate S. Wolfe Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences,

Prof. Sarah L. Hoiland, Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences,

Prof. Kate Lyons, Associate Professor, Library and Educational Technology,

Carlos Guevara, Director, Educational Technology and CTL,

Dr. Kris Burrell, Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Social Sciences,

Dr. Jacqueline M. DiSanto, Assistant Professor, Education,

Prof. Sandy Figueroa, Assistant Professor, Business,

Dr. Aaron Davis, Instructional Designer, Educational Technology,

Iber Poma, Coordinator of Student Services, Educational Technology,

Wilfredo Rodríguez, Coordinator, Educational Technology,

Prof. Linda Ridley, Lecturer, Business

Hostos Community College, CUNY, New York

 

Abstract

 

The Office of Education Technology (EdTech) at Hostos Community College and faculty members from various departments created the Hostos Online Learning Assessment (HOLA) Task Force to design a survey for gathering and assessing data about students’ perceptions of their online learning experiences.  The task force wanted to utilize the survey results to identify strengths and weaknesses in online instruction and student preparedness for the online learning environment.  Student perceptions of online learning are integral to building upon current best practices and also gauging the preparedness of the students for the online learning environment, particularly in an urban, Hispanic-serving community college.  The survey and results will be discussed within the broader context of best practices and online learning assessments as well as the way the HOLA Task Force is utilizing the data to make meaningful changes in the survey instrument, in addittion planning for continuous improvement in online learning.

 

Keywords: online learning, asynchronous, hybrid, blended, student, community college, urban, Hispanic, African American

 

Impact of a Simulated Game on Learning and Engagement

 

By: Nina Sarkar, PhD,

Stephen W. Hammel, JD, Esq, and

Prof. Christina Manzo, MBA, CPA,

Queensborough Community College, CUNY, New York

 

 

 

Abstract

Today’s students are digital natives who have grown up with computer technology and video games. Their constant exposure to the internet and other digital media has shaped the way they receive, process and learn information. Consequently, the traditional lecture and textbook approach to education is not as effective for this generation. We believe that students can benefit from reality based computer simulated games which are incorporated into the course curriculum.  Games and computer simulations are no longer just for fun; they can be used as an effective pedagogical tool to enhance learning and foster an engaged learning environment. While there is a general consensus among educators that educational games are an effective method of motivating students, there is a lack of empirical studies relating to the impact of this teaching modality on students’ academic performance and engagement. This paper reports on the effectiveness of using a computer simulated game on student learning and engagement in three different business courses.

 

Mending the Broken Promise: Our Students, Our Teachers, Our Missions*

By: Dr. Eduardo Martí

President emeritus Queensborough Community College, former Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges of the City University of New York, and former HETS Chairman

 

* This article is an excerpt of the book “America’s Broken Promise: Bridging the Community College Achievement Gap” that will be published by Hudson Whitman/Excelsior College Press (2016)

 

 

Mending the Broken Promise: Our Students, Our Teachers, Our Missions

 

Unfettered access, a major component of the democratic promise of community colleges, has, over the years, morphed from a guiding inspiration to a required mandate.    Contemporary community colleges continue to offer the most generous point of entry to incoming students seeking a postsecondary education.  By implicitly and usually explicitly promising to provide a home to all potential students, community colleges promise to meet their ever more widely variable academic, financial, and social needs. Community colleges promise to enable all students to meet their divergent goals for education; consequently, community colleges promise to help all students achieve their dreams.

Re-inventing Remedial Reading in the 21st Century: A Review of the Benefits and Challenges of a Hybrid Remedial Reading Course

By: Prof. Toni Ann Hernen

Bronx Community College, City University of New York

Author’s Note

Toni Ann Hernen is a lecturer in the Department of Education and Reading

Correspondence relating to this Article should be addressed to Toni Ann Hernen Bronx Community College, City University of New York, Colston Hall, Room 429, University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10453.

Contact:ToniHernen@gmail.com

 

 

Abstract

Remedial courses have been the center of attention over the past decade.  More students enter college and take at least one remedial course because they have failed the entrance exams that determine if students have the basic skills to take credit bearing courses.  The increase in enrollment for these courses has left administrators to find other sources and programs to accelerate the process. Students who are not accelerated through the remedial courses are sometimes left with taking more than one remedial in a semester.  This setback can potentially delay the student’s matriculation and eventually cause the student to drop out of college.   This paper examines a first year pilot hybrid remedial reading course offered in the Fall of 2015.  Further, this small-scale study illustrates the benefits and effects of a hybrid remedial reading course and provides future recommendations for achievement.  Using qualitative and quantitative data, the hybrid remedial reading course was determined to provide positive outcomes when comparing the treated and non-treated groups.  It was further observed that the students found the course to be innovative and spark their interests.  The promise of a new alternative to remedial reading in the 21st century has the potential to boost student attainment, matriculation, and progress.

 

Strategies to Make Program Assessment Simple in a Digital Era: A Case Study

By: Dr. Edilberto Arteaga-Narvaéz

Dr. Kenia A. Parga Rivera, and

Dr. Lillian Gayá González

Inter American University, Metropolitan Campus

 

 Strategies to Make Program Assessment Simple in a Digital Era: A Case Study

Abstract

The assessment process of an undergraduate program is used as a case study to share some strategies to simplify the assessment process during a period where faculty members initiated the use of Tk20.  Some strategies to establish an organized, and systematic academic program assessment process for the development and improvement of the academic program while implementing TK20 are identified. The strategies identified may help others to move forward in the assessment process and make it permanent and sustainable.

Introduction

The Metropolitan Campus (MC) is the largest academic unit of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico (IAUPR). IAUPR is a private, Hispanic-serving institution with nine academic units or campuses and two professional schools (School of Law and School of Optometry). MC was established in 1960. It is licensed by the Puerto Rico Council of Education (PRCE) and accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). It also has specialized professional accreditations for several programs. MC offers 106 higher education programs.

Since 2003, assessment became a priority at MC, yet by 2013 the assessment process was still in a beginning phase (Self-Study Report, 2013). Several actions were taken to ensure a systematic, continued and sustained assessment process.  Among others, the level of responsibilities on assessment was clarified.  To support academic unit in 2010, IAUPR acquired the Tk20 platform for the management of institutional and academic assessment. Tk20 platform implementation is coordinated by the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs of IAUPR, who is the Unit Administrator. Among other responsibilities, the Unit Administrator provides campus access to the Tk20 account, produces reports, reviews information from academic campuses, trains the trainers (mainly, the Campus Administrators), and provides follow-up activities.

Uso de herramientas de interacción en la enseñanza de estadísticas en línea: Retos y posibilidades

By:  Marcos Torres Nazario, Ed.D. IR Certificate

Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus

 

Uso de herramientas de interacción en la enseñanza de estadísticas en línea: Retos y posibilidades

Resumen

En este artículo, se describe la utilización de variadas herramientas de interacción en dos cursos de estadística sub-graduados que se ofrecen por la modalidad de cursos a distancia. Estas herramientas permiten aumentar el diálogo en los cursos a distancia, lo que a su vez permite disminuir la distancia transaccional entre profesor y estudiante. Se describe cómo el investigador utiliza varias herramientas de interacción y comunicación, así como la preparación requerida para proveer actividades de interacción y comunicación, para estimular la integración de los estudiantes en las sesiones que ofrezco por esta modalidad, incluyendo el uso de métodos de comunicación complementarios y redundantes, entre otros.

 

Descriptores:

Distancia transaccional, enseñanza de estadísticas en línea, teaching statistics online.