Paul Morsink, Kim Maier and Robin Dickson
Professor Kim Maier’s online version of CEP 933, a required doctoral statistics course in the College of Education, was recently recognized as the Best Fully Online Course at Michigan State University for 2011.
The honor, presented by the annual AT& T-sponsored Award Competition in Instructional Technology, also goes to technical advisor Robin Dickson and graduate students Paul Morsink and Dan LaDue.
Maier said the course — Quantitative Methods in Educational Research, part II — is being taught entirely online for the first time this spring semester 2011. The online design was created for students enrolled in the hybrid Educational Psychology and Educational Technology doctoral program, also new in 2010.
Since many students approach statistics with trepidation, Maier and her team incorporated many course elements intended to reduce anxiety and give students opportunities to reflect on their progress in social formats. For examples, individuals or teams are assigned to create Think Aloud Clips (or TACs) that help them verbalize their understanding (or confusion) about particular topics.
That type of student-created course content can then be used by future students in the College of Education, including peers in the face-to-face sections of the course.
Visit attawards.msu.edu for more information about the competition, including videos on each winning course. CEP 933 shared the Best Online honor with ZOL/PBL355, an ecology course.