eMajor's Dr Whisler Brings Fun and Passion to Online Teaching

As an Associate Professor in the Adult & Career Education Department in the College of Education at Valdosta State University, Dr. Whisler teaches on-campus and online undergraduate and graduate VSU courses, as well as eMajor classes.

In addition to teaching eMajor classes, Dr. Whisler is the Associate Professor & OAT-OBC Advisor in the Adult & Career Education Department in the College of Education at Valdosta State University.

Teaching through eMajor has made her a better face-to-face teacher because of her online teaching experience. "Teaching online has taught me the importance of pre-planning and communicating instructions clearly," Dr. Whisler says.

"Interacting with online students needs to be a priority for online instructors, and it presents unique challenges", she says. Some online students call her, and those on campus stop by her office - but most communication occurs through email and discussion forums. Dr. Whisler tries to communicate clearly to the entire class through announcements and assignment instructions. She also provide a CyberCafe where students can post questions so that the whole class can benefit from seeing them and the responses. When students do have questions, she makes it a point to respond to them the same day, if possible.

Dr. Whisler says students need connections with other students, so so she uses Wimba in most of her online classes as a place for them to meet in small groups. "They are usually a little apprehensive at first, but quickly become 'hooked'," she reports. Online learning provides convenience not only for students, but also faculty.

Whisler loves giraffes, travel, and nature. Something interesting about Whisler is that she learned she was expecting her second child (who is now 27) during an 800-mile bicycle trip (Ragbrai) across the state of Iowa. She rode an average of 100 miles a day, in 100+ degree temperatures, and slept on the ground (in tents) at night.

Learn more about eMajor's elite instructors and programs at emajor.usg.edu.

Comments

3 Things to Consider Before Taking an Online Class While Overseas

Online Learning allows students the flexibility of continuing their educational journey from anywhere in the world. Online classes are an excellent option for students who are studying abroad for the semester, military members and families who are stationed overseas, or even those who want to take classes while traveling for pleasure. While online classes can usually be accessed from anywhere with a reliable internet connection, there are some things to consider before registering for class if you intend to complete the course while located outside of the U.S. Availability of a Reliable Internet Connection To access most online classes, students must have a reliable internet connection. This may be a challenge in some areas of the world due to various issues such as local network instability, outages, firewalls, or restrictive local internet policies. Before registering for an online class, research the internet accessibility situation in the area in which you pl

March Freebie: No Application Fee for Most USG Colleges and Universities

Free applications are back at more than 20 institutions in the University System of Georgia. During the month of March, potential students can apply for admissions to most USG institutions at no charge. By waiving fees, institutions are able to increase applicant pools and remove a financial barrier for those who might otherwise be reluctant to apply. Rates vary across institutions but savings can be significant. For a student applying at 10 USG institutions with average fees of $40, the savings would be $400. Students may apply for as many schools as they wish. Most institutions will automatically waive the fee during the application process. A few require specific steps during the application process. Below is a listing of all participating USG institutions and additional instructions where needed. USG Institutions Requiring No Code for Free Applications in March 2024 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ( application ) Atlanta Metropolitan State College ( application ) Clayton Sta

Professor Broussard: This Georgia College Professor Teaches History from a Very Unique Point of View

Not only is Dr. Ray Broussard a UGA/USG eCore History professor still teaching in his 90s, but he’s also a World War II and Korean War veteran. eCampus visits Dr. Broussard’s home in Athens, Georgia for an update on his love of life and teaching. We last interviewed Dr. Broussard in 2012 , when we learned about his time in the Navy, his early teaching days, and his genuine surprise when he realized you really could teach History online. Today, he is not only the oldest, but also one of USG eCore’s most engaging instructors and consistently receives gushing comments from students in his course evaluations-- many who are amazed to learn world and United States history from someone who helped make the history. At 91 years old, Dr. Broussard and his wife (a retired high school history teacher), haven’t been up for traveling as much, so he invited us to visit with him at his home. We arrived at his peaceful, quaint little house on the Eastside of Athens where he eagerly welc

Planet eCampus

Search This Blog