UNM’s best online courses gain recognition
According to UNM press release, the University's best online courses are being recognized in an awards ceremony on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the SUB ballroom, sponsored by the UNM Center for Teaching & Learning.
In 2012, the University of New Mexico Provost Chaouki Abdallah tasked the Online Course Advisory Council to establish online course standards.
Standards that are grounded in research-based practices, according to the release, reflect Higher Learning Commission and federal requirements for online distance teaching and learning.
The initiative was intended to address quality course development, effective teaching and learning, outcomes assessment and academic integrity, according to the release.
The Advisory Council worked with UNM Extended Learning to make recommendations for the Provost Office’s to review and for approval from the UNM Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee, according to the release.
The Advisory Council included experienced online faculty who have a leadership role or received recognition for their online teaching, according to the press release. The Council also included a UNM Presidential Teaching Fellow and the chair of the Faculty Senate Teaching Enhancement Committee, according to the release.
In collaboration with UNM Extended Learning and the Center for Teaching Excellence, the UNM Online Course Advisory Council invited UNM main campus faculty to apply to have their online course certified as a UNM Online Best Practice Course, according to the release.
20 courses were reviewed during the fall 2015 semester, according to the press release, and an additional 26 courses have been reviewed for this semester.
According to the release, faculty who complete the certification will receive a $2,000 stipend and their course will become one of the first UNM Online Best Practice Certified Courses.
The faculty member’s course will also be submitted for Quality Matters National Course Review, a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to certify the quality of online and blended courses, according to the release.
According to the release, over 90 faculty members submitted courses for review representing the following academic units: Arts & Sciences, Anderson School of Management, School of Engineering, School of Medicine, College of Fine Arts, College of Nursing, and University Libraries.
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A list of the Fall 2015 recipients can be found online. The 2016 recipients will be listed after the awards ceremony.
