A Vice President Learns an Online Lesson

• 01/05/01

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Some academics might say that vice presidents don't spend much time observing the teaching of junior professors, or trying to learn from their younger faculty. However, Agnes Armao, the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey, found herself in a unique situation during the spring of 2000 when she became a student teacher in an online class, taught by Junior English Professor Denise Coulter.

In the fall of 1999, Armao became a bit envious of her faculty – especially those in her own discipline who seemed to be so enthusiastic about teaching online. She secretly wanted to deliver her own English course online, but had some fears. Although she had been attending national conferences about teaching online for several years, she felt she would be better prepared to deliver her own online course if she observed a class in progress so she could gain some practical, hands-on experience.

At the same time, Coulter was preparing to deliver an online section of Introduction to Creative Writing. She was a four-year veteran of online teaching, and she developed and taught a variety of online writing and literature courses for Atlantic Cape Community College. When the vice president told the assistant professor she wanted to become an online teacher, she was invited to observe an online creative writing class and to serve as a guest facilitator for a portion of it. It was in this way that Assistant Professor Denise Coulter became the mentor of Vice President Agnes Armao.

Phasing Into Online Instruction

Approximately two months prior to the start of the spring semester, Coulter and Armao met to review the planning process for an online course. They used Coulter's Introduction to Creative Writing course as the model. During this first phase of the mentoring relationship, the two colleagues spent some afternoons discussing various topics, such as selection of an appropriate text, construction of the syllabus, and the formation and organization of the cyber-classroom. They also explored teaching theory as it related to distance education, and discussed preparing a welcome packet for the registered students of the course. As a pioneer distance education teacher at the college, Coulter knew many of the pitfalls of teaching online and she warned Armao about them. For example, she advised the vice president to avoid posting lectures in an online course unless she planned to make sure that students were actually reading the lectures by giving tests on the posted material. "Try to remember," she cautioned her colleague, "that students take courses at a distance for the purpose of convenience. If they suspect that something presented within that course is superfluous – that they can pass a test without it – they will hit the delete key." It was also during Phase One that Armao received all requisite training on SoftArc's FirstClass (the conferencing software through which the course would be delivered) from the director of the college's Academic Computing Department.

In Phase Two of the mentoring process, the vice president quietly observed as the assistant professor put all theories and methodologies discussed in Phase One into practice while delivering the first section of the course. This process lasted approximately one month and provided Armao with a solid model of online teaching on which she could base her unit of the course.

Though the vice president was a relatively silent participant during the first portion of the class, students were notified of her presence. Coulter identified Armao as a guest facilitator in an introductory letter that was mailed to students as part of a welcome package. Armao followed this with her own letter to the students in which she provided autobiographical information and gave further details about her role as a visiting instructor. In addition, she established a Web site that built upon the information contained in her letter and included links to some of her own published nonfiction.

Coulter asked Armao to post a brief autobiographical note in a cyberclassroom meeting space titled "Introducing." This became a virtual space where students could introduce themselves to their peers. Coulter again warned her colleague: "Distance education courses can degenerate into impersonal, student-computer relationships. To keep that from happening, create activities that ensure students will not be isolated in the learning process." Engaging in activities, such as the one called "Introducing," gave Armao further practice in creating and sending e-mail messages through FirstClass. It was during this phase that Armao put the final touches on her lesson plans for the unit that she would teach as guest facilitator.

Phase Three of the process was the point at which the vice-president obtained low-risk, hands-on experience in delivering course content at a distance. Independent teaching is one of the best ways for the novice to gain a full understanding of the demands and joys of the process of teaching online. Although Coulter temporarily removed herself as the instructor of the class during this unit, she regularly monitored the classroom progress, and met with Armao on a weekly basis to review the activities planned for each week, answer questions, make suggestions, and ensure that all was running smoothly. Armao had relatively few questions at this point, since she had received sufficient preparation in the first two phases of the mentoring process. The few questions she did ask usually related to the technology rather than to delivery strategies or content. The third phase lasted approximately four weeks. Phase Four was a time of reflection, analysis and support for the novice online teacher. Coulter was available throughout this time to assure Armao that she was proceeding correctly – that her assignments and expectations were not unreasonable. "What is fair in the traditional class," she said "is fair in the online arena. These courses are not an easy way for students to earn grades."

Providing Guidance for the Online Teacher

The Coulter-Armao story demonstrates that community colleges have some faculty members who are now moving beyond the beginning stages of online teaching. Their personal experience, coupled with some of the recent scholarship in the area, has helped faculty like Coulter to deliver high quality courses on the Internet. Now, academic administrators – including vice presidents – must determine how these seasoned instructors can best share their valuable knowledge with those who are preparing to teach an online course for the first time.

Expert faculty can certainly conduct professional development seminars for their peers. However, in facing the challenge of scheduling conflicts, time limitations, and an audience with a wide range of technical ability, these seminars often turn into watered down "show and tell" forums for faculty who have developed an innovative idea for delivering material in their own online courses. While these forums may be beneficial to the experienced online faculty member, rarely do they hold any significance for the novice.

Prior to delivering his or her first online class, a teacher needs:

• Professional development opportunities offered at a time that is convenient to the new teacher, and that cater to his or her knowledge level.
• Relevant training in operating software and technology that will serve as the medium for online delivery of course content.
• Relevant guidance in developing solid teaching practices that work best in online delivery of course content.
• Advice on how to shape existing teaching methodologies and assignments for the cyber-classroom.
• An opportunity to observe a model online course in progress.
• Supervised hands-on experience in delivering course content online.

The experience we have described in this article has taught us that the most effective way to address all of these needs is to establish mentoring relationships: to pair beginning online teachers with seasoned online instructors. Faculty members, even those who attended graduate school before the age of computers, can easily learn the tricks of how to teach an exciting, interactive online course if they have someone to guide them.

 

Dr. Agnes Armao is vice president of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, NJ. For the past four years, she has encouraged and supported the interest her full-time faculty members possess in creating online courses. More than half of the college's 70 full-time faculty members now teach some of their courses online. Dr. Armao holds a Ph.D. in English from Temple University.

E-mail: [email protected]

Denise-Marie Coulter is an assistant professor of English at Atlantic Cape Community College of southern New Jersey. She has been teaching courses at a distance since 1996. Coulter holds a Master's in English from Rutgers University and a bachelor's in English from Georgian Court College.

E-mail: [email protected]

Some academics might say that vice presidents don't spend much time observing the teaching of junior professors, or trying to learn from their younger faculty. However, Agnes Armao, the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey, found herself in a unique situation during the spring of 2000 when she became a student teacher in an online class, taught by Junior English Professor Denise Coulter.

In the fall of 1999, Armao became a bit envious of her faculty – especially those in her own discipline who seemed to be so enthusiastic about teaching online. She secretly wanted to deliver her own English course online, but had some fears. Although she had been attending national conferences about teaching online for several years, she felt she would be better prepared to deliver her own online course if she observed a class in progress so she could gain some practical, hands-on experience.

At the same time, Coulter was preparing to deliver an online section of Introduction to Creative Writing. She was a four-year veteran of online teaching, and she developed and taught a variety of online writing and literature courses for Atlantic Cape Community College. When the vice president told the assistant professor she wanted to become an online teacher, she was invited to observe an online creative writing class and to serve as a guest facilitator for a portion of it. It was in this way that Assistant Professor Denise Coulter became the mentor of Vice President Agnes Armao.

X@XOpenTag000Phasing Into Online Instruction

X@XCloseTag000Approximately two months prior to the start of the spring semester, Coulter and Armao met to review the planning process for an online course. They used Coulter's Introduction to Creative Writing course as the model. During this first phase of the mentoring relationship, the two colleagues spent some afternoons discussing various topics, such as selection of an appropriate text, construction of the syllabus, and the formation and organization of the cyber-classroom. They also explored teaching theory as it related to distance education, and discussed preparing a welcome packet for the registered students of the course. As a pioneer distance education teacher at the college, Coulter knew many of the pitfalls of teaching online and she warned Armao about them. For example, she advised the vice president to avoid posting lectures in an online course unless she planned to make sure that students were actually reading the lectures by giving tests on the posted material. "Try to remember," she cautioned her colleague, "that students take courses at a distance for the purpose of convenience. If they suspect that something presented within that course is superfluous – that they can pass a test without it – they will hit the delete key." It was also during Phase One that Armao received all requisite training on SoftArc's FirstClass (the conferencing software through which the course would be delivered) from the director of the college's Academic Computing Department.

In Phase Two of the mentoring process, the vice president quietly observed as the assistant professor put all theories and methodologies discussed in Phase One into practice while delivering the first section of the course. This process lasted approximately one month and provided Armao with a solid model of online teaching on which she could base her unit of the course.

Though the vice president was a relatively silent participant during the first portion of the class, students were notified of her presence. Coulter identified Armao as a guest facilitator in an introductory letter that was mailed to students as part of a welcome package. Armao followed this with her own letter to the students in which she provided autobiographical information and gave further details about her role as a visiting instructor. In addition, she established a Web site that built upon the information contained in her letter and included links to some of her own published nonfiction.

Coulter asked Armao to post a brief autobiographical note in a cyberclassroom meeting space titled "Introducing." This became a virtual space where students could introduce themselves to their peers. Coulter again warned her colleague: "Distance education courses can degenerate into impersonal, student-computer relationships. To keep that from happening, create activities that ensure students will not be isolated in the learning process." Engaging in activities, such as the one called "Introducing," gave Armao further practice in creating and sending e-mail messages through FirstClass. It was during this phase that Armao put the final touches on her lesson plans for the unit that she would teach as guest facilitator.

Phase Three of the process was the point at which the vice-president obtained low-risk, hands-on experience in delivering course content at a distance. Independent teaching is one of the best ways for the novice to gain a full understanding of the demands and joys of the process of teaching online. Although Coulter temporarily removed herself as the instructor of the class during this unit, she regularly monitored the classroom progress, and met with Armao on a weekly basis to review the activities planned for each week, answer questions, make suggestions, and ensure that all was running smoothly. Armao had relatively few questions at this point, since she had received sufficient preparation in the first two phases of the mentoring process. The few questions she did ask usually related to the technology rather than to delivery strategies or content. The third phase lasted approximately four weeks. Phase Four was a time of reflection, analysis and support for the novice online teacher. Coulter was available throughout this time to assure Armao that she was proceeding correctly – that her assignments and expectations were not unreasonable. "What is fair in the traditional class," she said "is fair in the online arena. These courses are not an easy way for students to earn grades."

X@XOpenTag001Providing Guidance for the Online Teacher

X@XCloseTag001The Coulter-Armao story demonstrates that community colleges have some faculty members who are now moving beyond the beginning stages of online teaching. Their personal experience, coupled with some of the recent scholarship in the area, has helped faculty like Coulter to deliver high quality courses on the Internet. Now, academic administrators – including vice presidents – must determine how these seasoned instructors can best share their valuable knowledge with those who are preparing to teach an online course for the first time.

Expert faculty can certainly conduct professional development seminars for their peers. However, in facing the challenge of scheduling conflicts, time limitations, and an audience with a wide range of technical ability, these seminars often turn into watered down "show and tell" forums for faculty who have developed an innovative idea for delivering material in their own online courses. While these forums may be beneficial to the experienced online faculty member, rarely do they hold any significance for the novice.

Prior to delivering his or her first online class, a teacher needs:

• Professional development opportunities offered at a time that is convenient to the new teacher, and that cater to his or her knowledge level.
• Relevant training in operating software and technology that will serve as the medium for online delivery of course content.
• Relevant guidance in developing solid teaching practices that work best in online delivery of course content.
• Advice on how to shape existing teaching methodologies and assignments for the cyber-classroom.
• An opportunity to observe a model online course in progress.
• Supervised hands-on experience in delivering course content online.

The experience we have described in this article has taught us that the most effective way to address all of these needs is to establish mentoring relationships: to pair beginning online teachers with seasoned online instructors. Faculty members, even those who attended graduate school before the age of computers, can easily learn the tricks of how to teach an exciting, interactive online course if they have someone to guide them.

 

Dr. Agnes Armao is vice president of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, NJ. For the past four years, she has encouraged and supported the interest her full-time faculty members possess in creating online courses. More than half of the college's 70 full-time faculty members now teach some of their courses online. Dr. Armao holds a Ph.D. in English from Temple University.

E-mail: [email protected]

Denise-Marie Coulter is an assistant professor of English at Atlantic Cape Community College of southern New Jersey. She has been teaching courses at a distance since 1996. Coulter holds a Master's in English from Rutgers University and a bachelor's in English from Georgian Court College.

E-mail: [email protected]

Some academics might say that vice presidents don't spend much time observing the teaching of junior professors, or trying to learn from their younger faculty. However, Agnes Armao, the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey, found herself in a unique situation during the spring of 2000 when she became a student teacher in an online class, taught by Junior English Professor Denise Coulter.

In the fall of 1999, Armao became a bit envious of her faculty – especially those in her own discipline who seemed to be so enthusiastic about teaching online. She secretly wanted to deliver her own English course online, but had some fears. Although she had been attending national conferences about teaching online for several years, she felt she would be better prepared to deliver her own online course if she observed a class in progress so she could gain some practical, hands-on experience.

At the same time, Coulter was preparing to deliver an online section of Introduction to Creative Writing. She was a four-year veteran of online teaching, and she developed and taught a variety of online writing and literature courses for Atlantic Cape Community College. When the vice president told the assistant professor she wanted to become an online teacher, she was invited to observe an online creative writing class and to serve as a guest facilitator for a portion of it. It was in this way that Assistant Professor Denise Coulter became the mentor of Vice President Agnes Armao.

X@XOpenTag000Phasing Into Online Instruction

X@XCloseTag000Approximately two months prior to the start of the spring semester, Coulter and Armao met to review the planning process for an online course. They used Coulter's Introduction to Creative Writing course as the model. During this first phase of the mentoring relationship, the two colleagues spent some afternoons discussing various topics, such as selection of an appropriate text, construction of the syllabus, and the formation and organization of the cyber-classroom. They also explored teaching theory as it related to distance education, and discussed preparing a welcome packet for the registered students of the course. As a pioneer distance education teacher at the college, Coulter knew many of the pitfalls of teaching online and she warned Armao about them. For example, she advised the vice president to avoid posting lectures in an online course unless she planned to make sure that students were actually reading the lectures by giving tests on the posted material. "Try to remember," she cautioned her colleague, "that students take courses at a distance for the purpose of convenience. If they suspect that something presented within that course is superfluous – that they can pass a test without it – they will hit the delete key." It was also during Phase One that Armao received all requisite training on SoftArc's FirstClass (the conferencing software through which the course would be delivered) from the director of the college's Academic Computing Department.

In Phase Two of the mentoring process, the vice president quietly observed as the assistant professor put all theories and methodologies discussed in Phase One into practice while delivering the first section of the course. This process lasted approximately one month and provided Armao with a solid model of online teaching on which she could base her unit of the course.

Though the vice president was a relatively silent participant during the first portion of the class, students were notified of her presence. Coulter identified Armao as a guest facilitator in an introductory letter that was mailed to students as part of a welcome package. Armao followed this with her own letter to the students in which she provided autobiographical information and gave further details about her role as a visiting instructor. In addition, she established a Web site that built upon the information contained in her letter and included links to some of her own published nonfiction.

Coulter asked Armao to post a brief autobiographical note in a cyberclassroom meeting space titled "Introducing." This became a virtual space where students could introduce themselves to their peers. Coulter again warned her colleague: "Distance education courses can degenerate into impersonal, student-computer relationships. To keep that from happening, create activities that ensure students will not be isolated in the learning process." Engaging in activities, such as the one called "Introducing," gave Armao further practice in creating and sending e-mail messages through FirstClass. It was during this phase that Armao put the final touches on her lesson plans for the unit that she would teach as guest facilitator.

Phase Three of the process was the point at which the vice-president obtained low-risk, hands-on experience in delivering course content at a distance. Independent teaching is one of the best ways for the novice to gain a full understanding of the demands and joys of the process of teaching online. Although Coulter temporarily removed herself as the instructor of the class during this unit, she regularly monitored the classroom progress, and met with Armao on a weekly basis to review the activities planned for each week, answer questions, make suggestions, and ensure that all was running smoothly. Armao had relatively few questions at this point, since she had received sufficient preparation in the first two phases of the mentoring process. The few questions she did ask usually related to the technology rather than to delivery strategies or content. The third phase lasted approximately four weeks. Phase Four was a time of reflection, analysis and support for the novice online teacher. Coulter was available throughout this time to assure Armao that she was proceeding correctly – that her assignments and expectations were not unreasonable. "What is fair in the traditional class," she said "is fair in the online arena. These courses are not an easy way for students to earn grades."

X@XOpenTag001Providing Guidance for the Online Teacher

X@XCloseTag001The Coulter-Armao story demonstrates that community colleges have some faculty members who are now moving beyond the beginning stages of online teaching. Their personal experience, coupled with some of the recent scholarship in the area, has helped faculty like Coulter to deliver high quality courses on the Internet. Now, academic administrators – including vice presidents – must determine how these seasoned instructors can best share their valuable knowledge with those who are preparing to teach an online course for the first time.

Expert faculty can certainly conduct professional development seminars for their peers. However, in facing the challenge of scheduling conflicts, time limitations, and an audience with a wide range of technical ability, these seminars often turn into watered down "show and tell" forums for faculty who have developed an innovative idea for delivering material in their own online courses. While these forums may be beneficial to the experienced online faculty member, rarely do they hold any significance for the novice.

Prior to delivering his or her first online class, a teacher needs:

• Professional development opportunities offered at a time that is convenient to the new teacher, and that cater to his or her knowledge level.
• Relevant training in operating software and technology that will serve as the medium for online delivery of course content.
• Relevant guidance in developing solid teaching practices that work best in online delivery of course content.
• Advice on how to shape existing teaching methodologies and assignments for the cyber-classroom.
• An opportunity to observe a model online course in progress.
• Supervised hands-on experience in delivering course content online.

The experience we have described in this article has taught us that the most effective way to address all of these needs is to establish mentoring relationships: to pair beginning online teachers with seasoned online instructors. Faculty members, even those who attended graduate school before the age of computers, can easily learn the tricks of how to teach an exciting, interactive online course if they have someone to guide them.

 

Dr. Agnes Armao is vice president of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, NJ. For the past four years, she has encouraged and supported the interest her full-time faculty members possess in creating online courses. More than half of the college's 70 full-time faculty members now teach some of their courses online. Dr. Armao holds a Ph.D. in English from Temple University.

E-mail: [email protected]

Denise-Marie Coulter is an assistant professor of English at Atlantic Cape Community College of southern New Jersey. She has been teaching courses at a distance since 1996. Coulter holds a Master's in English from Rutgers University and a bachelor's in English from Georgian Court College.

E-mail: [email protected]X@XOpenTag002

Some academics might say that vice presidents don't spend much time observing the teaching of junior professors, or trying to learn from their younger faculty. However, Agnes Armao, the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey, found herself in a unique situation during the spring of 2000 when she became a student teacher in an online class, taught by Junior English Professor Denise Coulter.

In the fall of 1999, Armao became a bit envious of her faculty – especially those in her own discipline who seemed to be so enthusiastic about teaching online. She secretly wanted to deliver her own English course online, but had some fears. Although she had been attending national conferences about teaching online for several years, she felt she would be better prepared to deliver her own online course if she observed a class in progress so she could gain some practical, hands-on experience.

At the same time, Coulter was preparing to deliver an online section of Introduction to Creative Writing. She was a four-year veteran of online teaching, and she developed and taught a variety of online writing and literature courses for Atlantic Cape Community College. When the vice president told the assistant professor she wanted to become an online teacher, she was invited to observe an online creative writing class and to serve as a guest facilitator for a portion of it. It was in this way that Assistant Professor Denise Coulter became the mentor of Vice President Agnes Armao.

X@XOpenTag000Phasing Into Online Instruction

X@XCloseTag000Approximately two months prior to the start of the spring semester, Coulter and Armao met to review the planning process for an online course. They used Coulter's Introduction to Creative Writing course as the model. During this first phase of the mentoring relationship, the two colleagues spent some afternoons discussing various topics, such as selection of an appropriate text, construction of the syllabus, and the formation and organization of the cyber-classroom. They also explored teaching theory as it related to distance education, and discussed preparing a welcome packet for the registered students of the course. As a pioneer distance education teacher at the college, Coulter knew many of the pitfalls of teaching online and she warned Armao about them. For example, she advised the vice president to avoid posting lectures in an online course unless she planned to make sure that students were actually reading the lectures by giving tests on the posted material. "Try to remember," she cautioned her colleague, "that students take courses at a distance for the purpose of convenience. If they suspect that something presented within that course is superfluous – that they can pass a test without it – they will hit the delete key." It was also during Phase One that Armao received all requisite training on SoftArc's FirstClass (the conferencing software through which the course would be delivered) from the director of the college's Academic Computing Department.

In Phase Two of the mentoring process, the vice president quietly observed as the assistant professor put all theories and methodologies discussed in Phase One into practice while delivering the first section of the course. This process lasted approximately one month and provided Armao with a solid model of online teaching on which she could base her unit of the course.

Though the vice president was a relatively silent participant during the first portion of the class, students were notified of her presence. Coulter identified Armao as a guest facilitator in an introductory letter that was mailed to students as part of a welcome package. Armao followed this with her own letter to the students in which she provided autobiographical information and gave further details about her role as a visiting instructor. In addition, she established a Web site that built upon the information contained in her letter and included links to some of her own published nonfiction.

Coulter asked Armao to post a brief autobiographical note in a cyberclassroom meeting space titled "Introducing." This became a virtual space where students could introduce themselves to their peers. Coulter again warned her colleague: "Distance education courses can degenerate into impersonal, student-computer relationships. To keep that from happening, create activities that ensure students will not be isolated in the learning process." Engaging in activities, such as the one called "Introducing," gave Armao further practice in creating and sending e-mail messages through FirstClass. It was during this phase that Armao put the final touches on her lesson plans for the unit that she would teach as guest facilitator.

Phase Three of the process was the point at which the vice-president obtained low-risk, hands-on experience in delivering course content at a distance. Independent teaching is one of the best ways for the novice to gain a full understanding of the demands and joys of the process of teaching online. Although Coulter temporarily removed herself as the instructor of the class during this unit, she regularly monitored the classroom progress, and met with Armao on a weekly basis to review the activities planned for each week, answer questions, make suggestions, and ensure that all was running smoothly. Armao had relatively few questions at this point, since she had received sufficient preparation in the first two phases of the mentoring process. The few questions she did ask usually related to the technology rather than to delivery strategies or content. The third phase lasted approximately four weeks. Phase Four was a time of reflection, analysis and support for the novice online teacher. Coulter was available throughout this time to assure Armao that she was proceeding correctly – that her assignments and expectations were not unreasonable. "What is fair in the traditional class," she said "is fair in the online arena. These courses are not an easy way for students to earn grades."

X@XOpenTag001Providing Guidance for the Online Teacher

X@XCloseTag001The Coulter-Armao story demonstrates that community colleges have some faculty members who are now moving beyond the beginning stages of online teaching. Their personal experience, coupled with some of the recent scholarship in the area, has helped faculty like Coulter to deliver high quality courses on the Internet. Now, academic administrators – including vice presidents – must determine how these seasoned instructors can best share their valuable knowledge with those who are preparing to teach an online course for the first time.

Expert faculty can certainly conduct professional development seminars for their peers. However, in facing the challenge of scheduling conflicts, time limitations, and an audience with a wide range of technical ability, these seminars often turn into watered down "show and tell" forums for faculty who have developed an innovative idea for delivering material in their own online courses. While these forums may be beneficial to the experienced online faculty member, rarely do they hold any significance for the novice.

Prior to delivering his or her first online class, a teacher needs:

• Professional development opportunities offered at a time that is convenient to the new teacher, and that cater to his or her knowledge level.
• Relevant training in operating software and technology that will serve as the medium for online delivery of course content.
• Relevant guidance in developing solid teaching practices that work best in online delivery of course content.
• Advice on how to shape existing teaching methodologies and assignments for the cyber-classroom.
• An opportunity to observe a model online course in progress.
• Supervised hands-on experience in delivering course content online.

The experience we have described in this article has taught us that the most effective way to address all of these needs is to establish mentoring relationships: to pair beginning online teachers with seasoned online instructors. Faculty members, even those who attended graduate school before the age of computers, can easily learn the tricks of how to teach an exciting, interactive online course if they have someone to guide them.

 

Dr. Agnes Armao is vice president of Academic Affairs at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, NJ. For the past four years, she has encouraged and supported the interest her full-time faculty members possess in creating online courses. More than half of the college's 70 full-time faculty members now teach some of their courses online. Dr. Armao holds a Ph.D. in English from Temple University.

E-mail: [email protected]

Denise-Marie Coulter is an assistant professor of English at Atlantic Cape Community College of southern New Jersey. She has been teaching courses at a distance since 1996. Coulter holds a Master's in English from Rutgers University and a bachelor's in English from Georgian Court College.

E-mail: [email protected]X@XCloseTag002