Since teaching is my primary assignment at Arkansas Tech University, it is appropriate to exhibit ample evidence of my teaching and my effort to help my students succeed. My overall teaching rating is excellent as evaluated by the DPTC and department heads (5/5). The effectiveness of my teaching was also reflected through students’ assessment, their evaluations, and their grade results. In addition to teaching an average of 15-hour every fall and spring semester (I taught 18 hours in some semesters) and average of 6-hour during summer semesters, I engaged in other teaching-related activities to serve Tech students. For example, I am advising and mentoring students, serving as a reviewer for intern graduate’s exit portfolios, modifying and updating courses, applying innovative teaching strategies, supervising students’ research, supporting students after graduation for job recommendations, directing the Instructional Technology Master's program, advising graduate students, serving as academic coaching for freshmen, chairing and serving on dissertation committees, modifying and developing new programs and attending workshops and conferences to improve my teaching.  

 

In the area of updating and modifying my courses, I am actively evaluating and modifying all my courses. For example, I teach many cross listed courses in different programs. Some of these programs are offered completely online and these courses are required to be moved online. Therefore, I collaborated with other faculty members to convert several courses from either face-to-face or hybrid to completely online, such as EDMD-6313 Instructional Design and Product Development, EDMD 6133 Production of Instructional Materials, MAT 5703 Technology for Teaching and Learning, EDMD 5033 Introduction to Instructional Technology, and EDMD 3013 Integrating Instructional Technology. To accommodate my students through the COVID-19 academic interruption during Fall 2020, I modified the level of student-professor, student-content, and student-student interactions in all courses. I documented in this semester more than 1500 emails and more than 1200 WebEx Team communications as result of the course modifications to improve students’ experience with the course content, their peers, and their professor.

 

To prepare myself to convert courses to online and to apply the best online design elements effectively, I completed the e-Tech Online Certification Program offered by E-Tech College for online course design. I also attended several workshops and conferences to enhance my skills in online course design. Additionally, I have been selected to participate in a pilot group to implement the iPad initiative and to evaluate student engagement at Arkansas Tech University. For this purpose, I attended training sessions offered by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). These training sessions were hosted by Apple educators, Tech OIS department, as well as the Office of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness at Tech (OAIE). The excellence effort in the design and the online adaptation of courses resulted on being nominated by my peers for Tech Online Innovation Award twice in 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, the comments and feedback from my students indicate that my teaching methods have been useful to their learning. Students’ positive comments were also echoed by the peer review committee members in C&I during the years of evaluation. For example, I receive every year strong compliments from the peer review committee for my continuing effort to improve my teaching effectiveness and for my well-developed learning materials at all levels.

 

My course design techniques include a well-defined framework of the course content, a clear idea of how students interact with the learning activities, helping students to realize their learning outcomes and how to navigate the course activities through welcoming and easy to use virtual learning environment. In all classes, I use teaching method based on the flipped teaching strategy. Applying the action research method, I examined the effect of this teaching method and found positive results on students’ learning, students’ self-efficacy and students’ motivation. In my classes I strive to accommodate different learning styles and apply sound theories and teaching practices to ensure students’ success. For example, I incorporate different materials to accommodate students’ preferred learning modalities. I also use constructivist teaching methodology, where students learn by "doing". Consequently, the class activities reflect this type of teaching. Although I teach courses outside the realm of education technology, such as EDFD-6003 Educational Research, and EDFD 6993 Project in Educational Research, all indications from the Class Climate surveys and student comments suggest that I did an excellent job to prepare future teachers to conduct scientific research in their classrooms.

 

Since instructional technology is the area of my expertise, I continue redesign courses to improve the online teaching. To achieve this goal, I used diverse teaching techniques and strategies to convey the learning content. For example, I use active learning by engaging students in activities, such as reading, writing, discussion, and problem solving that promotes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of course content. I also use other approaches such as cooperative learning, problem-based projects, and the use of case methods and simulations. I use also experiential learning and hands-on activities by involving students in “learn by doing” and by reflecting on their experience. Experiential learning activities include creating hands-on artifacts, applying ideas to real-life situations, and presenting final project and e-portfolios. The following are selected technology tools I teach my students to integrate in teaching and learning: computer coding, using online assessment tools, creating screencast and its use in education, creating VoiceThread discussions, website design, QR code, educational software, such as drill and practice and simulations, productivity and application software (Microsoft office), drawing and illustration programs, cell phone, iPad or tablets, video stream and production, podcast production, screen capture software, Google Classroom design, bookmarks application, electronic portfolios, educational gaming, educational social networking, using online clickers, using online discussion, creating blackboard teaching unit, concept maps, creating online puzzle, creating technology-based lesson plan, creating infographics, creating online-based presentation, using SmartBoard lessons, and creating educational comic and online books.

 

In the area of teaching upper-level graduate courses, I am honored to have the opportunity to teach, chair and serve on doctorate committees as well as co-author with graduate students. For example, I served three times as a chair and committee member for doctoral students at the Center for Leadership and Learning, College of Education at Arkansas Tech University. I also advised two doctoral students from Turkey and served as external doctoral committee member at the department of Early Childhood Education, College of Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. These teaching activities include teaching dissertation courses at Arkansas Tech University. My teaching graduate effort left positive impact on my students and was recognized by many of my graduate students. For example, I received a certificate of the outstanding “Positivity and Support” from Graduate Assistants and Students’ Workers in 2018. Furthermore, I have been recognized by the Diversity & Inclusion Ceremony for students’ support, 2018 and I received the certificate of appreciation entitled “Making a Difference in the Education of Student”, 2017. These certificates and recognitions were initiated and supported by my graduate students at Arkansas Tech University.

 

I believe that good teachers become great teachers by expanding their knowledge. Therefore, I am a strong believer that attending workshops and conferences increase teachers’ ability to teach and enhance our students’ learning. Consequently, I am actively attending conferences, workshops, and seminars to enhance my teaching. These learning opportunities are offered by different professional organizations and the university-wide Tech Professional Development days. For example, I attended workshops about the use of Adobe Cloud, Using Kaltura, Peer Review and Assessment, the use of Tech Library New E-Recourses, Academic Coaching, Bridge to Excellence Program (B2E), Title IX compliance Advisor, Students’ Advocate program, Graduate Program Assessment Training, Graduate College Thesis Orientation and the Obligations and Risk Management for Title IX (for complete record, please check the teaching supporting documents section).