Faculty Excellence at UMUC

Interviewer:

Please tell us about yourself--what made you decide to teach at UMUC? What kind of work do you do when you are not teaching at UMUC? Are there any life experiences that have influenced your teaching at UMUC? If so, please share one story.

Gila Kurtz:

I started teaching with UMUC in 2000. The online mode offers teaching across space and time. This huge advantage opens new possibilities for faculty like me who live outside the United States. I find that teaching for a recognized institution as UMUC gives me a great reward and international professional credibility, without the need to leave my country—Israel.

My main job is a director of e-learning Center in Bar-Ilan University (BIU), one of the largest campus-based universities in Israel . The center's aim is to encourage faculty to integrate the online mode into their teaching practices. The support center serves faculty in an advisory capacity, providing workshops, online tutorials, personal instruction and a helpdesk. The Bar-e-Learn Center activities expanded rapidly: from 49 online courses in 2000/2001 the number increased rapidly in the next few years: 120 in 2002/2003, 400 in 2003/2004 and more than 1,000 in 2005/2006.

http://www.biu.ac.il/bar-e-learn/fr_english.html

Other professional activities that have some impact on my teaching for UMUC include the following:
I am an elected member of the Steering Committee of the EDEN Network of Academics and Professionals.

http://www.eden-online.org/eden.php

I am on a Peer Review Board, The Journal of Educators Online.

http://www.thejeo.com

Also, I serve as an advisor for the e-learning Development Gateway Portal and the World Bank Group in collaboration initiated the Gateway with other stakeholders.

http://topics.developmentgateway.org/elearning/

I am the Chief Editor of a Web-site: Knowledge Resources for Online Present Learning . The site offers academic resources for online teaching and learning.

http://www.biu.ac.il/bar-e-learn/odot1.html

Last, but not least, I am an online instructor for Research Methods in the Division of Journalism and Communication Studies at BIU.

Interviewer:

How would you describe your teaching style or philosophy? What experiences or person(s) have influenced your style or philosophy?

Gila Kurtz:

I try to be as personal as I can with my students. I believe that students need to feel that there is a human being behind the computer screen who attends to their needs. My teaching style derives from this For example; before the course starts I carefully read each student's bio and summarize the main characteristics of the students (like their experience with Distance Education, their expectation from the course, etc.). This helps me in meeting their specific needs and expectations. As part of my personal attitude I try to keep both synchronous and a-synchronous computer presence. For example, I use the class awareness in tycho for spontaneous conversations with students (one-to-one). Also, I invite students to web-conferences using Breeze, Skype, Yahoo, MSN, etc. Usually, I login to class 6 days a week so students know that I respond very quickly when a need arises.

Also, I try to give the students some know-how or techno-pedagogical ability with which to integrate specific technologies into specific needs of Distance Education. For example, in one of the assignments students are asked to compare between one "old" technology and one "new" technology in terms of modes of interaction, approaches to the design of technology-based learning and student support—all based on course readings

Interviewer:

What do you think it is about your teaching style that appeals to studients?

Gila Kurtz:

I regard my teaching philosophy as more of a work in progress that is constantly reshaped when needs of students change and new demands arise. My greatest reward is when, after the course ends, I get letters like the following:
"Your leadership and guidance throughout the course really guided me through some territory new to me. Before UMUC I was strictly painter, illustrator, and English teacher, this course was essential to push me into deeper waters and gives me hope that I, at 50, still can learn and do that metacognition stuff!"

Interviewer:

Do you teach face-to-face, online, or both? Do you have a preference between teaching face-to-face and online? If so, please explain.

Gila Kurtz:

I teach mostly online. Although I enjoy the instant interaction in face-to-face teaching, I prefer teaching online mainly because it allows for more in-depth analysis of the topics being reviewed. Another reason for my preference is because of the flexibility and convenience of teaching at any time and from any device that has an Internet access.

Interviewer:

Please tell us about your chosen discipline-i.e., what made you interested in the area initially? What do you do to stay current in your discipline? What do you like best about teaching in your discipline?

Gila Kurtz:

My chosen discipline is Distance Education. I had my first experience as DE instructor at the Open University of Israel (OUI) at 1993. Back than we used mostly printed materials for delivering the course materials. Two years later, still at the OUI, I became Director of Interactive Television unit via satellite. Combining the live sessions with asynchronous activities via the Internet opened new and exciting opportunities for the teaching-learning process. ... so, I decided I want to be a part of this innovative world!

I am very up-to-date with my discipline. I regularly read peer-reviewed articles, newsletter, books etc. Also, I do research myself and with my colleagues which contributes to my professional development.

I like the collaborative learning in conferences. I use the conferences for "formal" discussions on issues related to the course. For example, in the final module of the OMDE603 we discuss the question: If you could the President of UMUC for a day what would your first act be with respect to the use of technology in Distance Education?

Also, I open a conference called OMDE on the move—students say when they will be taking a break from the course because of travel, work or personal commitments.

Interviewer:

What is the most challenging to you in teaching in this area? What teaching strategy do you use when you encounter the challenge? Are there any special challenges in teaching this subject matter online? If yes, please explain what could be done to meet the challenges.

Gila Kurtz:

I think that it is very challenging within my discipline to move from the theoretical phase to the practical phase in regard to the use of technology for Distance Education. That is why I use real- life situations and personal experience of students as a source of learning materials. A great portion of the course content is constructed by students through negotiation and collaboratively working in study groups. Also, I invite to class teaching assistants and visiting faculty who share with the students their experience.

I utilize a lot of hands-on technologies including a requirement to participate in demos of technologies. For example, last term we used the Breeze system that is supported by UMUC for live sessions.

I use audio podcast for general and personal feedback. For example, I use Audacity (MP3 audio file) for giving general feedback on assignments, while referring to students' assignments as examples

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to students who are interested in majoring or working in your discipline?

Gila Kurtz:

I suggest that students consider graduate school in the area of their special interest and/or relevant to their career planes. Another recommendation is to be active in professional communities by attending conferences, writing papers and make presentations at professional meetings.

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the college of choice for students?

Gila Kurtz:

UMUC's mission is focusing on the educational needs of the nontraditional student with quality programs independent from time and space. Students, who are busy with work obligations and family responsibilities can find this commitment to be very helpful on their way to the degree.

Interviewer:

What suggestion would you give to new faculty who are interested in teaching in your discipline at UMUC?

Gila Kurtz:

I would suggest them to first take the orientation seminars and Web Tycho training offered by UMUIC. Second, I would suggest taking part in CTL Faculty Development workshops to become the best instructor possible!