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.

Kim Wandersee:

Teaching at UMUC interested me because I wanted to give back what I had learned throughout my career to those who are at an earlier stage in their careers.  I wanted to be sure that our current and future workforce have the right skills and knowledge to effectively compete in the job market.  

My career includes more than 25 years of experience in computer information technology. I have served in both technical and management roles for Federal, consulting, and commercial environments. I have supported local, national, and global IT initiatives.

Interviewer:

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

Kim Wandersee:

I approach teaching in a collaborative manner and see myself as a mentor and a coach to the UMUC students. Most of my students are experienced professionals and are looking to advance their careers. I focus on leveraging the expertise for our students and providing instruction to accomplish the learning objectives of the course. 

Interviewer:

Please explain if you do something special or unique in your teaching and what made you develop this.

Kim Wandersee:

I don’t just lecture. For face to face classes, I try to begin with small group discussions. The students are coming to class after a long day at work, and they need time to transition from the pressures of work to the subject of the class. It also enables students to begin developing their professional networks. For on-line sessions, I also use a case study or problem statement to facilitate discussion. I use this approach because this is what occurs in the work place. Students must learn how to network, how to “hold their own” during a discussion or a meeting, and how to effectively present a recommendation or solution. 

Interviewer:

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

Kim Wandersee:

My teaching style allows students to share their knowledge, contribute, and develop the ability to critically analyze information that is presented. It also provides me an opportunity to provide more personalized feedback to the students so that they know what are their strengths and weaknesses. 

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.

Kim Wandersee:

I teach both face-to-face and online. There are advantages and disadvantages to both formats. Online education develops the ability to work as a virtual team. This ability is key when working in geographically dispersed teams. However, online interaction is somewhat limited. One must be more structured and more careful about what is said when it is placed in writing. Face-to-face classes allow more of the “total” person to be known. It also allows more frank and interactive discussions. 

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?

Kim Wandersee:

Initially, I became interested in IT because I saw an application that taught doctors how to treat an accident victim. I was interested in automated learning. At that time, the only area that I could find teaching programming was the School of Business. Once I began taking classes in the School of Business, a new career field opened up to me. 

My primary method of staying current is that I study, work, and teach in my field. I attend formalized training classes, read trade journals, and attend conferences. Also available today are on-demand webinars.   

The biggest benefit about teaching in my discipline is that I remain current in my field. The IT field is constantly evolving. Every current trend and issue is brought forth by someone in the class. 

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 to teaching your discipline online?

Kim Wandersee:

The IT field is constantly evolving. Every current trend and issue is brought forth by someone in the class. Sometimes, there is not a right answer, only strategies that attempt to solve a problem.To address this challenge, I leverage the expertise that is available in the class and the current thought leadership that is available through on-demand webinars. I use the information in the textbooks as the baseline for analysis. 

Sometimes, there is nothing better than a real-time interactive discussion. This is something that doesn’t occur in asynchronous, threaded discussion groups.  Occasionally, during the on-line sessions, I set up small working groups to develop a response to a case study or problem statement. Often times, these students are able to set up teleconferences or use Instant Messaging to conduct a more interactive discussion of the assignment. However, when students are located across the country and the world, real-time discussions are difficult to set up due to time differences. 

Interviewer:

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

Kim Wandersee:

Make learning a life-long habit! Keep a broad base of understanding of the trends in the industry to that you can remain agile and diverse with the skills you have to offer.You will not be able to specialize in one area for your entire career. Things change. 

Interviewer:

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

Kim Wandersee:

It’s a great place to begin to build your professional network and when you graduate from UMUC you have a degree that is valuable and respected.  When employers see UMUC on a résumé, they know that they will hire a high caliber worker who can carry a heavy load, multi-task, and get the job done. 

Interviewer:

In your opinion, what makes UMUC the employer of choice for future faculty members?

Kim Wandersee:

UMUC provides opportunities to teach on-line, face-to-face, and abroad.  UMUC attracts high caliber students. It is gratifying to see students expand their knowledge and achieve as a result of the education they received from the University of Maryland University College.

Interviewer:

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

Kim Wandersee:

Be prepared to be challenged. UMUC students are dedicated, hard working students who are focusing on advancing their careers.They seek the knowledge you present in the course and sincerely want to understand and master the content presented in each class session.