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.

Nicole Lynch

Prior to joining UMUC, I completed  a three-year NIH post-doctoral fellowship with the University of Maryland Medical School at  Baltimore, had three young children, and taught online classes. I was torn  between the love for my career and the love for my family. Teaching for UMUC  offered me both a career and the flexibility of being present at home with my  young children. My stepsister had been teaching at UMUC for several years and  she spoke highly of the academic rigor and integrity of teaching online for  UMUC. I applied and was hired to teach at UMUC over five years ago. UMUC has  been a great fit for me professionally and personally.

Like our students, I balance a career, parenting, and community  responsibilities. My three sons are involved in many sports and educational  pursuits that keep me busy outside of the online classroom. Additionally, I am  very passionate about volunteering in my children’s public school and currently  serve on the PTA Executive Committee as VP of Health & Environment. In previous  years, I served as VP of Academic Affairs and as PTA Co-President.

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

My teaching philosophy can be  summed up in the words of William Butler Yeats, "Education is not the filling  of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." It is my passion to create a learning  community that inspires life-long learning and encourages perseverance. To  develop this environment in the online classroom I strive to be accessible and to  communicate clearly using innovative teaching resources. I encourage students  to make course material relevant to their life through practical application.

My mother has been a community  college instructor for 40 years and I loved learning about the positive impact  she had on her students’ lives. As I grew up, her students would frequently  stop us in public places and tell me about the difference my mother made in  their lives. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to follow in her footsteps  and make a difference in the lives of adult learners.

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

First, I am accessible. Students  often comment that they appreciate my prompt response to questions as this encourages  continued momentum in completing assignments. Second, the videos and podcasts that I create of me  talking about our assignments and introducing course topics allow students to  see the human side of an online professor. I think the use of multimedia can give students a  sense of connecting to their professor while appealing to various learning  styles. Finally, my approach in teaching courses is driven by academic content  and practical application. In EDCP 100: Principles and Strategies for Successful Learning, I challenge students to examine their  values and skills to promote personal success as a student. While in Gerontology  classes, I challenge students to apply health theories not only to the aging  population, but also to their personal health. The relationship between health,  productivity, and life satisfaction often becomes a memorable part of our  conference discussion because the course information is relevant to the  student’s life.

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.

Nicole Lynch

I  teach online.I do not have a preference. I see the benefits of both methods of  delivery and love that in this digital age we can offer choices and  flexibility for our students.

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?

Nicole Lynch

My love of physical activity  pointed me to major in exercise physiology; my parents’ encouragement in  education inspired me to become a professor; and the fond memories of my  beloved grandparents influenced my desire to study aging and the field of gerontology.  The passion I have for helping adult students achieve successful learning  experiences lead me to teach EDCP 100.

I often find myself doing literature  reviews using the UMUC online library to answer students’ questions and post  current studies on select topics in our Conference discussions.  The UMUC online library is an outstanding resource  for faculty and students.

People generally strive to be life-long learners and to age gracefully. EDCP  100 and gerontology courses provide research-based knowledge about topics that  are of personal interest to students.  I  like that there are practical applications in both disciplines to help students  achieve personal success in life.

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.

Nicole Lynch

Student retention is always a  concern in 100 level classes. The strategy I use to address this challenge is empathy.  I tell students during the first week that I am "here for you" and that I do  not want to lose anyone this semester. I reach out to non-participating  students by email throughout the semester. When students respond I consider the  situation on a case-by-case basis and make adjustments to help students to  successfully learn course objectives.

Crafting conference questions that allow each student to uniquely answer the  questions and apply course material can be a challenge. To meet this challenge  I encourage students to apply their life experiences to the course material and  to dig deeper into the subject matter by using the UMUC library to relate a  scholarly article to the topics of interest.

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

For students interested in the  gerontology discipline, I encourage them to spend time with older adults to  understand the issues in our multi-disciplinary field. Serving as a volunteer  in organizations that service older adults can help students to consider a variety  of career opportunities.

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

UMUC  is the college of choice for students because UMUC offers: 

• Expertise in teaching the non-traditional  student

• Flexibility to take online, face-to-face, and hybrid  classes

• Academic excellence and integrity

• Emphasis on written communication to develop  professional writing skills

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

UMUC  is the employer of choice for future faculty members because UMUC offers:

• An environment where teaching and student  learning is the priority

• Lifelong learning to improve teaching methods  through the Center for Teaching and Learning

• Online teaching allows one to work from home

• Opportunities for promotion

• Growing opportunities for research

Interviewer:

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

Nicole Lynch

I believe that effective teachers  can exemplify a variety of teaching styles. My suggestions to new faculty are  to:

• Leverage your unique creativity and infuse your  personality into your classroom.

• Communicate often with students in the online classroom– they like to  sense your presence whether it be in the conferences, announcements, or  feedback on assignments.

• Participate in the Center for Teaching and  Learning workshops to enhance teaching skills.

• Don’t be afraid to try new teaching resources or  participate in new UMUC initiatives.