Goals

I believe that it is essential to have professional goals that I strive to attain throughout my career as a professor, researcher and community member.

I strive for excellence in teaching. My first and foremost goal as a professor is to craft and fashion my teaching so that each of the student in my courses will strongly agree that my courses are rigorous in design and challenged them to their fullest potential and that I am always available to assist them in their assignments and projects.

I strive for excellence in advisement. My goals as an advisor is that each of my advisee will strongly agree that I am always available to assist them in their growth.

I believe teaching and research goes hand in hand. My research questions originated from my learning and teaching experiences and my learning and teaching experiences inform new research questions. I will constantly using my research findings to improve my instructional practices, while concurrently reflecting on how my classroom practices can inform my research. The ultimate goal of research is to create the most optimal learning environment and increase student learning outcomes.

The development of Thread Theory, with the support of the recent award of SUNY Cortland 2008-2009 Research Enrichment & Development Initiative (REDI) Fellowship Program, promises to suggest and explore potentially transformative concepts. The proposal for the application of NSF REESE grant (in progress) comprises a large-scale empirical effort in addressing gaps in the current knowledge of the conceptual and analytical framework needed to analyze and identify what makes quality/effective synchronous online interaction. View my Five-Year Research Plan in PDF

My work with the California Educational Technology Collaborative has also been a unique and extraordinary opportunity. The model for e-conferencing support which California has developed - centralized funding, grant-based technical support, and collaborative promotion throughout the state - has potential for application in several other states, including New York. I hope to pursue prospects for applying this model in the SUNY system and/or in community colleges in New York State. Working collaboratively with California educators and professionals may provide opportunities for national or multi-state funding and cost-savings, and has the potential to enhance both systems (SUNY and CETC).  

My long-term goal is to establish a Cortland Center for Synchronous Learning (C2SL). This center will provide instruction, support, and research into the effective use of synchronous conferencing and instructional tools for teaching and learning. Online instruction and distance learning are expanding in this country, and the use of synchronous online tools provides for more interaction, more content, and more engagement. The C2SL will specifically focus on the use of synchronous online tools to facilitate instruction and learning.