At the threshold of retirement on June 30, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 first Pegasus Professor (honored in 2000) and original architect of online learning would rather talk about his ultimate inspiration.

麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me, 麻豆精品 S� says Dziuban, an inaugural Online Learning Consortium (formerly Sloan Consortium) fellow.

麻豆精品 S淢y greatest reward is that so many of my former students stay in touch with me. 麻豆精品 S�

Those students often showed up for Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 statistics and research design classes. Many of these students were daunted by the subjects only to find that the person teaching them listened intently, making himself, and the material, approachable.

This is Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 style 麻豆精品 S� with students, colleagues, everyone. To effectively teach, he knows he must begin with the right questions. That curiosity-driven approach has guided UCF to be a leader in online education, including the UCF Online program which serves 9,000 students annually, for over 30 years 麻豆精品 S� earning recognition among the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 best programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Here, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 longest serving faculty member is finally on the other side of the questions, sharing insightful reflection and parting wise words.

Humble Roots

麻豆精品 S淚 never set out to achieve any of this, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut the smallest incidences can make significant impacts. 麻豆精品 S�

Dziuban grew up near Utica, New York, where most boys graduated from high school and followed their fathers into the mills. Dziuban, avid about hunting and fishing, began to develop a routine that exists to this day: reading two books every week.

麻豆精品 S淭he truth is, I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to work in a mill, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淩eading led to college and college allowed me to reinvent myself. People had called me Charlie. I hated it. In college, I became Chuck. 麻豆精品 S�

Chuck earned degrees, moved, taught, and discovered a connection with statistics and research. At the University of Wisconsin, a mentor, Chester Harris, changed his life.

麻豆精品 S淗e was terrifyingly smart, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渂ut he knew the importance of understanding students before expecting them to understand the subject. I still have a picture of Chester on my desk. It keeps me humble. 麻豆精品 S�

Humility was among the factors that drew Dziuban to a new university in Orlando, where parking lots were dirt and a cardboard box housed the university 麻豆精品 S檚 entire computing output.

麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 saw FTU then, and UCF now, as a place where you had room to develop ideas, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t was like a Silicon Valley startup. You weren 麻豆精品 S檛 sure how it might go, but at least the vibe was positive. 麻豆精品 S�

He developed one of his first ideas following a three-hour statistics lecture.

麻豆精品 S淢y students should have been in an emergency room after that lecture, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 realized they 麻豆精品 S檇 learn better by running data first and then coming back for an abbreviated lesson 麻豆精品 S� similar to what we call a 麻豆精品 S榝lipped classroom. 麻豆精品 S� Students said, 麻豆精品 S極h, I get it now. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Pioneering Digital Learning

Dziuban was called upon to use his expertise in and research design to develop a plethora of ideas that would attract international attention to UCF.

One of those early ideas led to a seismic shift that thousands of UCF and UCF Online students are still benefitting from today.

While developing what would become the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness, Dziuban mentioned to the university 麻豆精品 S檚 fourth president, John C. Hitt, the concept of remote learning through the use of VHS tapes.

麻豆精品 S淗e told me to innovate, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says, 麻豆精品 S渟o we used computers instead of tapes. Eventually, we had the most sophisticated online learning model in the country, and the walls of classrooms came down. 麻豆精品 S�

This is why, the annual Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching, established in 2012, is bestowed to one UCF instructor who teaches an exemplary online or video course.

麻豆精品 S淟ike I said, I never planned any of this, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

Staying True to 麻豆精品 S淒oing the Right Thing 麻豆精品 S�

If you ever stepped near Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 office, you 麻豆精品 S檇 see a poster featuring a child with hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen 麻豆精品 S� namesake of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Rosen used an adage that 麻豆精品 S檚 echoed in Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 mind since they began to break barriers to education in communities in need 31 years ago: 麻豆精品 S淒o the right thing. 麻豆精品 S�

With this as his guide, Dziuban helped The Rosen Foundation institute a program to ensure free preschool and resources through high school. College and trade school would also be free. Instead of directing the program, they empowered people in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 Tangelo Park and Parramore communities to lead it.

They 麻豆精品 S檝e expanded that impact across Florida as well, and the results have been remarkable 麻豆精品 S� including a recent $50,000 donation from the Harris Rosen Foundation to Gainesville for All in honor of Dziuban 麻豆精品 S檚 work transformative community initiatives.

麻豆精品 S淭he odds of earning a college education have gone from nine-to-one against to three-to-one in favor, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 immense talent in every community. We can 麻豆精品 S檛 let it go to waste. It 麻豆精品 S檚 why we start young and celebrate every success. 麻豆精品 S�

At the end of this school year, he will be on stage for just such a celebration.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l have the honor of moving tassels from the right to the left on the graduation caps of pre-k students, 麻豆精品 S� Dziuban says.

The man with six decades of achievements in higher education will stand back and enjoy a moment the 4- and 5-year-old kids can tell others about.

麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 imagine anything more meaningful than that. 麻豆精品 S�

As a 67-year-old retiree, Amy Lendian wants you to know it 麻豆精品 S檚 never too late. Never too late to start over; to go for your dream career; to earn your college degree.

When the UCF Online history student assumes her spot at the console at Kennedy Space Center to lead the facility systems engineers for the upcoming historic Artemis II launch, that affirmation will echo within her once more.

麻豆精品 S淚 always believed in myself and felt that I could do this, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t really is never too late. 麻豆精品 S�

Turning a Setback Into a Comeback

Lendian spent the majority of her adult life building her career as a fire protection engineer, helping design sprinkler systems and other fire safety infrastructure.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. The construction industry came to a screeching halt. In her 60s, she suddenly faced unemployment.

麻豆精品 S淚 thought, 麻豆精品 S榃ho is going to want to hire me in my 60s? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut I made it my job to find a job. And not just any job. I set out for my dream job in the aerospace industry. 麻豆精品 S�

She logged in every day on her home computer to research job listings, dressed as if she was headed to an office. She sought career counseling. She joined virtual seminars to learn new software and online tools she knew she 麻豆精品 S檇 need to master if she wanted to break into the field. She learned how to rework her resume to leverage her relevant skills.

Her strategy and persistence paid off. She got a call back for a fire protection systems engineer position on base at Kennedy Space Center.

Finding Her Place in Space

On her first day at KSC, she attended a briefing where they discussed etiquette while serving on the console. She says it took her a moment to process what she was hearing.

麻豆精品 S淚 stayed up to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I have a photo of myself as a kid standing in front of an Apollo rocket. And you 麻豆精品 S檙e saying you want me to be on the console during a launch?! 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 thought, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 here. I arrived. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Lendian served on the console for the Artemis I launch in November 2022.

Although she has since retired from her formal position with KSC and moved to Chicago, she is still employed as a part-time consultant and will be there again for Artemis II managing the fire protection systems on the launchpad.

Finishing What She Started

Her late-stage career change inspired her to consider other dreams she had yet to realize. A big one has been nearly 50 years in the making.

Lendian was 19 years old when she attempted college the first time. She enrolled in the University of South Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 electrical engineering program in the late 1970s. But after three years, she stopped her studies because she got married and needed to support her new family.

In 2021, she decided to resuscitate her dream of a college degree. She transferred her old credits into the program at Eastern Florida State College, earned her associate 麻豆精品 S檚 degree and looked to enroll in one of UCF Online 麻豆精品 S檚 degree programs so she could manage school with her full-time job.

The history degree she is working toward is affiliated with one of the top online institutions. UCF ranks No. 6 for Online Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 Programs nationally according to the U.S. News & World Report.

麻豆精品 S淚 want that bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 degree, 麻豆精品 S� Lendian says. 麻豆精品 S淚 am doing this for me. I am going to do something that I love (history). And I am going to graduate. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭here has always been a need for open educational resources in higher education, 麻豆精品 S� says Nicole Lapeyrouse, a UCF chemistry professor and 2023 Affordable Instructional Materials (AIM) High Impact Award winner. 麻豆精品 S淏y adopting or creating OER, you are able to further support students by making your courses more affordable and helping reduce the financial burden on students. 麻豆精品 S�

Isabella Griffin, a student in Lapeyrouse 麻豆精品 S檚 Chemistry Fundamentals I course, confirms those benefits.

麻豆精品 S淭he free textbook has helped ease the financial burden associated with being a college student., 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淪ometimes, high prices prevent students from having textbook access 麻豆精品 S� to the detriment of student learning. I greatly appreciate the free and open access to [the eBook]. It has increased my ability to access relevant and useful resources related to class. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淔rom my own personal experience with not always having access to affordable resources,” says Lapeyrouse, 麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to prevent students from having to make a tough call on [whether to] buy the required resources or pay a bill. 麻豆精品 S�

According to the 2022 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey conducted by Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), 53% of students from Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 public higher education institutions indicated they did not purchase a required textbook for financial reasons. Forty-four percent took fewer courses. Thirty-eight percent did not register for a specific course. And 24% dropped a course due to the high cost of textbooks.

During the Fall 2022 semester, at least 61 UCF faculty members provided their required course materials at no cost to students through听the use of OER. These efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $1,439,063.64听for 12,306 students enrolled in 99 course sections across four colleges and 12 departments. Since the Fall 2020 semester, roughly 18% of UCF students took a course offering OER 麻豆精品 S� a 9% increase.

“We are grateful to our faculty who go the extra distance to make student course materials affordable,” says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “The success of our students is paramount, and these efforts are being felt university-wide.”

The growth of OER across UCF has been fueled by a mixture of highly-motivated teams situated within UCF Digital Learning, UCF Libraries, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL), Student Government, registered student organizations, such as Wiki Knights, and most importantly, the faculty units intent on delivering free, openly-licensed course materials to replace costly versions of the same or very similar content being sold on the free market.

麻豆精品 S淭he work that Nicole and her colleagues are doing on OER is remarkable in several aspects, 麻豆精品 S� says Department of Chemistry Chair Michael Hampton. 麻豆精品 S淭hese OER materials are readily available at any time, at no charge, and can be used as a library for students to review and reinforce their studies. Additionally, faculty, including Nicole and her colleagues, are preparing these materials free of charge 麻豆精品 S� [an example of] action arising from dedication. 麻豆精品 S�

Data, such as those reported in the FLVC survey, continue to motivate UCF faculty, staff and students to devise actionable plans for creating viable open solutions that promote equitable access to customizable, shareable and impactful course materials.

This year, Student Government听 has been a major talking point at recent meetings with high-level administration, and units across campus have already offered support to amplify student voices on this topic.

The FCTL, for example, expressed a willingness to deliver select communications about open education and shared ideas for a tabling opportunity to increase faculty awareness. Registered student organization Florida PIRG Students at UCF is also back in swing and working with the to help bring textbook affordability to the forefront.

Additionally, the UCF Libraries continues to offer support to the open education initiative by collaborating during bi-weekly team meetings, supporting Wiki Knights tabling events and generally helping advance strategic aspects of the OER movement.

Hanson, who has been teaching Judaic studies at UCF since the early 麻豆精品 S�90s, became interested in the Middle East while studying history as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

麻豆精品 S淚 was wanting to research the roots of Western thought and culture, way back to the cradle of civilization, 麻豆精品 S� Hanson says. 麻豆精品 S淎s a senior, I hopped on a plane and landed in Jerusalem to study ancient civilizations. I focused on the ancient land of Israel because it also happens to be the cradle of the three western belief systems 麻豆精品 S� Judaism, Christianity, Islam are all out of the Middle East. 麻豆精品 S�

After learning Hebrew and completing a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in television and intercultural communication and a doctorate in Judaic studies, Hanson worked at an American TV station based in southern Lebanon in the midst of the Lebanese Civil War before coming to UCF.

麻豆精品 S淚 commuted over a hostile border every day to broadcast family-oriented television into a war zone, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e showed a lot of American westerns and championship wrestling, but when anything major happened we had to go into news-gathering mode. 麻豆精品 S�

Hanson credits his on-camera work and travels to the Middle East with inspiring immersive lessons for his online courses. But he wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 always keen on the idea of teaching virtually.

Judaic studies is a niche program that students would often struggle to fit into their class schedule due to conflicts with their required courses, Hanson says. So began the demand for online courses in the program, and the need for him to complete training through , a support unit that advances online teaching and learning.

麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to go this direction at all because I take my energy from an audience, that being the students. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Ken Hanson, UCF professor

麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to go this direction at all because I take my energy from an audience, that being the students, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 developed a lot of interactive presentations, anything and everything to make a class pop, but I did it because we wanted our courses to be more accessible to the students. 麻豆精品 S�

Near the end of Hanson 麻豆精品 S檚 training in 2015, the CDL video team presented its听production studio and he immediately recognized he could put his TV past to use to develop content that could still make his courses 麻豆精品 S減op. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淢y first semester/course teaching online was the History of the Holocaust, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淢y instructional designer suggested I go over and talk to the CDL video team because I was almost in tears about how I could interface with my students. 麻豆精品 S�

Hanson worked with CDL 麻豆精品 S檚 video team to create a concept that repackaged his 90-minute lectures into听10 to 20-minute segments while placing him at historic and archaeological sites. Eventually, he began making the productions more theatric 麻豆精品 S� borrowing from his previous theatrical training 麻豆精品 S� to dress up as different characters and use varying dialects for videos across five of his courses.

麻豆精品 S淛ust because I 麻豆精品 S檓 a professor doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 mean I can 麻豆精品 S檛 play act and do theatrics anymore, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淩ather than just reciting a passage from the prophet Isaiah, I 麻豆精品 S檒l dress up as him and recite it in Hebrew and use subtitles so students can hear the ancient language vocalized. In that sense it 麻豆精品 S檚 better than a live lecture because we can do things we can 麻豆精品 S檛 do in the classroom. 麻豆精品 S�

When UCF transitioned to fully remote learning last March due to the coronavirus, Hanson was already a step ahead of faculty who hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 had the opportunity or training to develop immersive content that would be needed to keep students engaged for the next year.

麻豆精品 S淚n that sense it 麻豆精品 S檚 better than a live lecture because we can do things we can 麻豆精品 S檛 do in the classroom. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Ken Hanson, UCF professor

麻豆精品 S淲hat the pandemic has done is shown how important this technology is, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲e already knew this was the future, so for me teaching during the pandemic was no problem at all. But the pandemic has really highlighted the importance of what CDL is doing. 麻豆精品 S�

With more than 125 TV segments under his belt, and no plans to stop any time soon, creating this type of content for his courses has also proved beneficial for CDL.

麻豆精品 S淲e’ve worked together for so long that both our skill sets have evolved, 麻豆精品 S� says Aaron Hose, media production manager and lead video producer for CDL 麻豆精品 S檚 video team. 麻豆精品 S淜en听has become a better writer, actor and on-screen presenter. Our video producers have improved as editors and compositors. We can now deliver his content more streamlined than before. We’ve found this great 麻豆精品 S榮weet spot 麻豆精品 S� now. 麻豆精品 S�

Hanson 麻豆精品 S檚 efforts to go the extra mile in his online courses have paid off as he earned the Chuck D. Dziuban Award for Excellence in Online Teaching in 2017.

麻豆精品 S淜en has long been a proponent of pushing the envelope with student engagement through video, 麻豆精品 S� says Roslyn Miller, an instructional designer at CDL. 麻豆精品 S淗e recently began using a new technology that 麻豆精品 S檚 often used in performing-arts education to enhance student interaction with his dramatized video presentations so they 麻豆精品 S檒l engage even more with the content, each other, and him while enjoying learning. 麻豆精品 S�

Not only are students having fun with the lessons, they 麻豆精品 S檙e retaining them better too, which Hanson says, sometimes was a struggle for them during in-person courses.

麻豆精品 S淭here are serious learning advantages to this, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen you lecture, the amount that is retained by students is maybe 20% and [many] students these days are not taking notes, so you hope they remember something. Here I think I 麻豆精品 S檝e solved this because every week I give them a TV show to watch and they take a quiz on it at the end. So, they 麻豆精品 S檙e watching and even re-watching because they have that ability. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 all about teaching and enhancing learning to the best of your ability, and resources here at UCF, like CDL, bring that into amazing focus. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Ken Hanson, UCF professor

He also worked with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy in 2018 to develop a video game for his Biblical Archaeology course. Through the game students explore an underground cavern and examine pottery fragments, which Hanson says is a big part of the course that was tough to teach online before this development. And when students encountered issues playing the game because of its large file size, he worked with CDL 麻豆精品 S檚 Learning Systems and Technology team to make it accessible for all students on as many types of devices as possible, says Miller.

麻豆精品 S淭he technology is there, embrace it, 麻豆精品 S� Hanson says. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 all about teaching and enhancing learning to the best of your ability, and resources here at UCF, like CDL, bring that into amazing focus. 麻豆精品 S�

Faculty who have been certified through or the 听course offered by CDL and would like to find out how they can enhance their course materials through video can create a consultation request at听

麻豆精品 S淥ur high rankings are a testament to the terrific work of our talented faculty and instructional designers who produce engaging, high-quality courses that support our students 麻豆精品 S� success while also providing them with a flexible learning environment. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� President Alexander N. Cartwright

Also from U.S. News & World Report, UCF ranked No. 12 (tie) for Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs, No. 20 for Best Online Bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 Programs for Veterans, and No. 27 (tie) for Best Online Master 麻豆精品 S檚 in Nursing Programs. This is based on the publication 麻豆精品 S檚 2021 Best Online Programs rankings, which assess schools on student engagement, online learning technologies and support, faculty credentials and training, and the program 麻豆精品 S檚 reputation among other universities.

麻豆精品 S淥ur high rankings are a testament to the terrific work of our talented faculty and instructional designers who produce engaging, high-quality courses that support our students 麻豆精品 S� success while also providing them with a flexible learning environment. Flexible access to high-quality courses continues to increase in importance, 麻豆精品 S� says President Alexander N. Cartwright.

The first online courses launched at UCF in 1996, marking this year the 25^th anniversary of online learning for the university. These courses have only grown in popularity since, with about 87 percent of students now taking at least one online or blended learning course each academic year.

One of the factors that contributes to UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 repeated success in online learning is the level of attention and detail put into creating the courses. Since 1996, UCF has invested in instructional designers who work with faculty members one-on-one to help design and develop their online courses. The working relationship paid off at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when faculty moved an additional 6,600 courses online in about a week.

This is part of a strategy, led by , to foster a culture that empowers faculty with training, technology and the support of experts in online teaching, application development, video and multimedia content that are critical to creating a quality online experience for students.

麻豆精品 S淚 think online courses are such an opportunity for real, robust learning if you do it correctly, 麻豆精品 S� says Amy Gregory, associate professor of hospitality management.

That 麻豆精品 S檚 why ever since she took one of the many courses offered by the Center for Distributed Learning that help faculty teach and develop online classes, she hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 been shy in connecting with Sue Bauer, an instructional designer. The two have worked together for nearly 10 years to enhance Gregory 麻豆精品 S檚 classes.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e utilized virtually every tool that 麻豆精品 S檚 been available to us, 麻豆精品 S� says Gregory, who teaches various lodging courses at Rosen College.

Some of those tools are software that 麻豆精品 S檚 been developed by the Center for Distributed Learning team at UCF over the last 25 years. They include interactive graphs, flashcards, video-embedding capabilities and more, and serve as an engaging way to have students interact with the course content.

In some cases, instructional designers and the team at the Center for Distributed Learning build tools customized to a faculty member 麻豆精品 S檚 need. That was the case for Desiree D铆az, an associate professor of nursing who teaches courses leading to the online healthcare simulation certificate, which was the first graduate program of its kind in Florida and among only a few programs nationwide. One of her courses, which teaches healthcare professionals to use simulation as a training tool in the field, assigned students to design a simulation training room. In its original form, D铆az would have her online students use paper and pencil to draw where they felt each component of the training room should go and scan the drawing to submit it online. Now, with the help of instructional designer Kathleen Bastedo and web applications developer Corey Peterson, among others, students use a custom software directly in Webcourses that allows them to design the room and submit it with no scanning necessary.

麻豆精品 S漇ometimes I have a crazy idea, 麻豆精品 S� says D铆az, 麻豆精品 S渂ut I 麻豆精品 S檓 never immediately shut down. Kathleen and the instructional designers are always great to work with and help bring my ideas to life. 麻豆精品 S�

During the Fall 2020 semester, at least 31 faculty members provided their required course materials at no cost to students through . These efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $751,339.50听for 6,425 students enrolled in courses across four colleges and nine departments.

With a total enrollment of 71,444, roughly 9 percent of the UCF student-body took a course using OER 麻豆精品 S� up by 5 percent from Fall 2019.

One of the largest contributing factors to the growth of OER usage from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020 was the collective work done by 10 faculty members within the in collaboration with the . These two departments were able to combine their expertise to scale 麻豆精品 S榦pen 麻豆精品 S� learning through the use of Webcourses and UCF Pressbooks, both available at no additional cost to students and faculty. Their concerted efforts resulted in an estimated combined savings of $232,710.60听for 1,990 students enrolled in nearly every section of College Physics I听and听College Physics II minus the exception of one honors-level section.

麻豆精品 S淲hile cost may not be something faculty initially see as much of a problem, taking on the student perspective is key to exhibit a basic level of student care in terms of materials costs, 麻豆精品 S� says Associate Professor of Physics Bo Chen.

While textbook expenditures have plateaued over the past few years, as reported by the , students continue to seek ways to offset the costs.听According to the Florida Virtual Campus 2018 Student Textbook and Course Materials survey, which polled 21,400 students across Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 public institutions of higher education, 61 percent did not buy course materials, 43 percent took fewer courses, 41 percent did not register for a course and 23 percent dropped a course altogether 麻豆精品 S� all due to cost.

Health sciences major Emily Sierra has experienced financial strain due to the cost of course materials nearly every semester of her college career.

麻豆精品 S淎t one point, I was living off $100 a month but [was] expected to have the money for textbooks five-times that amount, 麻豆精品 S� says Sierra, who took one of Chen 麻豆精品 S檚 courses this semester. 麻豆精品 S淭extbook fees for a single science course can be upwards of $300, so I would only buy the textbook and materials for my science classes and just hope for the best with the rest of my courses. 麻豆精品 S�

OER are broadly defined by UNESCO as 麻豆精品 S渢eaching, learning and research materials in any medium 麻豆精品 S� digital or otherwise 麻豆精品 S� that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 believe adopting (open educational resources) has had positive impacts on my teaching as well as students’ learning. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Assistant Professor Ellen H. Kang

麻豆精品 S淚 believe adopting OER has had positive impacts on my teaching as well as students’ learning, 麻豆精品 S� says Assistant Professor of Physics Ellen H. Kang, who implemented OER materials in her College Physics course. 麻豆精品 S淭he free online textbook has enhanced students 麻豆精品 S� accessibility, [and] the fact that the e-textbook can be customized for each instructor has allowed for greater flexibility in the preparation of my course materials. 麻豆精品 S�

According to Kang and Chen, taking a听collective, departmental approach to selecting 麻豆精品 S渙pen 麻豆精品 S� educational materials facilitates the building of shareable, well-aligned听courses that faculty can customize and, in turn, share back with their colleagues. As new concepts develop, the current systems can then be enhanced for students 麻豆精品 S� benefit.

For Sierra, not having to pay for her physics textbooks and course materials was, 麻豆精品 S渁 lifesaver. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭his semester, I was able to afford all of my textbooks and supplies because my physics materials were free, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淏oth of my parents lost their jobs at some point this semester because of COVID-19. So having my homework, textbook, quizzes [and] practice problems given to me really was monumental for not just me but also my family. 麻豆精品 S�

And the positive impact extends beyond her budget.

麻豆精品 S淭o have a professor who cared enough to put in the hours of work to make the supplies free, especially in the midst of the scariest and most uncertain times our generation has faced in history, made me feel seen as a student, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚t motivated me to push that much harder when studying because I knew he did very clearly care about our success as students. 麻豆精品 S�

The moves include UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 national-model DirectConnect to UCF program and UCF Global, which among other responsibilities, manages international student recruitment, English language programs for students and the community, and international partnerships in education, research and business.

Other aspects of the realignment involve units that impact online student services, faculty training and development, and continuing education for working professionals.

麻豆精品 S淎t UCF, we strive for constant improvement, 麻豆精品 S� Johnson says. 麻豆精品 S淭hese changes allow us to continue our focus on student success and the student experience. 麻豆精品 S�

The reorganization by the Division of Academic Affairs will unfold throughout September with the following units and offices:

• DirectConnect to UCF and the UCF Connect Centers move to the Division of Student Learning and Academic Success, reporting to Theodorea Regina Berry, vice provost of Student Learning and Academic Success and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies;
• UCF Global moves to the Office of the Provost, reporting to Tim Letzring, senior associate provost for Academic Affairs;
• UCF Online Connect Center and UCF Continuing Education move to the Division of Digital Learning, reporting to Tom Cavanagh, vice provost for Digital Learning;
• Office of Instructional Resources Classroom Support, Engineering, Programming and Project Management teams move to UCF Information Technology, reporting to Michael Sink, interim vice president and CIO.

The transitions for DirectConnect to UCF, the UCF Connect Centers and UCF Global coincide with the Oct. 1 retirement of Jeff Jones, vice provost for UCF Connect and UCF Global. Johnson praised Jones for his impactful work during his seven years at UCF and for his suggestions and insights regarding the overall realignment.

麻豆精品 S淭he possibilities for this reimagining are exciting, 麻豆精品 S� Johnson said. 麻豆精品 S淎s we move forward, success relies on the creativity and collaboration of our staff, faculty and partners. 麻豆精品 S�

The new class strategy will include some face-to-face and online components, and has been added to the lineup of fully online and face-to-face classes.

The BlendFlex delivery model is being developed to provide flexibility for shifting scenarios for faculty and staff in and outside the classroom while maintaining UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 academic quality expectations.

Because of space limitations and physical distancing guidelines, some affected courses will require the class to be split into smaller cohorts so students would only be听permitted to attend one in-person class meeting per week or every other week. When not in a physical classroom, students would participate in the rest of the instructions remotely either synchronously (live) or asynchronously (recorded session).

As students view fall schedules online, any BlendFlex model classes will be among the courses designated as a face-to-face modality. However, classes that follow the BlendFlex model will have notes added to the online MyUCF site that indicate the class will follow the BlendFlex approach; those notes are still in the process of being added. Specific details, such as which day of the week to attend class in person, will be determined later by faculty members.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e provided guidelines, such as capacity limits, to ensure safe distancing, 麻豆精品 S� says registrar Brian Boyd. 麻豆精品 S淗owever, the instructor is really in the best position to make that determination of how they schedule each group of students depending on the structure of the course and the activities they have planned. 麻豆精品 S�

Some classes require a physical presence. For example: medical classes to practice psychomotor skills, spinal manipulation, body mechanics to transfer patients, etc.

麻豆精品 S淲e need to know all the specific nuances of the musculoskeletal system and also the contributions of all the other systems for movement and health, 麻豆精品 S� says Patrick Pabian, associate director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy. 麻豆精品 S淭hrough touch, students identify tendon thickness, joint line barriers, and identify structural and physical differences in veins, nerves, and arteries. 麻豆精品 S�

Some instruction can be done online, he agrees, but many physical components cannot be replaced online.

Faculty also will be required to make sure they don 麻豆精品 S檛 inadvertently disadvantage remote students and ensure that each cohort has equal face-to-face experiences throughout the term.

麻豆精品 S淲e know that we may not have enough physical rooms to move all courses to larger spaces says, 麻豆精品 S� says Tom Cavanagh, vice provost for digital learning, which oversees the campus Center for Distributed Learning. 麻豆精品 S淔or student-access purposes, we do not want to reduce enrollment to the new reduced-room capacity. 麻豆精品 S�

Cavanagh explains more about the new delivery system:

Why do we need to implement BlendFlex?

We want to offer students as much choice as possible and avoid a system of limited, small face-to-face sections with everything else being only available online. Rather, for those classes where it makes sense, we want to allow for some meaningful face-to-face experiences for every student in the class.

Just as importantly, in any given class, at any given point in the term, we know that any number of students, or the faculty, may need to be remote for short or long durations. We need a strategy that will permit this type of flexibility while still allowing students to continue academic progress.

Will it be mandatory for students to attend face-to-face lectures for certain classes?

UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 interim provost has specifically asked faculty not to enforce rigorous in-person attendance requirements this fall. However, specific requirements per course are defined by each individual faculty member.

How will we prioritize students 麻豆精品 S� safety during face-to-face meetings?

All required protocols will be in place for any classroom sessions (physical distancing, face coverings, etc.).

Will this system be kept in place after a vaccine or treatment is available for COVID-19?

We are taking this one semester at a time. I think that what we do in the future will be in response to the health context and in compliance with safety guidelines. I will say that we do not intend at this point to continue the BlendFlex delivery strategy as a permanent model.

How will students be informed about the BlendFlex procedures?

We are working on several short videos. We will have another one with more details available later.