Two University of Wyoming professors to be honored for their commitment to online education

Two University of Wyoming professors to be honored for their commitment to online education

Officials with the University of Wyoming have announced that two of the school's professors will be honored for their contributions to the online education community during the Pearson's Learning Solutions' annual conference on April 12.

Randy Weigel, of the department of family and consumer sciences, and Rhonda Shipp, retired member of the university's cooperative extension service, will both receive the Pearson Excellence in Online Teaching award for their ability to "demonstrate a significant commitment to quality in online education," according to the High Plains Journal.

Shipp, who retired from the university in 2008, said that she had doubts about online learning until she began to teach the courses herself.

"I admit I wondered about online instruction," she told the news source. "I discovered that, even online, the students' personalities became evident as we progressed through the units each week, and I felt like I knew them."

Weigel and Shipp recently announced that they will each donate their $1,000 award to the University of Wyoming's Outreach School Edelweiss Fund.

By Mark Danson