University names online course instructor professor of the year

University names online course instructor professor of the year

As online education continues to grow in popularity, a growing number of colleges and universities are aiming to offer academically challenging and useful web-based programs. Ellen Smyth, an online math teacher at Austin Peay State University (APSU), recently received recognition for her efforts in redesigning the online statistics course.

Clarksville Online reports that APSU named Smyth Innovative Professor for 2010 for her work on the class. This past summer, Smyth and Loretta Griffy - associate professor of mathematics at APSU - redesigned the online statistics course to include video and visual interactive elements to the program.

"I made several brief orientation videos, a video for each section of each chapter in the course and calculator videos for each of the major calculator functions that we use in statistics," Smyth told the news source. "I also record my full, in-class lectures for both online and face-to-face students to view at any time."

Smyth primarily teaches Math 1530, which is an elementary statistics course. Previously, she taught both Math 1010: mathematical thought and practices as well as Math 1710: college algebra.

By Mark Danson