RETHINK MANAGEMENT
FACULTY
IN THE NEWS ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE Several SOM faculty have started developing and offering online course options.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
According to Dean Gerard Zappia, “We know most of our current students prefer face-to-face, and we are very happy to accommodate their preference. However, there is a great deal of evidence that strongly suggest the student of the future will have
IT STUDENTS LEARN TO DEVELOP
a different view. The time to prepare for the
iPHONE APPS
future is now.”
Information technology majors Dan
The SOM faculty leading the online course initiative are Eileen Beiter (accounting),
Mowery, Josh Loucks, Elise Kanaley, and John DeMott are learning how to develop
Rose Hair (human resource management),
iPhone applications in an independent
ROCHELLE RUFFER, Ph.D., Associate
Lorraine Henderson (management), and
study course offered by Deborah LaBelle,
Professor of Economics
Deborah LaBelle (information technology).
Ph.D., associate professor and director of
Education: B.A. in Economics, Colgate
They are currently offering online and hybrid
Nazareth’s information technology program.
University; M.S. in Economics, University
versions of classes; more online courses are
of Wisconsin; Ph.D. in Economics with a
planned for the future.
concentration in Industrial Organization, University of Wisconsin.
Henderson has had a positive experience teaching E-Commerce (MGT 427) as an
“The ultimate goal of this independent study course is to give the students experience working with the iOS platform and to demystify the process of iPhone app
online course. Students come to class the
development,”
economics is boring, she won’t
first day to familiarize themselves with
LaBelle says. “IT
hesitate to set you straight. In fact,
navigation in Moodle; they come on the last
graduates may
finding ways to make economics
day to do their presentations to the class. “In
soon be expected
more interesting to her students is
between time,” says Henderson, “we do
to know how
what she loves most about teaching.
chats, dialogue through discussion forums,
to design and
Her classes include Microeconomics
complete mini-projects that they receive
develop for
(both principles and intermediate),
feedback on, and work toward a final project
mobile devices,
International Business Economics, and
that includes sharing a draft and providing
and this course
Development Economics.
feedback to each other.” Most students
will help students
were surprised by the degree of sharing and
gain experience
learning that was created by the format
in this emerging
of the course. “They suggested I got more
technology.”
If you dare to tell Dr. Ruffer that
Dr. Ruffer’s current research assesses innovative teaching strategies in the classroom and will be presented at the National Committee on Economic Education conference in June. She has been involved in a number of National Science Foundation-funded grants to
out of them because when they came to
At the start of
the classroom, they were fully prepared to
the semester the students brainstormed
concentrate and participate,” Henderson says.
ideas for apps. While they each have an
Hair is teaching Applications in Human
idea for an app that fits their personal need, they also want to create a Naz App for
implement teaching techniques into the
Resource Management (HRM 437) as a
classroom, help create a single, web-
blended delivery course, alternating meeting
current or prospective Nazareth students.
based resource related to undergraduate
as a class and interacting using discussion
They hope to have something ready for
economics instruction, and most
forums on Moodle. “This is the first time the
testing by the end of spring semester and
recently to introduce interesting and
course has been taught this way,” she says.
will continue the development process in
fun teaching techniques to community college Economics teachers.
“I am optimistic that the blended approach will be beneficial to the students and can be further developed in the years to come.”
6 • WWW.NAZ.EDU
fall 2011. > Read more at www.naz.edu