UWG Innovation Among the Best in Online Learning
In a quest to find a positive shared learning space for UWG Online Faculty, Matias Marabotto and Dr. Debra Robinson, are staying at the forefront of innovations for online learning in higher education. The pair recently won the 2013 USG Collaborate Innovators of the Year Award for their creation of UWG’s Online Learning iApollo Program.
Aiming to facilitate a faculty learning community who works
together to assist their peers through both informal and formal means,
Marabotto and Robinson created the iApollo Learning Program in an effort
to achieve educational excellence in distance education. The program
was able to achieve these goals by promoting faculty discussions about
online teaching, creating a community of online faculty who share
experiences with one another at UWG and conducting a live town hall
meeting once a month.“I am very pleased that the University of West Georgia is receiving external recognition for the excellent work done by our colleagues,” said UWG President Dr. Beheruz Sethna. “It brings us closer to our destination university goal – many thanks to Matias Marabotto, Dr. Debra Robinson and Jim Bellon for their accomplishments.”
According to U.S. News & World Report, UWG ranks sixth in the nation for “Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs.” UWG online programs in nursing, business, education and criminology are also recognized nationally by the publication.
“Their contributions have enhanced the overall success of student learning, and I am glad to see them recognized for their efforts,” said Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Horvath.
UWG Math Instructor, Jim Bellon was also able to impress the judges placing third in the competition for his implementation of the online math tutoring to assist students who were taking math and science courses. Online math tutoring was offered 32 hours per week, and within a two-month time span, more than 70 students attended at least one of the online tutoring sessions.
Moving forward, Bellon says he is hoping to have “several different break-out classes that will assist with the recent growth” they experienced in such a short time.
