The University of Toledo continues to earn accolades for its online courses.
Jessica Kruger, a UT doctoral student in health education, teaches three classes that have been recognized by Quality Matters, a peer review process that certifies the design of online and blended courses.
Kruger
• HEAL 1310: Nutrition for Fitness and Health, which is for all majors and teaches foundational knowledge of nutrition.
• HEAL 1360: Alcohol and Contemporary Issues in College, which focuses on the effects alcohol can have on college students.
• HEAL 3300: Drug Awareness, which teaches everything about drugs, legal and illegal, good and bad.
“It is important to make sure courses are meeting a standard, include more rigorous work, and focus on the student,” Kruger said.
“We work hard with our health education doctoral students to help develop their teaching skills, but Jessica has gone above and beyond to maximize her teaching effectiveness in the online learning environment,” Dr. Joseph A. Dake, professor and chair of the School of Population Health, said. “We are proud to have her as one of our majors.”
Kruger said programs like Quality Matters are important because instructors can take what the QM peer review team suggests and improve the course being taught.
“I encourage students to try online courses and to pay close attention to whether or not a course is Quality Matters-approved,” Kruger said. “Having Quality Matters approval shows that the class has been reviewed for its design and that it is put together in a way that is conducive for student learning and is easy to navigate.”
Kruger believes distance learning is important because it is a great way to provide students with more flexibility; however, it requires strong self-discipline.
“Just because a course is online does not mean it is easy or takes less time,” Kruger said. “Online courses require students to be self-motivated to work on projects and learn the materials on a schedule.”
Faculty who would like to learn more about Quality Matters or the course review process are encouraged to contact Phoebe Ballard, director of instructional design and development, at phoebe.ballard@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4379.
