Two professors from Leeward Community College co-authored articles published in an issue of New directions for community collegesan online resource designed to help community colleges fulfill their educational mission.
As a member of SAGE 2YC (To support and advance geoscience education in two-year colleges)focused on teaching quality at the community college level, associate professor of biology Alyssa MacDonald and oceanography instructor Donn Viviani were part of a multi-year online cohort with faculty from across the United States. The objective of SAGE 2YCwhich is funded by the National Science Foundation, is to help faculty implement high-impact, evidence-based instructional and extracurricular practices in their own institutions that will improve STEM learning, wider participation and better STEM Workforce.
Their writing workshop began in the summer of 2021, and their articles were published in June 2022.
What they learned and experienced during the program—best practices for teaching online, transitioning to an online environment during the pandemic, and leadership at the community college level—inspired their writing. MacDonald is the co-author of “Leadership Journeys: Impacts of Faculty Professional Development” and “Effective Online Teaching: Voice of Experience.” Viviani co-wrote “Emergency Distance Learning Roadmap.”
“During the pandemic, we were taught how to effectively use Zoom to communicate with our colleagues. The best part of the program was the interaction with colleagues from across the country. It was amazing to hear about the work they were doing on their campuses and to figure out how to bring those lessons, strategies and programs to Leeward CC“, said MacDonald. “I feel incredibly lucky to be part of this group and I continue the collaborations outside of SAGE 2YC program.”
