Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2017 – Dutchess: Kathleen Hanlon O’Connell

Dr. Kathleen Hanlon O’Connell has been teaching at Dutchess Community College (DCC) since spring of 2008. She started her career at DCC as an adjunct professor in the health, physical education, athletics and dance department, and is now a full time Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Sciences Department, teaching health education courses. Dr. O’Connell received her doctorate in the spring of 2014 in Higher Education Leadership.  Additionally, Dr. O’Connell earned the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2014.

In 2009,  Dr. O’Connell was instrumental in the development of the Dutchess Community College Quality Matters Online Teaching Peer Review Team and continues to be involved in these efforts. The Quality Matters team of faculty at DCC work to improve the quality of online offerings through a voluntary peer evaluation process. Additionally, Dr. O’Connell received certification as a Quality Matters Peer Reviewer in 2010.

At Dutchess Community College, Dr. O’Connell has been a supporter and advocate for online teaching best practices, and joined the Blackboard Migration team to assist and support as a faculty member during the transition from ANGEL to Blackboard in 2015-16. Future plans for Dr. O’Connell include further development of the health education offerings to include online or hybrid sections for Women’s Health Issues (HED 125), Human Sexuality (HED 224), Stress Management (HED 201), and Health and Aging (HED 203).

I am truly honored to be an online educator at Dutchess Community College. I really enjoy the challenges of online teaching and recognize the importance of ongoing best practices education for all online faculty. I am particularly fascinated in finding better ways to make online learning more effective and fun for students. I have made it my mission to improve my course delivery and hope to take online learning to another level over the next several years. Many students are fearful of online learning and I hope to change that with an increase in online hybrid courses in the Behavioral Sciences Department. I am so proud to be part of this initiative, and just love online teaching.