Open SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2019: Buffalo – Denise Krause

Denise Krause is the Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Alumni Relations at the University at Buffalo Graduate School of Social Work and the first clinical faculty member at the School of Social Work to achieve the rank of Professor.  As a seasoned instructor, she currently teaches introductory and advanced social work practice courses using seated, hybrid, and online instruction. Denise has published and presented on multiple aspects of online education that include facilitating interaction, developing learning modules, and strategies to help students execute counseling skills. She has been involved with several University-wide initiatives to advance the use of technology in education.

“I have taught online for nearly twenty years beginning with theory-related courses.  It took me several years to be convinced that skills acquisition courses could be adequately taught online.  Several years later I now know that teaching practice courses, which require the application of interviewing skills, is not only possible but has made me a better face-to-face instructor.”

“Successful online instruction boils down to structure, connection, and flexibility. Structure creates a consistent and predictable learning journey where students can both experiment and anchor.  Connection facilitates a safe environment where ideas are shared, mistakes are normalized, and feedback is encouraged. Lastly, flexibility aides in innovation. When structure and connection are strong, learners and instructors welcome multiple paths to achieve competencies.”