SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2021: Nassau – Elisa Salvi

Elisa K. Salvi, J.D. is an Associate Professor of Legal Studies at Nassau Community College, where she has been teaching since 2007.  She currently teaches courses in five substantially different areas of law, namely Introduction to Law and the Legal System, Real Property Law, Law Office Management, and Business Law I and II.  These courses are further diversified by web-enhanced, hybrid, and fully online sections.  Her students comprise certificate and degree students enrolled in the department’s ABA approved paralegal program, as well as interdisciplinary students enrolled in her Business Law courses.  Elisa is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, holding a Juris Doctorate from  Hofstra University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.   

Elisa’s teaching philosophy embraces pedagogy that incorporates a substantial amount of experiential learning into the classroom and the distance education forum to provide her students with the skills sets necessary to excel both academically, and in their careers.  She engages collaborative learning modalities that promote communication, critical thinking, and team building skills where she takes on the role of a facilitator, guiding her students to learn from the process as they develop subject matter competencies.  Her publications have been featured in The Legal Educator, an AAfPE professional journal.  One entitled “Developing Practical Skills in the Real Property Law Classroom: The Building Blocks to the Foundation of a Paralegal Student’s Successful Entry into the Legal Profession” models her best practices and represents a culmination of experience from her earlier 17 years in private practice, ongoing communications with practicing attorneys and paralegals, and continuous revisions to course content and its delivery to her students.

We are currently in the middle of a rapidly changing academic landscape in higher education, sprouting new and creative ways for faculty to teach to their students on alternative platforms.  There is no doubt distance education can achieve learning results that are the equivalent of traditional classrooms. Yet, online teaching is a continuous work in progress.  It takes time and patience to build a forum that is well designed and incorporates a blend of modalities to effectively deliver course content, appeal to different types of learners, and keep students engaged. As new technologies in distance education emerge, we commit to exploring them and revising our pedagogical approach to become a more effective online instructor. 

What I enjoy most about online teaching is the ability to take on a more influential role as an educator through a greater online presence.  I believe that it is just as vital to motivate our students, help nurture them as they overcome challenges, and inspire them to pursue their own passions as they strive to achieve their lifelong goals and professions, as it is to deliver the course content.  The online environment allows more flexibility and opportunities to engage with our students than we ordinarily have in the classroom setting due to time constraints.  The online learning platform offers various communication channels and interplay from instructor to student that I can infuse with a passion and excitement for academic exploration and growth, while offering words of encouragement, support, and praise, to create a welcoming and positive learning environment where students can thrive.   It is precisely these dynamic interactions with students that lend to my most rewarding experiences in online teaching.

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View Elisa’s video on how distance education is preparing students for entry into the workplace.

Elisa Salvi | SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador from Elisa Salvi on Vimeo.