SUNY Online Teaching Ambassador 2022: Fredonia – Jessica Finkeldey

Dr. Jessica Finkeldey earned her Ph.D. in Sociology, specializing in Criminology, from Bowling Green State University in 2017. She is an Assistant Professor in the Sociocultural and Justice Sciences Department at SUNY Fredonia and primarily teaches courses in criminal justice. Specifically, she teaches introduction to criminal justice, introduction to corrections, criminology, capital punishment, and race, crime, and justice. She also teaches statistics in the real world and research methods. She has experience teaching face to face, remote (virtual synchronous), and online (asynchronous) courses. Moreover, her research largely focuses on the predictors and consequences of contact with the criminal justice system. Her recent research has appeared in top criminology and sociology journals including Criminology, Journal of Gambling Studies, Social Problems, and Social Currents, among others.

When teaching online (asynchronous) courses, I structure the class into “modules” that guide students through material at their own pace. In most courses, I include required readings, discussion boards, activities, and tests in each module. This format provides students with a sense of structure and predictability while also keeping them actively engaged with the material.