Dr. Michelle Holschuh Simmons and Lori Lindberg, lecturers with the San Jose School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), were honored during January as recipients of the Excellence in Online Teaching Award, presented by the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) consortium.

The WISE award recognizes their accomplishments as educators in online courses, which are part of the School’s Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program.  Student feedback is one of the key award criteria.

Lindberg teaches MLIS courses in Archives and Records Management.  She focuses on making sure her passion for course content comes across in an online environment through her posts on discussion boards, recorded lectures, and regular messages to students. 

“Enthusiasm, a sense of humor, and regular positive communication go a long way towards connecting with students, helping them understand course content, and encouraging them to feel comfortable interacting with their online instructors and peers,” said Lindberg.  “These teaching strategies, along with good preparation and continuously exploring new content delivery options, really helps increase student learning.”

Simmons uses a wide range of online learning tools to create a lively, interactive learning experience for students in her MLIS courses about Information Literacy and Information Resources and Services.  She uses web conferencing for live online discussions and student presentations, as well as an online text-based discussion board.  In addition, she distributes weekly lectures as text documents, audio files, and screencasts.  Students in her courses also engage in collaborative work on wikis.

Simmons and Lindberg received their awards during January, at the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) conference in San Diego.

As a member of the WISE consortium, SLIS students can take online courses from LIS graduate schools in the United States and Canada.  The School’s faculty can also take advantage of the online pedagogy resources offered by WISE, helping them excel as online educators. 

For more information regarding the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University, visit http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/

For more information about WISE, visit http://www.wiseeducation.org/

Marcia Laughrey

Administrative Services

School of Library and Information Science

San Jose State University

One Washington Square

San Jose, CA  95192-0029

Phone: 408-924-2490

Fax: 408-924-2476