Moving the Needle

Our time is largely dedicated to activities and projects that make a tangible difference for student learning and online education.

• We push the boundaries of what has been created and explored in online learning both at UNCW and in the online learning field at large.
• We are willing to embrace change, collaborate, and think creatively with our faculty.
• We look for opportunities to do things differently, add value, and improve ways of working. We actively find ways to put our faculty, our team, and UNCW in a better position.
• We are transparent and reflective about why we do what we do.
• We support and advocate for the use of research-based, high-impact practices that lead to lasting academic outcomes for our students.

• We stay up-to-date on the current trends in instructional design and instructional technology.
• We share knowledge gained both internally and with UNCW's community of online educators.
• In every project or task we undertake we look at the systemic issues, impact, and implications that will affect or be produced by the project.
• We take a systematic approach to all our work according to a fixed plan or system that is research and best practices aligned.
• We recognize and celebrate that sometimes creative solutions or new ideas are found in unexpected places.

Transformation

We strive to articulate the purpose and value of online learning while generating excitement about online education.  We seek to inspire and continuously improve.

• We aim to pay close to attention to individual differences and personalize online learning and teaching experiences.
• We support and advocate for the use of innovative practices that lead to lasting impact for our students.
• We conference with faculty to understand their needs and provide both positive and constructive feedback.
• By forming strong, professional relationships with faculty we gain a unique perspective of their pedagogy and technology needs to assist them in this process.

• By forming strong, professional relationships with each other we gain a unique perspective of the diverse strengths of the individual team members.
• We encourage each other to keep moving forward and to learn new things.
• We are committed to serving UNCW and it's community. We use service to guide our service philosophy.

Empowerment and Unity

We believe in the ability of on-going learning, adaptation, and growth to assist our diverse community of learners in becoming or maintaining reflective practice.

• We believe that the sharing of ideas across institutions, departments, and disciplines forms the foundation of a strong and diverse learning community.
• We strive to help faculty reach their next level of development through a set of measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-efficacy related to online course design, development, and delivery.
• We believe that the effective use of educational technology requires discovery, experimentation, and practice to attain self-efficacy.
• We believe in supporting course design and facilitation strategies that promote equitable access and inclusivity to serve the needs of a diverse learning population.

• We have a willingness to be open with one another about our strengths and weaknesses which allows us to build each other up and support the growth of both the individuals and the team.
• We believe that self-governance works in collaboration with mutual accountability.
• We have an open and inclusive culture, focused on treating everyone with respect.  We invest in our people and the environment within which they work.  We celebrate small wins and help each other as much as possible.
• We engage in unfiltered discourse of ideas and possible solutions so that we can commit to a plan of action and achieve our shared vision.