Dr. Wanju Huang wins UPCEA Teaching Award
When it comes to taking classes online, Wanju Huang thinks it’s important that Purdue’s online students see themselves as a part of the Purdue community — even if they aren’t physically at the university. Huang helps transport her students to West Lafayette by filming instructional videos of herself walking around Purdue’s campus.
“I want students to know we value them even if they are not physically here,” Huang said. “There’s a presence I call institutional presence. I want students to feel like they are fully a part of this learning community, not just a part of one course.”
Huang, clinical assistant professor of learning design and technology in Purdue’s College of Education, recently won a top teaching award from the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA).
UPCEA’s Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes educators who have provided outstanding teaching, course development, mentoring of students, and service to professional, continuing, or online education.
Fostering Virtual Connections
In online education, students’ ability to connect with one another is particularly important. Huang stressed the importance of building “communities of inquiry” in virtual classrooms, in which students can learn with and from one another in a safe environment that supports intentional relationship-building.
“In online environments this is very important,” Huang said. “Because student’s can’t see each other, we need to intentionally help them build relationships so they don’t feel alone.”
Huang helps online students build relationships with each other and with her by using humor in her classes and by sharing information about her hobbies and interests. This helps students relate to her on a more human level, and it gives them permission to open up too, Huang said.
“Dr. Huang consistently receives high course evaluations from her students recognizing her efforts in helping them understand course content at the highest possible level. Her passion and commitment to teaching and innovation shines in everything she does,” said Nancy Marchand-Martella, dean of the College of Education. “We appreciate her significant contributions to student success in the College of Education.”
Huang has been teaching instructional design online to students in Purdue’s College of Education since 2017, and before that she worked as an instructional design manager at Teaching Learning and Technologies at Purdue Online..
Making the Most of Online Education
Other methods Huang uses to encourage relationship-building in her online classes include requiring student self-introductions, offering an optional live kick-off class where students can ask questions and talk to her in real-time, encouraging regular discussions of class content, and giving student’s kudos and shout-outs when they’ve done something well.
“Students appreciate the kick-off meetings because they get to see me and they have the opportunity to meet their colleagues,” Huang said. “Not everybody comes, but it gives them the opportunity to get to know each other.”
Huang credited her excellence in teaching to her student-centered teaching philosophy. She described the experience of being a professor as a privilege, and she said she learns as much from her students as they learn from her.
“I don’t see students as these empty bottles,” Huang said. “They’re always coming in with something I can learn, and something other students can learn from as well.”
Purdue’s Commitment to Teaching Excellence
The UPCEA Excellence in Teaching Award is one of the organization’s highest honors, and Huang said her win would not have been possible without the support of her colleagues, students, and mentors.
“I want to give credit to my mentors,” said Huang. “And my students as well — this is truly a privilege, and I’ve had tremendous support from my colleagues, from my students, and from Purdue Online as well.”
Huang’s commitment to giving her students the best online education experience possible is a testament to the mission of Purdue Online, which strives to make high-quality online education accessible to people across the globe. Find out more about Purdue’s many online program offerings and educational opportunities at Purdue Online’s website.
Writer: Rachel Barton, barton53@purdue.edu