New Learning Module Implemented into Multistep Problems on D2L

Aiming to enhance the way students have learned multistep problems, Dr. John V. Cabage, an assistant professor in the school of technology, has developed a method he believes will accomplish this goal. Using randomized variable problems (each student receiving a different homework problem), he believes that he has a 

cheat-proof and a highly interactive way for students to learn mathematical problems. 

Despite the constraints, he aspires for this program to help students collaborate more frequently and gain a greater knowledge of the content. 

Used within D2L, the multistep problems are provided for each corresponding chapter alongside to an instructional video that provides guidance on how to approach the problem.  

With the successful implementation of the multistep mathematical problems, Dr. Cabage intends to incorporate another idea into D2L: LTI. An LTI, short for learning tools interoperability, will take information from outside programming and put into a format for D2L to recognize. Then, he would link the outside program with the multistep problem. He would then be able to put it into PHP, C++, or any other various programming or scripting languages that he would choose for D2L.  With the intention of moving the LTI forward, he hopes to have a graduate assistant to assist with the production of this idea. 

Dr. Cabage feels this project is unique because it is an idea that is new to the School of Technology’s learning management system; furthermore, he also believes that this program will allow students to learn from their mistakes because it would be easier to track the mistakes in calculations for particular problems. 

In addition to locating mistakes, he hopes this program will aid in the student learning at a more realistic pace. Of course, the pace would be highly dependent on the student’s timeliness and work ethic. 

Along with the recent implementation of the multistep mathematical problems beginning in June 2015, he intends to see results within a year. 

For information regarding this story, please contact: jvcabage@eiu.edu

Technology and Biology Go Hand-in-Hand

For Dr. Gary Bulla, Professor and Associate Chair of the Biology department, research has never been about reaching an end-point but obtaining as much knowledge as possible. His most recent research project, titled The Genomic Analysis of Liver Function, has proven this idea to be true. Lasting over four years, Dr. Bulla, with the help of graduate assistants and student workers, has worked diligently to understand what makes the liver function.  

Focusing from a microscopic perspective, he and his research team of four intend to get a broader understanding of the breakdown and processes of a failing liver. To perform such an experiment, Dr. Bulla utilizes liver cells from Rats to analyze the breakdown process. Specifically, he looks for mass irregulated genes and put them into non-liver cells.  From this he then coaxes them to make the non-liver cells into liver cells. 

The machine used to observe such abnormalities in genes plays a vital role in the actual observation of the genes. With the micro rays, the team incubates the micro rays and them washes them off with a media. After, they place micro rays inside of the machine and observe the fluorescents that shine off the dots and provide the team with a read out of the processes.

Though making it this far was no-straight shot. During these four years of research with micro rays, Dr. Bulla has went through a series of three different types of microforms. Progressively, the readout has become more accurate and innate for him to read. 

Dr. Bulla goes on to say, “Its amazing what you can do, what never thought was possible.” An experiment that once seemed both scientifically and financially impossible is now tangible for both students and professors of Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Bulla mentioned that within the last ten years, the type of scientific technology has allowed to more access to students. Not only that, but the technology has developed in a manner which provides more accurate results and allows the duration of experiments to be shortened significantly.

Everyone can agree the molecular reason why the liver does not function is the question at hand, but he focuses the experiments on the students. His main objective is to provide the students with experience which will further help them in their scientific careers. 

Down the line, Dr. Bulla hopes to work with new equipment to better understand RNA strands and continually provide research opportunities to both graduate and undergraduate students. 

For more information concerning this story, please contact: gabulla@eiu.edu. 

Web Office Gives EIU Homepage a Facelift

The Fall 2015 semester brings with it a new look for Eastern Illinois University’s website as the Web Office launches the latest iteration of its homepage.

“A redesign is necessary to keep things modern and continue to meet the ever-changing expectations of our prospective students,” explains Ryan Gibson, CATS director of web services. The university website’s last

 redesign came in 2012.

“We’re also using all the most recent analytics data to make sure our site is best serving the needs of all users,” says Gibson, referring to research on users’ habits and tendencies when accessing Eastern’s web space.

Jamie Kemp, graphic designer in the Web Office, said the biggest goal for this redesign was to make the site responsive, meaning it will have the same quality and appearance across all different screen sizes.

“We wanted the user to have the same EIU web experience regardless of whether they are exploring our site on an iPhone or a 27-inch HD display,” says Kemp. “With so many other websites becoming responsive and so many web users becoming accustomed to the mobile site being identical to the full site, it was imperative that we bring Eastern up to date.“

“We also wanted to take our homepage and build on the concept to create a space to really sell 

Eastern Illinois University to potential students. Now, the homepage will have a good amount of initial 

information for that potential student who hasn’t been previously introduced to EIU.”

Along those same lines, increased prominence of “call-to-action” links for applying now and 

scheduling a campus visit were an area of emphasis.  

Screenshot of trending section on EIU's new homepage

“I wanted those buttons to be one of the first things a new student would see when coming to the site,” says Kemp. “We also wanted to make the 

homepage a little more interactive for the viewer; we wanted to have a space for visitors to get a ‘first taste’ of Eastern through the Explore EIU section of the 

homepage. 

“We have also created a slide-out section that will give users a sense of personal customization by showing them their recently visited pages and recent searches.”

Secondary pages will also see revamping in an effort to make the most sought-after information readily 

available and easiest to find for users.

“In the university web world, the more ways you have of finding something, the better your user experience will be,” says Kemp. She adds that not everything will change; prominent homepage links to the A-to-Z Index, PAWS and Panthermail will remain.

“Both our click statistics from last year and our beta testing this year showed there is a large percentage of EIU website users who rely on those links,” said Kemp. “There are some boundaries that should be pushed when designing or updating a website, but at other times, you have to recognize those things that still work and why it’s important to keep them.”

Kemp mentioned beta testing; in the days leading up to the new website’s launch, 

prospective students, current students, and faculty members were brought in to give the new site a “dry run” with Web Specialist III Jay Grabiec  moderating the proceedings. Grabiec asked each participant to complete various tasks on the website, and their 

interaction with the new layout was observed and recorded for the purposes of fine-tuning. 

Jay Grabeic with student during beta-testing for the website

 “So much of Eastern’s potential student base has grown up using the InternTet; it has become imperative to catch their attention with the website. For many, their first impression of Eastern will be made online. It’s not just about having a nice flyer in a high school counselor’s office anymore. It’s about connecting with them on a digital and personal level and giving them a real reason to visit out campus. 

“They may not be able to tell you why a website is bad -- only that it IS bad -- but that is more than enough to turn someone away before they’ve even started exploring. We, at the very least, have to provide them with the same quality they experience through the rest of their web lives in order to stay competitive as a university.”

At the end of the process, Kemp is happy with how the new site has turned out.

“There were a few compromises I’ve had to make along the way, but in the end most of my ‘compromises’ ended up working out better for the overall design and user experience. I think more than anything we have done a better job of telling Eastern’s story and conveying why someone would want to call Eastern Illinois University home.” 

For more information regarding this story, please contact: wdwhite@eiu.edu or jlkemp@eiu.edu

Student Disability Services Intends to Change Learning Techniques with Captioning

With the aid of CATS Multimedia, Student Disability Services has cultivated what they intend to be a universal design that helps meet all the needs of students. Through captioning classroom videos, movies, lectures, and other various visual materials, they are able to accomplish a goal that 

predominately serves few but provides assistance to all.

According to Kathy Waggoner, the Director of Student Disability Services, the captioning service that CATS 

Multimedia provides is essential and greatly valued on this campus. Even though there are a noted four to five students with documented hearing impairments, she believes the service provided will help those students who haven’t yet identified with being disabled.

Waggoner also added, “Captioning provides a service that fulfills a need to all learners; for instance, some 

people do much better when they read information instead of hearing it. It’s for different learning styles, 

second-language English speakers, and many more.“ 

Broadening the definition of learning and accessibility on campus, she believes this is progressing the campus in a positive direction. 

Heather Santos, Alternate Media Technology Specialist, added that this change would provide an atmosphere conducive to learning more efficiently on campus. 

Prior to captioning, the student disability services provided lapels for professors and headphones specifically for students with hearing impairments. These students would then receive live feed coming from the professor’s lapel.  While this is still utilized, captioning remains as the preference in helping those with disabilities in the classroom. It provides a more discrete, easier way to catch every word. It also allows those without a disability ease when listening to difficult dialect or topics. 

Kyle Workman, the caption coordinator graduate assistant for CATS, stated, “Students with disabilities and the university as a whole both have a need for captioning services. Our university is comprised of students and faculty from all over the world; captioning support allows content to be accessible for all types of learners and individuals who may not have had the accessibility they needed or wanted without the support of CATS.”

With the help of CATS, student disability services wants to continue to provide the necessary resources for students with disabilities as well as those without.

For Information regarding this story, please contact: klwaggoner@eiu.edu or hnsantos@eiu.edu

A Collaboration to Bring Campaigns to Life for Illinois Premier Boys' State

“Advertisement for this organization [was] key.”

Over the summer, Gabriel Grant, an instructor in the school of technology and coordinator for Digital Printing Laboratory, had some assistance while filming the campaigns used for the Illinois Premier Boys’ state. With the helping hand of CATS Multimedia, the young men were able to learn 

post-production editing and how to utilize video equipment. 

While the young men were training and practicing patriotism, engagement in civic process, and learning leadership skills, Mr. Grant took it upon himself to aid the young men in making their campaigns and ideas come alive. Typically, it remained 

traditional to publish newspapers, but with financial hurdles, a new, creative idea was brought to life. Grant says, “I don’t think their reactions can captured on ink and paper; their reactions need to be captured visually.” 

Providing shotgun microphones and lighting equipment, Grant was in a position to bring life to this idea. Tasked with limited time, Mr. Grant was unable to thoroughly teach post-production editing to the young men; he turned to CATS Multimedia team for assistance in training, along with administering the green screen backdrop used.

Provided with a graduate assistant, Mr. Scott Wilkinson, Mr. Grant aided the young men in learning Adobe Premiere Pro in a condensed time period (three to four days). With the assistance of Mr. Wilkinson, the young men were able to learn how to use a non-linear editing software, which left them with more refined editing skills and knowledge of SLR cameras.

Adding the final touches on the project, Grant explains he was happy to provide the young men with “higher quality” equipment and felt that this experience would help them in the near future. Each of the videos completed were broadcasted via YouTube and were published on a nightly basis. 

Grant added that the videos were a great advertisement tool for Illinois Boys Premier, and the parents were ecstatic about seeing all that went on in the organization.

In the summer of 2016, Grant plans to work with Illinois Girls’ State Premier to provide similar results.  He also plans to utilize the services of CATS once again. 

More information on the Illinois Boys’ State Premier can be found on their website (http://illinoisboysstate.org) 

For more information regarding this story please contact: gjgrant@eiu.edu

ITC Showcases Advantages of New Office 365 in ‘30 Days’ Blog Series

Students migrated to the new Microsoft Office 365 email system in May 2014 with faculty and staff accounts beginning the transition in October. Tom Grissom, Director of the Instructional Technology Center (ITC), wanted to help instructors adapt to the high-impact move and also help them realize it can be so much more than an email system. To do so, he created a blog series called “30 Days with Office 365 for Educators.”

Grissom received a test account two weeks prior to the transition and realized he was going to get a lot of questions regarding Office 365, so he created the blog series to help the whole EIU community.

If you visit the ITC website (eiu.edu/itc), you will see, on the left-hand menu, a link called “ITC Chronicles Blog.” By visiting the link, you can get an overview of the “30 Days with Office 365 for Educators” postings. If you click on a specific entry, the article expands so you can read more in-depth about that particular topic. For example, day one’s entry gives a rundown of the new Panthermail system.

“Office 365 is the office suite in the Cloud. It is like a main frame,” says Grissom. “Think of the Cloud as these massive parallel-computing clusters on the Internet.”

The new system provides faculty and students access to the four major Office applications including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and OneNote. You can use them locally by downloading the applications to your computer, or you can use a browser to access them online in the Cloud. Connecting to these applications online gives you the ability to share documents in real time, have co-authors, use survey tools and much more.

OneDrive, a cloud-based file storage system, is the foundation of Office 365. Instead of carrying a USB drive everywhere you go, you can store documents in the Cloud and access them from any computer by logging into your account.

“OneNote is one of the most underrated tools in education,” states Grissom. “It is like a digital 3-ring binder, with different tabs and pages that can be used on different platforms.” Day 23 in the blog series goes into more detail about the application.

“These tools have opened up a whole other world; imagine the possibilities,” Grissom says. “Office 365 is very user friendly, very powerful, very collaborative and it offers us world-class capabilities. We can do so much more now. The tools are here, but it is up to us to use them.”

For more information visit the ITC website, eiu.edu/itc, or contact Dr. Grissom via email: gtgrissom@eiu.edu.

Art Department Utilizes Desire2Learn for New Masters Program

When prospective students consider studying art, they generally consider in-class coursework that deal with two- or three-dimensional projects, as well as in-class with critiques. However, the art department has recently developed an online graduate program that brings a whole new meaning to art education.

Dr. Patricia Belleville, an art education professor and the department’s graduate program director, has spent the last two years working to develop the Master of Arts in Art with Art Education and Community Art options program. This program is offered online -- with a few hybrid courses -- and relies on the Desire2Learn (D2L) online environment for completion of a majority of the coursework.

Screenshot of Pinterest art collection

Some projects students have completed include the creation of a map of their art education history and posting images of contemporary art practices. Each of these projects is shared on the discussion board in D2L, which allows other students to comment. “The discussion forums are not just about writing, but also more of a creative outlet for the students,” Belleville stated. The students have even been developing and curating an art collection on the Pinterest social media site.

“One of the students collected drawings from her son, providing information about how old he was and the time when his artwork was created. Another student used work from non-professional art learners in grades 11 and 12 that he had taught,” added Belleville.

The online format makes the program accessible to anyone. One student is currently enrolled while living and working as an art teacher in Thailand. He found out about the program via social media and decided it would be a good way to earn his master’s degree while teaching abroad.

Because its students are enrolled in two courses each semester, this graduate program is not like any other program on campus. One course is during the first 8-week session and the second course is during the second 8-week session. This allows students to focus on one course at a time. It also allows students to begin the program during the middle of a semester if they wish to do so.

Vineyard map of Art
Education History

As previously mentioned, hybrid courses are also offered. This means students come to campus for one week in the studio and complete the remaining three weeks at home. If students begin and go straight through the program, it is possible for them to complete the program in two years.

“How can we help these teachers get an advance in their pay grade and have it so that they can work their schedules around it?,” Belleville questioned. “This program is for certified art teachers and allows for them to be in different parts of the country and share their difference experiences with each other.”

For more information contact Dr. Patricia Belleville via email: pkbelleville@eiu.edu.

MOOCs – The Changing Face of Higher Education; By Thelca White

Over the past decade, higher education has experienced significant changes that have been spurred on by advancement in technology, particularly the Internet. These changes are hard to miss for anyone who is involved in academia in any capacity.

Undoubtedly, one of the most radical changes education has experienced in the last several years has been the introduction of Massive Open Online Courses, popularly referred to as MOOCs. MOOCs, at their core, are geared towards providing equal opportunities, and access to individuals irrespective of prerequisites, economic background, and physical location. However, while MOOCs have undoubtedly represented veritable options for students to pursue particular academic interests, they have advantages and disadvantages.

In terms of advantages, many will consider not having to pay money to access courses from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as significant. MOOCs are designed to be extremely interactive. It uses all the interactive media available on the Internet to engage students. The various tools used are blogs, videos, podcasts and forums that are embedded into the programs seamlessly. Although students study independently in these courses, they, at the same time, collaborate with their peers from different parts of the world.

Notwithstanding the fact that MOOCs offer many advantages, there are some challenges which they also face. MOOC designers face extremely high non-completion or drop out rates. This may be as a result of lack of structure that MOOCs engender. Another drawback of MOOCs stems from the fact that they simply have little practicality in the real world, except for personal edification. Since many courses offered by MOOCs are not accredited, they have little impact in helping to supplement other academic qualifications, particularly as it relates to career advancement.

Despite the disadvantages, MOOCs are an excellent alternative model for online learning and serve as great value within higher education.

For more information contact Thelca White via email: tpwhite2@eiu.edu.

Career Skillet Website Bridges Professionalism Gap Between Faculty and Students

How many times has a student come to your class with a paper due and asked for a stapler? Many faculty members think this is irresponsible while students tend to disagree. There is a vast disconnect between what faculty and students believe is irresponsible.  The Career Skillet website was developed to bridge the professionalism gap between faculty and students. 

Dr. Michelle Sherwood and her colleague, Dr. Jill Bowers from the University of Illinois, launched Career Skillet in July 2013.  Dr. Bowers has a research interest in emerging adulthood and Dr. Sherwood has two children who are emerging adults. With the help of some focus groups, the two combined their knowledge to develop the user-led Career Skillet website.

Dr. Sherwood began focusing on her children and the struggles they have had understanding professionalism and commonly used buzzwords that go along with it. She began looking into the classes she taught and asked her students to describe professional words, like networking. Many students would respond with: “We know we are suppose to do it, but what is it exactly and how do we do it?”

Screenshot of Career Skillet Website

The Career Skillet website is self-funded and targets emerging adults (students from high school to university) and is filled with information based on what they have been told by the emerging adults and the needs those emerging adults have identified. There are also sections related to the Family and Consumer Sciences field, including what FCS is, what FCS has to offer, jobs you can get specific to FCS, and FCS-related professional organizations.

Dr. Sherwood incorporates the use of the website in her graduate courses as well. Her Adolescents and the Family (FCS 5852) course and Current Issues and Trends in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS 5460) course have focused activities which teach her students to apply research to everyday life. If the activities are of high quality, they can publish them on the Career Skillet website. Anytime there is a guest author on the site, it is very likely to be a student from her course or perhaps a student from the University of Illinois.

Professional presentations are developed and given by Drs. Sherwood and Bowers regarding the Career Skillet website as well. They have presented at the Illinois Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the National Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Illinois Council on Family Relations.  They also use the presentations in their undergraduate core classes as an informational resource. “As we have done presentations to students about this website, their feedback has been fascinating,” Sherwood stated. “There are just basic things they do not know and when you stand in front of them as a faculty member, it makes you realize the gaps in what they did not know.”

Dr. Sherwood has also received some funding through Eastern to pay for photos and hosting.  She has also recently received a Winkleblack grant which will help fund the next idea they want to add to the website called “Nailed It, Failed It.” Her idea is to have students sit in on a mock interview where she can provide feedback after the interview and it can then be posted online. Viewers will then have the chance to vote if the student nailed the interview or failed the interview. The grant will help provide the video equipment and capabilities needed for this undertaking.

“Research shows that emerging adults want to participate in things. They want to be able to interact,” Sherwood added. “We are trying to make it fun and incorporate Buzz Feed articles, things of that nature to add to it.”

For more information visit the Career Skillet website (www.careerskillet.org) or contact Dr. Michelle Sherwood via email: mlsherwood@eiu.edu.

Expedition Endurance: An Inquiry to Human Survival

Why do people continue to flock to the Southwest after retirement? This is a region that is desperate for water, but is growing in population. Cameron Craig, geographer and professor in the Geology/Geography department, wanted to further research the aspects of water usage in the Southwest to educate Midwesterners on how water is used.

This summer, Craig took four students on a 14-day expedition to the region. Those on the trip included: Craig, project leader Nate Page, student director; Aric Pelafas, Darius Holland, and Jay Bushen. They traveled through New Mexico, Arizona, southern California, Utah and Colorado to talk with many individuals associated with water resource management. Each student was responsible for finding and setting up interviews in particular regions. 

“There were a lot of ‘firsts’ for the group, which was exciting for me to see,” said Craig. “Most of the students had never been anywhere in the Southwest before, and Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon was a first for all of us.” 

Aric and Cameron talk with Brian Werner about
water conservation practices for landscapes

The trip was very educational for the entire group. While in the Tucson area, the group met up with a past student, Kevin Jeanes, who serves as vice president of Craig’s film company Tempestas et Caelum Productions (TCP). Jeanes was excited to see these new faces in the TCP family. In Central Valley of Huron, Calif., the group talked with some local farmers who spoke in their native Hispanic tongue. Craig stated: “A human being that used to be happy can no longer be happy, because they cannot do what they did for years — farm.” Craig is also continuing to work with some of the members he met with on the trip.

The Tempestas et Caelum Films Facebook page has been a hit with 351 likes so far. It was a learning experience not just for the students and Craig, but also for those who followed them on Facebook. They each kept a daily diary about what they learned and experienced and shared with their followers who loved reading their reflections. TCP Films continues to receive comments and questions about the project and how we can think differently about water resources. 

Early this fall, TCP Films will be traveling to local schools presenting an educational experience about how we should be thinking about water in the Midwest. They will also be traveling to surrounding areas, including Indianapolis, Champaign, and Chicago, to present a circuit lecture series to educate residents about the project. The ultimate product from this project is a documentary film which they plan on airing on WEIU and surrounding PBS stations in the Midwest in late October or early November.

The TCP Films Family in Yosemite Valley

“We are grateful for those who helped fund the trip,” said Craig. Next year, Cameron Craig would like to take students out west to see how they deal with water resources there. 

Craig concluded: “I take students out, because I want to relive what it was like for me through their eyes. It is an expedition--we are exploring something new. Not necessarily new out there, but it’s new for me and the kids.”

For more information regarding the integrative learning trip visit tcpfilms.com or contact Cameron Craig via email: cdcraig@eiu.edu.

KSS Professor Uses Social Media to Interact with Students

Dr. Amber Shipherd

Social media has become an essential part of today’s world.  Social networking sites like Twitter are being used on an everyday basis with 255 million monthly active users (about.twitter.com/company). Because of the popularity of sites like these among students, Dr. Amber Shipherd, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Sports Studies, decided to incorporate them into her classroom.

Twitter is an online social networking application in which you can send messages – called “tweets” – consisting of up to 140 characters. Dr. Shipherd created a Twitter account strictly for academic use in her classroom. She teaches Sport and Exercise Psychology to both undergraduate and graduate students and noted that her undergraduate students use the application more than her graduate students. Dr. Shipherd uses the account to post articles from Yahoo! News that deal with topics being discussed in class.

 She uses the Twitter postings to find out if her students understand the material even though they are not talking in the classroom.  “Some students will not speak up in class, but are willing to read a short article posted on Twitter and start talking or tweeting about it.” She also uses the Twitter account as a quick way for her students to contact her with any questions regarding class or homework. With Twitter, she is able to give her students a quick response without the hassle of emailing back and forth.

Screenshot of Dr. Shipherd's Twitter Page

Dr. Shipherd has also began posting a “Tweet of the Day” – which includes posting a question at the beginning of class. Students then have an opportunity to comment; Dr. Shipherd can respond throughout the day. “The postings are another way to connect the material with stuff going on in the media and to see how it is being applied and used,” she mentioned.  

Geddit is another application that Dr. Shipherd has been incorporating into her classroom. Geddit is a free application that can be downloaded and used on any device. The application functions the same as using clickers in a classroom. So far, Dr. Shipherd has been using the application as an assessment check, creating and posting a question related to the discussion topics. “I can get an overview of the responses and see if students are understanding the content,” said Dr. Shipherd. “But I can also see individual student responses as well, and see that maybe I need to talk with them individually.” Geddit offers additional features such as incorporation into the curriculum. Eventually, Dr. Shipherd plans to integrate many more features of Geddit into her courses.

Although not all her students have devices in which the application can be downloaded, so far the responses from students who have been able to use it have been positive. She stated: “It’s a good way to get students thinking about and interacting with the content outside of the classroom.”

For more information on using Twitter or Geddit (www.letsgeddit.com) in the classroom,

contact Dr. Amber Shipherd via email: amshipherd@eiu.edu or find her on Twitter: @docshipherd.

MS in FCS Cohort Program Offers Opportunities for High School Teachers

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences at Eastern is a fully accredited program including a graduate program. The MS in FCS generates a great deal of interest from FCS high school teachers and Dr. Lisa Moyer, associate professor and graduate coordinator, noted: “There is a need for FCS high school teachers around the country to get their Master’s and many of them cannot get the time off from full-time teaching to receive their master’s.” After two years of planning and developing, Moyer has developed a mostly hybrid online cohort program for the school’s MS in conjunction with Dr. Linda Simpson, Interim Chair for FCS.

A cohort is a program of study in which a core group of students complete all the courses required in the curriculum together. The students begin the program together, take the same number of courses each semester, and graduate together. 

Years ago, a similar cohort was available in Schaumburg, IL. and was very successful. However, the drawback was the teachers committed to taking classes every other weekend for two years. The teachers enrolled in the new hybrid program already have an undergraduate degree in FCS, have their teaching certificate, and work full-time. With the new, mostly hybrid online version, it is much easier and the teachers are able to complete the program from the convenience of their own home.

Prior to developing the cohort program, Moyer completed a needs assessment with a target audience and asked 15 FCS high school teachers to complete a survey containing questions to determine their specific needs. The results from the survey were used to develop the program. The cohort program took two years to plan and fully develop with the first cohort beginning summer, 2014.

During the first semester of the program, students were required to attend an orientation and reception as well as complete two courses. The students came to campus for a two-week residency period in July. While on campus, they earned four credits, bonded with other teachers and the faculty, learned about the campus, and gained some familiarity with Eastern. The students who began the program this past summer will continue throughout the coming semesters taking all of the courses online to complete 6 hours per semester with 36 hours total and will finish the program in the summer of 2016. 

Moyer also feels the cohort program is a great recruitment tool. “Since they are FCS high school teachers, maybe they can recruit their students to attend Eastern for our undergraduate FCS program,” she explained.

Feedback from the students involved in the summer program has been very positive. “The students loved that they were able to earn four credits in two weeks and were busy all the time,” Moyer noted. “They wanted their time here to be productive and liked that it was.”

In the future, Simpson and Moyer would like to incorporate some children’s programming on campus. If the students have children between the ages of 5 and 12, there could be FCS-related programs such as sewing, cooking, living healthy, positive relationship skills training, etc., offered for them on campus, resulting in a certificate of completion for each. The next step for FCS is developing a Master’s in Gerontology cohort program as well. 

For more information on the FCS cohort program, visit the School of Continuing Education website, eiu.edu/adulted, or contact Lisa Moyer via email: lmmoyer@eiu.edu.