O'Neal helps navigate digital age through Center for Teaching & Learning
Lacey Klotz |
In our current digital age, universities must rely on creative, collaborative and innovative techniques as a means of educating students.
At Lipscomb University, the Center for Teaching & Learning supports this reality by providing superior educational programs, services and resources, as well as promoting a community of scholars where the practice of teaching and learning is valued, shared and sustained.
Founded in 2012 by Susan Galbreath, senior vice president for strategy, and Al Austelle (’68), faculty training and support, the center added Keith O’Neal (’02) to the team as the instructional designer in 2013.
As an instructional designer, O’Neal works with faculty to assist them in creating online, traditional and hybrid courses that are designed to meet the needs of students and professors while creating quality learning experiences and maintaining Lipscomb’s unique focus as a Christian university.
“The sole purpose for Lipscomb’s Center for Teaching & Learning is to inspire innovation and support excellence,” said O’Neal. “We are a hub to provide resources and conversations about teaching, learning and professional development all directed towards the quality of instructional skills.”
A native of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, O’Neal earned his bachelor’s in education from Lipscomb and his master’s in education and instructional technology from Ashland University. Prior to working with the CTL, O’Neal spent 10 years teaching for Reynoldsburg City Schools where he worked with multiple school districts to help K-12 teachers utilize technology as an effective teaching tool.
“We also identify and evaluate new technology for academic application and host multiple trainings and workshops that foster professional growth,” O’Neal continued. “CTL workshops are an interactive time for discussion and hands-on experiences. They often focus on the use of technology in both online and face-to-face classes, and topics of emphasis often include: Pedagogy, Blackboard, Social Media, Student Learning and general purpose academic applications.”
In addition to helping design courses and host workshops, O’Neal is also tasked with marketing the center through various efforts including social media, conferences and published articles.
In a recent ZipBoard blog titled “Into the Elearning World – Interview with an Instructional Designer, Keith W. O’Neal,” O’Neal talked about the key roles instructional designers play in creating e-learning experiences.
“At Lipscomb I am the sole full-time instructional designer for the university, and work under a ‘train-the-faculty’ model. While I do some design work, my largest task is training faculty to design and create their own quality courses online. I fully enjoy the experience of working with faculty in this way and feel more ownership is taken when they are designing their own course. I am more the consultant and quality assurance officer to assist them as needed though the development of a new course.
“I am also given the freedom (and encouragement) to speak at other colleges and conferences to promote teaching and learning in the classroom and online. Our Center for Teaching & Learning mission is to ‘support excellence and inspire innovation’ and my administration supports me to do that everywhere, not just at Lipscomb.”
O’Neal is very active on Twitter and Facebook, shares his thoughts on Ed.Tech, participates in several annual conferences including the Online Learning Consortium and the Quality Matters Conference, and recently received a submission invitation to publish an article in the Journals of U.S.-China Education Review A & B.
The Minnesota Online Quality Initiative also recently invited O’Neal, along with Hope Nordstrom, assistant professor and director of curriculum and instruction in Lipscomb’s College of Professional Studies, to be the featured speakers at their 2017 STAR Symposium on February 10.
O’Neal said because our society encourages flexibility and customization, there is an increasing demand for educational opportunities online. And because Lipscomb offers a distinctively Christian education, there is a great opportunity to impact the Kingdom through online courses.
“The reality is the void for online courses is going to be filled, and we at Lipscomb have an opportunity to fill that void in a big way,” said O’Neal. “As we look at our online programs, the thing I am always telling professors is we have a niche as a Christian University, and although online may be the hardest place for that to come forward, it should be an important place.”
The CTL is located in Beaman 100, and offers walk-in and scheduled appointments on any topic, in addition to the workshops and training sessions. For more information, contact ctl [at] lipscomb.edu or visit www.lipscomb.edu/ctl.