Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

About me

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt currently serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the College of Health Care Professions based in Houston, Texas. Prior to this post he worked as an e-Learning consultant for companies across the USA. His primary research focus over the past four years has been the development of online learning Engagement Metrics. Dr. Vaillancourt’s 27 years of service in education includes multiple levels of experience in both private and public educational institutions. His professional positions include Online Campus President for Virginia College, National Dean of ITT's Online Division, Director of Education for Ultimate Medical Academy, President of a two-campus allied health college in Utah, Certified Cisco Academy Instructor, Master Certified Novell Instructor, and K-12 public school science teacher.

Dr. Vaillancourt’s BS and MS in Education were earned from Samford University in 1983 and 1989, respectively. He completed his Ed.D. in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University in May 2004. Dr. Vaillancourt designed, founded and chaired the non-profit National Math Bee (2006-2011), which provided an online learning community for over 15,000 elementary school mathematics students in 37 states across the country.  He was a US Army soldier prior to his career in education.

Activity

Natalie, This is very thorough and timely. Maintaining consistent and frequent feedback that continuously reinforces the expectations is an excellent procedure. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Heidi, You are right that taking time to carefully consider the available ideas is an important part of critical thinking. As you consider multiple perspectives, sometimes acknowledgment of those perspectives can allow the contributors to realize you are considering all that is being said. This "thinking out loud" can also aid in your review as you reflect upon the available perspectives. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Sharon, Your thorough, positive, individualized approach to each student is well-stated. This is an excellent, detailed instructional follow-up with the students. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Sharon, There is some research evidence indicating the advantages you identify for the blended approach. My initial experience with online back in 1999 was in a blended environment. I agree with you that the blended approach allows leveraging of each delivery method off of the other. As many have stated, "It is the best of both worlds." Thank you for sharing your insights. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Matt, I agree the immediacy and the nonverbal cues in a face-to-face conversation allow less effort toward using precise vocabulary in order to adequately convey an idea. Very good point. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Matt, Fair enough. Thank you for your valuable contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Mark, Your comments are very important with regards to the instructor's obligation to the students. As course facilitators, when we model adherence to stated expectations and provide professional responses, it sets a standard for the students to follow that example. Excellent point. Thank you for sharing. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Sharon, Providing the students with his metacognitive map to evaluate their own work before your evaluation substantiates it, is an excellent higher-level thinking instructional method. Very good. Thank you for sharing. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
William, I believe your approach is right on target to meet the needs of the entry-level professionals you are preparing. Because both linear and cyclical thinking are sequential in nature, some students may have difficulty distinguishing between the two. However your cyclical approach is much more comprehensive because it requires the evaluation of the end result to determine if the end result is a comprehensive resolution. Very good insights. Thank you for sharing. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Dani, I wholeheartedly agree with your approach to open discussions and encouraging everyone to participate. However, emphasizing there are no right or wrong answers may be counterproductive when it comes to developing analytical skills. Analyses are often implemented in order to find an objective solution within a complex set of circumstances. There may be instances where philosophical analyses may not be looking for a right or wrong answer, so I would agree in that setting. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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