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

Tina, The instructor "push" is an excellent use of the online classroom technology. Consistent engagement on the part of the student is a foundational component of continuous advancement of the learning curve. A continuous flow of encouragement and reminders from the instructor are invaluable for some of those shy and apprehensive students. Very good point. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Matt, Your explanation is very good. And I think all veteran online instructors would generally agree. The difficulty in our regulatory world, is that a specific number for operational efficacy and compliance regulation is being determined in many organizations. Accrediting bodies are attempting to decide maximum numbers say teachers are not overloaded at the same time for-profit institutions are trying to maximize teacher resources across their student populations. The likelihood of having different maximum/minimum class populations for different types of classes is not very high. I think the fundamental bases of your approach are academically solid. This is just one… >>>

Sonya, Your ratio is in the midst of most online instructors. For most post secondary classes, the consensus is generally at 20:1 as you purport. Very good. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Tina, This is an interesting perspective. Having 40 students with multiple discussions seems to be an advantage for dynamic class discourse. I agree. Structuring the discussions so students interact more with one another, than with the instructor, provides a much broader base of knowledge in the discussion. Very nice. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Eryn, You are so very right. Modeling the behavior of being engaged in classroom activities is one of the most powerful instructor behaviors for getting students engaged. Excellent point. Thanks Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Matt, Yes, the prerequisite knowledge being brought to the class by the students is a very reasonable expectation. This is a very good point. I know many of us in the post secondary environment have multiple examples where this is not the case and the student suffers for it. Excellent addition to this discussion. Thanks. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Daniel, Time and interaction are often the focus to improve online instruction. Especially if the courses are primarily text-based in their format. The extra effort required in these areas is often indicated by instructors for online instruction being more demanding then teaching in a traditional classroom. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Daniel, This is a good solid approach. The "pick me up" and the "gentle reality check" fit the circumstance well. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Nichole, Very good points. These Socratic approach (questioning for deeper understanding) is a very useful tool in both traditional and virtual classrooms. It is particularly useful to enhance student engagement and the online discussions. Thank you for your insights. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Daniel, Many agree with you. However, many believe the technology may advance far enough within a few decades to accommodate all kinds of learning. Nevertheless, in today's environment it does "add to" and "provide competition" for traditional classrooms. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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