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

Discussion Comment

Providing Feedback

Sandra, Providing the student with the guidance to define her own difficulties and collaborate on possible solutions with the instructor's assistance. The fact that she already understood that a deficiency existed opened the student to a likeliyhood of some level of being receptive to this approach. Very nice. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Managing Learner Behaviors - 2

Sandra, Excellent response. Good troubleshooting (problem-solving) always begins by clearly defining the problem. Strong approach. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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The Responsibilities of Teaching Online

Patricia, Well said. Keep your eyes on the prize - learning outcomes. All other 'responsibilities' are mostly logistics toward accomplishing this responsibility. Nice job. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Instructor Presence

Sandra, Many have shared the same initial experience with me. The relationship establishment in an online class is a bit of a challenge for many teachers coming from the f2f environment. The relationship to the student (as described by some) does take more of a 'backseat' to the student rather than authoritative leading of the student. Nevertheless, the instructor's authority of content and classroom procedure must be upheld for optimal clasroom management toward a conducive learning environment. A tough order to fill, many times. Good point - thanks. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Instructor Presence

Edward, Good point! Facilitation of an online class is as much of an art as teaching f2f. Some of the skills differ, but the desired outcome is the same. Thanks for your input. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Faculty Expectations

Sandra, Your enthusiasm for the socially interactive and fun aspect of learning is the trademark of so many great teachers. It reflects Vygotsky's (and others') focus on the critical place the collaborative, interactive human connections have in learning. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Faculty Expectations

Patricia, You have not underestimated the importance of this aspect of the transition for many learners. Your stated approach establishes one component of a strong foundation to overcome the learner's challenge of transitioning from f2f into the online classroom. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Instructor Presence

Patricia, I love the passionate educator. Much of getting the content to the student is packaging it to be received. The nonverbal communications avaialble in the f2f sometimes provide a sinificant boost to the message being delivered when the teacher has that intuitive 'way about him/her' to maximize the message through emphasis, deemphasis, voice inflections, facial gestures, etc. As online instruction continues to develop, the persinalization of the delivery is one of the emphsized components to make the medium more effective. Keep the vision - and have fun. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Managing Learner Behaviors - 2

Edward, Yes, the private discussion is an essential component to quelling unwanted class-wide postings. Especially the real-time discussion (chat or phone) is often a powerful tool for the emotionally impulsive students who need 'immediate' answers. Nice job. Thanks for sharing.

Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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Engaging Learners in Discussion

Yes, Edward. I find exaclty the same difficulty with students' affinity for filling in the space with reiterations instead of a 'deeper dive' to provide a reflective comment with additional insights - even when the opportunity is easily available. The 'tag along questions' seem to have been my best success to date. Thanks for sharing your insights.

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