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

Angela Hutchinson, I like your wheel analogy. Sometimes our "wheels" may have individual preferences that we use as knowledge at different times. If we can individually verify what we understand as our knowledge to be truly objective knowledge, then I believe your analogy is very accurate. The post. Thank you for your insights. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Kevin, Your approach is very reasonable. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Chad, This is an important aspect. A few years ago it was not uncommon to hear someone say, "I don't have to go to college for my degree I'll just get it online." There are still some students who approach the online classroom with that misconception. Setting the expectations up front can be helpful. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Chad, Your rationale and conclusion are shared by many traditional and online instructors. In contemporary learning environments the ability to replace the traditional classroom with online learning is heavily dependent on the objectives to be achieved. Good post. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Chad, Direct questions for many students is a great invitation. For some, it may intimidate but still garner a response. Getting the learners engaged in the discussion is almost always move in the positive direction. Even though it may be painful for some. Good approach. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Chad, This is a forthright and reasonable approach. Validating the student by thanking him and offering additional discussion time indicates your determination to uphold course standards while addressing his issues. Good post. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Alicia, Please elaborate on this idea. I don't quite understand it. Thank your for your considered participation. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Alicia, Can you share an example of determining the basis by the workload and demand of the course? I am not sure I understand the distinction between the two. Thank you for your contribution. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Alicia, Agreed, but do you foresee online replacing traditional? Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
Alicia, Quite right, they do. Dr. S. David Vaillancourt

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