James Jackson

Location: chicago, il

About me

James is the Senior Associate at JAJ & Associates, Adjunct Faculty and eLearning Consultant at MaxKnowledge and member of the Board of Advisors of Dream Catchers Global. James was the Associate Provost of Faculty Development, President of the Online Division at Harrison College and the Director for the Center of Technology Resources for Indiana Business College. Because of his extensive background in technology and his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for assisting aspiring business owners, James has provided his leadership/project management skills in many start-up operations mentoring dozens of young leaders over his career. All providing great growth opportunities for his stakeholders.

James has developed more than 50 courses and dozens of programs in the areas of technology, business, progress management and general education. James has been an instructor for more than 15 years during which time he provided training to over 500 trainers and more than 5000 students. His academic background includes a Masters of Education in Occupational Training and Development and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation in Higher Education Administration emphasis on Strategic Enrollment Management. James enjoys working with students and assisting them through complex concepts which he is able to turn into easy to understand and usable skills.

A full profile of my professional career is available on LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesajacksonjr

Connect with me on LinkedIn and here in the Lounge.

Interests

my family, golf, tennis, swimming, and participating in youth sports.

Skills

faculty development, elearning, program and curriculum development, project management, business analysis and technology integration

Activity

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Improving Classroom Management

Rebecca, well done and students respect organization and appreciate knowing the lesson plans in as much detail as possible. That said, there is nothing wrong with the occasional change in plans to keep students on their toes. Let students know day one of class that the weekly plans will comprise 90% of the lesson plans but you reserve the right to make some changes as you feel they are needed to keep the learning fresh and exciting for the students. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Yvette, thanks for sharing your own experiences with exams. For some instructors that have never experienced a level of anxiety related to exams they may have a difficult time understanding this side of the student experience. Knowing the material is a key part of good test taking but is not a 100% accurate model of testing outcomes. The best instructors take the time to understand the results of tests and the learning outcomes. If test anxiety is part of the cause of lower than expected scores then actions need to take place to assist those students that know the materials… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Sally, great post. ALL forms of assessment should be part of the learning process. If quizzes or other forms of assessment are not reviewed and students are not allowed to learn from their mistakes then why was the instrument part of the course curriculum? Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Improving Classroom Management

Maria, there is nothing wrong with strict as long as you have their respect. Fair but firm can be a very good thing. I know some instructors that get very high marks on their student evaluations but then students make negative comments behind their backs. Even worse are those instructors that get high scores on student feedback forms but their students do not learn what is needed for a following course. I believe a part of an instructor evaluation should come from other instructors that teach subsequent courses. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Improving Classroom Management

Jeff, the perfect situation rarely exists. There will be times when you need to make small adjustments to move the classroom forward. The focus overall on the guide is like another adaptation of an 80/20 rule. The guide will get you buy 80% of the time and gain the respect of your students but there is also that 20% when you need to use other tactics to move the classroom in a direction that gets you back on your original track. This is not to say that the guide cannot be 100% effective as it can certainly accomplish that goal… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Traits of Successful Instructors

Jennifer, there are limits of what you can do if you yourself are under a controlling institution. The best practice is to always try new things that can impact your students in a positive way but you also need to ensure you have the support of your institution. I would recommend engaging in discussion with your leaders and find out how others within your institution are experiencing success as guides versus controllers then make the appropriate changes. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

ALYSON, can you provide some specific examples of how you are intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. I understand you stated you are both but some specific examples would assist in building upon the purpose of the discussion. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Fear Factor with Tests

Daniel, what are the goals for the learning outcomes of the course? Do the majority of students meet these goals? If not, what discussions can you have with those that manage the curriculum to explain the issues to them? May be a simple matter of discussion with those that manage the course content. Should the course be broken into two classes to allow more time to properly cover the content. In some cases, courses are designed to meet the needs of a select few or exceptional students and the rest are weeded out so it is difficult to provide assistance… >>>

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Improving Classroom Management

Gary, thanks for sharing. Please come back and share how the changes you make impact your classes and the learning outcomes of your classes. James Jackson

James Jackson

Discussion Comment

Improving Classroom Management

Laura, it is obvious by your comments you are an outstanding instructor. Lifelong learning is a critical trait that all great instructors share. James Jackson

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