Business News

Wadsworth Receives UT System Telecampus Award

—November 27,2001

Richard Wadsworth, associate professor of management science, was presented the UT System TeleCampus Teaching Excellence Award this fall. Richard Wadsworth, associate professor of management science, was presented the UT System TeleCampus Teaching Excellence Award this fall.

The award recognizes an outstanding individual who has creatively presented learning materials through the UT TeleCampus. The recipient must use an imaginative approach and demonstrate rapport with the students. Wadsworth was nominated by his students.

Wadsworth developed and taught the first UTSA course in the MBA Online program in the Fall of 1999. The course, Quantitative Analysis in Business, is an introduction to managerial decision analysis through the use of quantitative tools.

He designed his course as a series of labs, which are much like chapters in a book. Each lab contains a briefing room, an exercise room and a communications room. In the briefing room, students find an overview of the topic addressed much like a narrated lecture. In the exercise room, examples, problems and interactive coaches are found. Finally, in the communications room students can download files, access discussion forums and complete online testing.

"The subject of learning in a computer-assisted environment has been a passion of mine for over 35 years," said Wadsworth, whose dissertation was on this subject. "Until recently this forum couldn't be explored because most students didn't own computers."

Wadsworth will present the course again this spring. When teaching Wadsworth spends at least five hours a week in online group discussions and two hours a day reading and responding to students e-mails.

"I have found that online courses promote better communication with all students than regular courses," he said. "In a typical course, I'd interact with 25 percent of my students. In the online community that increases to almost 80 or 90 percent."

Each of the eight UT components participating in the program offers two courses that lead to the 48-hour degree. Jim Groff, professor of accounting, teaches in the program as well.

The TeleCampus features an award-winning Web site similar in design to a traditional campus with admission links, learning resources and support services. Students apply to the institution of their choice and receive their degree from that institution. Courses are held each semester to keep with current academic schedules.

Wendy Frost—

Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu

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