“Communication is critical to student success in online education. Therefore, it is important that administrators, faculty, and advisors learn to utilize both high and low tech strategies to connect with students on a regular and timely basis. Keep in mind that today’s students are looking for a quality “academic experience” and not simply an online course so effective communication is going to be key to engagement and retaining students from matriculation to graduation.”
Dr. Kristen Betts has over 15 years of experience in distance education, program development, and evaluation. She publishes and presents nationally and internationally on online and blended education, student/faculty recruitment and retention, communication, Online Human Touch, and faculty development. She is a reviewer for four refereed online education journals and serves as a reviewer for numerous national conferences. Dr. Betts was appointed as the first Director of Online Learning at Armstrong Atlantic State University to develop an infrastructure for online and blended programs in July 2011. Prior Armstrong, Dr. Betts served as the Senior Director for eLearning at Drexel University. In this position, Dr. Betts actively led innovative online and blended program initiatives across Drexel’s 13 colleges and school and the Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento, CA which included over 90 online and blended programs, 8,000 students, and 500 online faculty. She served as the Chair of the Online Learning Council (OLC). Dr. Betts was the founding Director of the blended EdD Program in Educational Leadership & Management for the Philadelphia campus and the founding Director of the online Master of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) Program. Dr. Betts was actively involved in program and campus initiatives that were recognized for distinguished national and international awards including: 2008 Best Practices Award in Distance Learning Programming from the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA); 2010 Sloan-C Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Education; Grand Bronze Medal Award and Gold Award for the 2011 NASPA Excellence Awards; and the 2011 Blackboard Collaborate™ Hall of Fame Award for Excellence in Collaboration.
Dr. Karyn Holt was appointed on September 1, 2011 as the first Director of Faculty Development and Online Quality within the College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University. Dr. Holt is producing innovations within the College that ensure the quality of online education offered in the College is indeed quality higher education. She is initiating Quality Matters™ reviews throughout the programs in the College as well as working on the University-wide Online Learning Council to help develop the same quality across the Colleges. Dr. Holt is a certified Quality Matters™ Peer Reviewer. Dr. Holt has developed other initiatives within the College which have result in a cohesive, coordinated and targeted new faculty orientation program. Dr. Holt has received distinguished national awards for her programs and initiatives including the 2009 Outstanding Educator Award in Online Learning, Drexel University, (USDLA) and the 2010 Hasmilller Award and Grant (American Red Cross). In 2010, Dr. Holt was named to the prestigious Blackboard Platinum™ Circle and continues to me a contributing faculty member. Dr. Holt serves on national and international journal review boards such as the Journal of Forensic Nursing, and the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Holt presents nationally and internationally as an invited speaker on the topic of online learning.
