BCCC continues to lead Eastern NC with six Blackboard award-winning courses

Beaufort County Community College professors continue to find engaging ways to deliver online instruction, earning them additional awards through Blackboard’s Exemplary Course Program (ECP). Six courses have now earned the Blackboard Exemplary Course Award keeping BCCC in the lead for most award-winning courses in eastern North Carolina. The college has also implemented the BCCC Online Certification Program, which works in conjunction with the ECP and provides additional training for participants.

Blackboard is the primary platform for online instruction at BCCC. With most classes having an online component and some classes being exclusively online, how instructors use the platform affects student success. The ECP awards program recognizes faculty from schools, colleges and universities around the world who develop engaging and innovative courses that represent the very best in technology and learning.

Submitted courses are evaluated by other course developers, instructional designers, teachers and professors using the ECP Rubric.

Robin Lilly was the first at BCCC to submit a course, CIS-110, for review and earn an Exemplary Course Program Award. Since then, Dr. Stacey Russell won awards for MUS-110 and MUS-112, Dr. Kimberly Mullis won awards for MAT-110 and MAT-171; and Crystal Watts won an award for CJC-111.

Through the BCCC Online Certification Program, participants learn best practices in online course design and instruction. Currently, eight instructors have completed the program and earned their certification. The most recent recipients of this honor include professors Ron Baldwin for PED-110, Amanda Carlisle for CHM-151, Justin Littlefield for HUM-115, and Kate Purvis for ACA-122.

English professor Justin Littlefield has been an integral part of BCCC’s dedication to excellence in online instruction.

“I found that the work I was doing for my online courses was double or triple what it was for my in-person classes. I knew something had to be done to make it better,” said Littlefield. “I’m now more mindful of different learning styles, different ways of engaging with students, and different ways of having students engage with each other.”

“With the increased reliance on online classes on our campus, and especially during 2020, it is highly important that we are delivering the best possible product for our students to ensure that our students are getting what they need,” said Littlefield.

“My course went from a more passive learning experience to a more active learning experience,” said criminal justice professor Crystal Watts who holds an ECP award for her CJC-111 class. “The feedback I received from the ECP reviewers was very beneficial. I find myself constantly updating my class to include this advice.”

Many of the professors who have achieved certification are working with other professors to encourage certification, along with the guidance of Kate Purvis, BCCC’s Blackboard administrator.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that online instruction can help keep students moving forward in their education even in the middle of a crisis. Online courses are preferred by students who would like to continue their education without pausing their career, or who need to juggle family schedules. Skipping the commute can help students move seamlessly from an activity at home or at high school to a college class, and save on transportation costs.

Through award-winning courses taught by online-certified instructors, BCCC offers an excellent alternative to the traditional classroom experience.