Maryland Association Honors Educational Excellence at October Meeting

Chestertown, MD — When the Maryland Association of Higher Education convenes at Washington College on Oct. 15, attendees can look forward to more than standard conference fare. They'll be treated to a showcase of exemplary educational programs from around the state, one of which includes following the Mongol hordes at Washington College. The hordes aren't roaming the campus. They're safely confined to an animated Web-based map, one of several Assistant Professor Clayton Black uses in his course on early Russian history. The College's use of Web technology in instruction was chosen as an exemplary program by the association.

Eleven Washington College professors work with Nancy Cross, instructional technologist, and Gerry Waterson, assistant director of academic computing, to develop Web-based courses. Their initiatives and computer software training for the faculty and staff of the College are funded by $300,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that supports cost-effective use of technology in teaching. Black says that Web-based instructional technology enables his students to visualize subtle historical points and encourages them to present their best writing for papers posted on the course site.

Also recognized at the conference will be programs from the University of Maryland, College Park; Prince George's Community College; Carroll Community College; Frostburg State University; and Salisbury State University.

Members of the Maryland Association of Higher Education exchange ideas for improving higher education in the state. At the Oct. 15 conference, the MAHE will also announce the winner of its Lifetime Achievement Award.