Topics: Online Education, College of Applied Sciences and Technology

September 28, 2009

Mary Annette Rose, associate professor of technology, is the winner of the Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award in the School of Extended Education.

The award, established in 2002, honors a full-time professor who has proven to be the most dedicated to teaching continuing education courses at off-campus sites.
Rose received the award for her ongoing commitment to distance education and her concern for developing and improving instructional materials, developing media-rich lessons for students and guiding students, said Mitch Whaley, dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Technology (CAST).

"She has tirelessly made outstanding contributions in distance education," Whaley said. "She is an educational innovator with courage, insight and caring."

In 2009 with the funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rose orchestrated a Web-based seminar series for practicing teachers across the country. This professional development experience, EnviroTech, enabled 20 technology teachers and more than 400 students to examine the environmental and health impacts of their technological decisions.

Rose earned a doctorate in instructional systems technology and has 15 years of experience teaching at the middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate levels.

She has developed instructional materials for, taught four different online graduate courses and has been the sole instructor for the graduate Research in Technical Education course. After discovering a need for an additional course that addresses the evaluation of technical education curriculum, she developed a course in fall 2008.

"Her introduction of a model for learning and her use of well-organized teaching and learning plans have helped other faculty in their online teaching," Whaley said.

Rose conducted research on CAST's first online course by comparing collaborative and cooperative group structures in problem-based learning. Her article based on the research won the 2005 Wedemeyer Award for Outstanding Scholar in Distance Education.

"Dr. Rose is a teacher and scholar, using original cutting-edge research that informs the field and improves education," Whaley said. "She is internationally well-respected in distance education."

Rose's work has been published in the American Journal of Distance Education. She has given presentations at the Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education, the Annual Conference of Distance Teaching and Learning and the International Technology Education Association Annual Conference. She also serves as an advisor for many distance graduate students.

"Dr. Rose encourages students to enroll in meaningful electives and tirelessly responds to their many requests," Whaley said.

The award was named after Joseph Rawlings, dean emeritus of the School of Extended Education. Rawlings worked nearly 20 years to create and develop the university's distance learning program.

By Chanel Richards