At the heart of Bowling Green State University are 861 full-time faculty members who devote their energies to teaching, research, and working closely with students. Many are national and international experts in their field; others are authors; still others have won awards for both teaching and research. Their reputations as scholars, authors, and teachers complement the faculty's role as people who care about students and the future of the University. The personal attention students receive from the faculty and support staff contributes to the small college atmosphere that is distinctive at BGSU's on-site and online classes.

Dr. Christopher Mruk
Natural and Social Sciences
Firelands, Professor
I have been teaching online courses continually since 1997 at Bowling Green State University and would be the first to admit that they have strengths and weaknesses. In general, my experience suggests that any course that can be taught well in a seminar format can also be taught well online. Offering key readings, setting up meaningful experiences, and holding genuine discussions can be done online, providing an instructor realizes that courses cannot simply be transposed from one environment to the other. All successful courses require careful planning, high standards, some creativity, real commitment, and hard work. It should be no surprise that when these essential teaching ingredients are present, the outcome is usually positive for an online course too.

Amanda McGuire Rzicznek
General Studies Writing Program
In the past couple of years I've noticed an increase in use of technology among our students: from texting to Facebook to listening to iPods. In order to be effective instructors, I believe it's essential that we embrace our students' fascination with technology and find innovative ways to incorporate technology as a teaching tool. With this realization in mind, it's my goal to give students in my online courses the same experience as those in my face-to-face classes. By utilizing discussion boards, wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 applications, I replicate in my online courses the same high-level of rigorous discussion, group work collaboration and practice with strengthening writing skills that I expect of my face-to-face students. In my online writing courses, to teach lessons I use podcast lectures posted to a class blog, which also serves as a community builder and announcements space. To introduce essays, I even created YouTube videos that discuss the objectives of and possible ideas for each essay cycle. Teaching online provides me with the experience to further develop my teaching philosophies and methods in both online and classroom settings; it's been a valuable and rewarding experience.
Listen to a podcast with Amanda about her experiences teaching online

Dave Haus
History Department
My online courses keep students involved by having them read actual history books and discuss them. Students are not just learning about the past; they must participate in the process of reconstructing it and understanding it. Class discussion is the centerpiece of my online courses, and it enables students to think historically, debate ideas, relate the past to the present, and develop a fuller understanding of the world around them. Discussions are also enhanced by the diversity of the virtual classroom. Students from all walks of life in different states and countries take the courses. Imagine discussing World War II with students from England and Germany or the history of the Middle East with students from the United States and students from the Middle East. BGSU's distance learning program makes this kind of interaction a reality.
Listen to a podcast with Dave about his experiences teaching online