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ALSO
IN THIS ISSUE Hat Trick Choreographing a Romance Evolution of a Biology Professor Sweet Rewards Academic Stepping Stone Chancellor's Column Development News Factoids Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff… |
Evolution of a Biology Professor From
the microscope to the Mac? It’s not so far a leap as some may suspect,
according to Ric Matthews, a science professor at Miramar College, and
one of the district’s leading experts in instruc- tional technology. “When
teaching the sciences, we have so much instrumentation around that is
classified as technology,” Matthews said. “It’s a natural
progression for us. We scientists didn’t wake up one day and say,
‘Oh my gosh, technology!’ I always thought the two complemented
each other.” Matthews
taught a telecourse as far back as 1977, so by the time he came to the
district in 1982, he was well-versed in and comfortable with the idea
of alternative teaching methods involving plugged-in tools. Matthews was
elected the local academic senate president, then served four years on
the statewide academic senate board. “That’s
when statewide teaching technology began to blossom,” he said. “I
became the first technology chair for the state academic senate, and was
very fortunate that if something new happened in technology, I was right
there to see how it worked. We developed a master plan for a California
Virtual University. It was an educational master plan that advocated as
well as practiced instructional technology.” By
the mid-90s, Matthews was a well-known and respected user of instructional
technology methods in the district, and worked with other like minded
professors on developing and refining the use of video conferencing and
web-based teaching methods. A
longtime champion of the Mac who had a genuine interest in computers even
“in the pre-Nintendo days,” Matthews became known for his instincts,
helping new, tech-based teaching ideas flourish, gently guiding reluctant
but willing professors toward futuristic methods. In
1998, Matthews became the first person to teach in the district using
interactive video conferencing, offering a human genetics class for both
Miramar and City college students. “I
was at one site and the students at another,” he said. “We did
it the entire semester and it was a great success.” Matthews
remains active in the California Virtual Campus, a project that continues
to grow and prosper. Again this June, community college faculty from around
the state will converge on Mesa College for a five-day institute in how
to get teaching material online. Along
with all the tech talk, though, Matthews stays tuned to the human elements. “Here’s
one of the things I like about online teaching,” Matthews said. “In
a classroom setting, participation is often practiced by the least shy.
However, if you do a threaded discussion online, where students have the
chance to think about their answers, you will get a much more active response.” Does
all this mean, though, that human connection among students and teachers
could be lost forever? “Actually,
I think this kind of teaching reminds us how important interaction really
is,” Matthews said. “What we need to do as online teachers is
make sure interaction remains integral, and that students are rewarded
for participating.” Participation
has always been important to Matthews, who moves in at least two different
worlds. “My
evolution has been a divergence, in terms of career,” he said. “I’ve
tried to go down both paths. I could give up science and go to tech, or
the other way. But right now I enjoy the balance. I don’t mind staying
in the middle of the road.”
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