My teaching philosophy is based, in part, upon the theory of constructivism. However, I am also interested in aspects of the newer connectivism theory. While constructivism focuses on the way learners construct knowledge internally, connectivism focuses on the connections learners make between new information and their previous knowledge and experience. I incorporate the latest innovations and technology to create modules, or building blocks in the subject matter.  Content should not be merely presented as a series of discrete facts, but as an interrelated group of concepts.  Active learning and authentic assessment of pre-defined learning outcomes allow students to make connections between these building blocks and to tie this new knowledge into their existing cognitive structures.

I believe instructors must use a variety of tools and technologies to individualize instruction and toactively engage students in the learning process.  Although textbooks and lectures can provide a foundation for a course, alternative and supplemental materials and activities are necessary.  Articles, web sites, audio, video, images, discussions, and group projects motivate and assist students in making a personal connection to the subject matter.

In order to promote life-long learning, students must be given the opportunity to become active participants in their own education. 

Encouraging this participation, particularly in an online environment, requires a high level of comfort with the technological interface connecting instructor to student, and students to each other.  Interactive components, group facilitation, and constant feedback all work together to increase the perceived social presence of the instructor in an online course. Although they are implemented in a different way, these are the same elements necessary for a successful traditional class as well.

This perceived social presence, both on-ground and online, provides students with a sense of boundaries and connections, enabling them to confidently explore and incorporate new concepts and skills into their knowledge base.