Dr Risa Blair is Passionate leader and trainer with extensive experience in higher education and corporate settings, including project management, curriculum development and delivery for face-to-face and online settings. Exceptional skills in facilitating content delivery to meet the needs of the client. Strong proponent of utilizing real world experience and technology to promote and reinforce learning, as well as to meet required outcomes. Easily able to deliver technical content to non-technical audiences. Quality Matters trained online course reviewer.
Dr. Tina M. Serafini is a global corporate trainer, and curriculum designer/consultant for T.M.Serafini & Associates, LLC. In addition to Dr. Serafini’s educational background in multi-disciplinary programs and leadership, she also has over seventeen years experience in business and over twenty-five years of service on community and statewide boards. Some of her strengths include: assessment of processes, curriculum development, project management, negotiations, team building and training, strategic planning, and working with global professionals. Over twelve years as a professor, Dr. Serafini developed the ability to assess complex situations, apply reasonable solutions, lead university committees, and develop teams. She also has over six years experience leading curriculum development projects and/or as a subject matter expert in the communications, customer service/sales, education, healthcare, and information technology fields. Commitment to staying current with new technologies, hardware, and software applied in distance learning. Special interests in adult learners, using emerging modalities, and developing interactive methods to engage learners.
Current research Interests include: teaching multiple generations in the online environment, using technology to foster learning in online classes, and exploring differences/similarities in education and training.
Commitment to staying current with new technologies, hardware, and software applied in distance learning. Special interests in adult learners, using emerging modalities, and developing interactive methods to engage learners.
Having your "voice" present in an online classroom develops connections and guides learners to take action. Written communication lays flat on the page. When learners hear you, they listen and engage. Voice feedback is a great way to make connections with learners while delivering positive and constructive comments. In the online setting, learners often feel alone and disconnected. An interactive discussion does develop a connection, but a discussion which is focused and directed within the scope of the course. Although, most facilitators agree discussions are the"heart" of an online course, they do not take the place of face-to-face communication with classmates and the instructor. Learners appreciate receiving personalized vocal feedback because of its similarity to a conference, albeit it is one-sided. Research study findings by Merry and Orsmond (2008) indicate that audio feedback can improve the learner's experience in the online classroom, as well as deliver feedback in a more personalized form (King, et al, 2008; Lunt and Curran, 2010). Online university professors and corporate trainers continue to seek strategies to enrich the learner's experience, in addition to reducing attrition. Audio feedback can assist facilitators in developing an engaging relationship with their learners. The utilization of Vocaroo software to deliver voice feedback is the method we explored.
