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Martin, F., Ritzhaupt, A. D., Kumar, S., & Budhrani, K. (2020). Award-winning faculty online teaching practices: Pedagogical approaches, assessment strategies, and course design considerations. The Internet and Higher Education, 47, 100758.
Summary
This research analyzes practices used by award-winning online instructors, identifying key strategies that promote engagement, motivation, and high-quality learning outcomes. The findings highlight structured course design, active learning, timely instructor presence, multimodal resources, and intentional assessment alignment. The article emphasizes that excellence in online teaching results from deliberate design choices and consistent, interactive instructional behaviors.
Evaluation
This study offers empirically grounded insights into effective online teaching, making it extremely valuable for instructors and instructional designers. Its strengths include the analysis of award-winning exemplars and the clear categorization of successful practices. One limitation is that the sample may reflect instructors working in resource-rich environments, which may not generalize fully to institutions with fewer technological supports. Nevertheless, the findings remain highly applicable and supported by strong qualitative evidence.
Reflection
This article directly informs my professional goals at DeVry and my doctoral work at CMU. Its focus on instructor presence, intentional scaffolding, and multimodal design aligns with my ongoing efforts to improve Engageli live sessions, Canvas course structure, and asynchronous student support. As I strive to develop highly engaging online experiences—and ultimately secure a full-time teaching role—this research offers actionable guidance that I can immediately apply in both my current teaching and DET coursework.
Tony Kaczoroski 
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