Online learning expert nominated for excellence award
Darren Walsh, assistant vice president for learning and academic support services at Excelsior College, is one of the 20 national finalists for the 2016 Pearson Online Learning Excellence Awards.
The awards recognize educational leaders that have made significant contributions toward innovation and measurable best practices in online learning. Faculty and administrators from K-12, higher education, and the corporate environment are among the pool of nominees.
Walsh is one of five finalists in the Higher Education – Excellence in Online Teaching category.
As a member of the Center for Online Education, Learning and Academic Support Services (COELAS), Walsh is responsible for leading a team that develops and integrates a full suite of academic support services to meet the needs of the College. Some of the services that he has contributed to include the award-winning Excelsior College Online Writing Lab, Excelsior College Library, Career Services, Student Orientation, Online Tutoring, Bookstore, Student Success Guide, and more.
Walsh explains that interacting and helping students is what fuels his passion for working in higher education. “Through the power of technology, I have worked with a talented team to develop a suite of academic support services that help students who may feel intimidated or overwhelmed,” Walsh says. “Even though our students may be at a distance, they are not alone and have access to a robust set of support resources to help them succeed in their educational pursuits.”
Walsh will be attending the online learning conference, Cite 2016, on February 9 in Florida.
Pearson will award each of the winners with a $1,500 scholarship to the fund of their choice.
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About Excelsior College
Excelsior College is a regionally accredited, nonprofit distance learning institution that focuses on removing obstacles to the educational goals of adult learners. Founded in 1971 and located in Albany, NY, Excelsior is a proven leader in the assessment and validation of student knowledge. It offers more efficient and affordable access to degree completion through multiple avenues: its own online courses and college-level proficiency examinations, and the acceptance in transfer of credit from other colleges and universities as well as recognized corporate and military training programs. Excelsior College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. For more information about Excelsior College, visit https://www.excelsior.edu.
About Pearson
Pearson is the world’s leading learning company, with 40,000 employees in more than 80 countries working to help people of all ages to make measurable progress in their lives through learning.
