Deb's Professional AccomplishmentsThis is a featured page

Deb

Assistant Professor and Assistant Director
Education Development Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center
UNM School of Medicine

Faculty affiliation in Distance Education & Instructional Technology - The OLIT Program

I've been teaching online since 1997 when a chemistry teacher and I developed the first online course at Albuquerque TVI (now CNM). We developed Legal Terminology for Court Reporters before course management systems like WebCT existed. In those days, when we would tell people that we used brute force to create the course, and they would ask where they could buy that, too!

I have taught a variety of subjects at a distance since then. One especially interesting experience has been my teaching ESL classes to people in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Singapore, using mics and headsets. This teaching experience increased my interest in the cultural aspects of online learning.

I've always been interested in peer interaction in online learning. That was the topic of my dissertation -- "The Effects of Peer Interaction on Learning Outcomes in Computer-mediated Conferencing."

I have become increasingly curious about the uses and benefits of synchronous and asynchronous communication in online learning. I believe we need both communication tools to engage the full learning cycle as described by Dewey and Kolb. I am also interested in the different processes engaged when reading versus writing versus speaking versus hearing.

I look to my students as online learning advocates who will explore emerging technologies and pedagogies and continue to improve distance education. Distance education serves many learners worldwide; sometimes it is the only opportunity learners have to accomplish their educational goals and improve life for their families and their countries. We cannot let them down.

Courses Taught
  • OLIT 535. Theory and Practice of Distance Learning
535. Theory and Practice of Distance Learning. (3) Analyzes theoretical approaches to distance education and their practical applications. Examines characteristics and needs of distance learners, learner support, distance teaching, course design, delivery system selection, evaluation, policy, organization, and administration of distance education.
  • OLIT 538. Distance Education Course Design
538. eLearning Course Design. (3) Explores new paradigms based on constructivist and sociocultural learning theories for designing distance learning. Focuses on online learning design and evaluation, and networked learning communities. Analyzes print, audio, and video for designing hybrid learning environments.

Selected Publications

  • Deborah LaPointe (2008). Will games and emerging technologies influence the learning landscape. In J. Visser and M. Visser-Valfrey (Eds.) Learners in a changing learning landscape: Reflections from a dialogue on new roles and expectations. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
  • Kayleigh Carabajal, Deborah K. LaPointe, and Charlotte N. Gunawardena (2007). Group development in online learning communities. In M. G. Moore and W. G. Anderson (Eds.) Handbook of Distance Education, Second Edition. Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
  • Charlotte N. Gunawardena and Deborah K. LaPointe (2007). Culture and Online Learning. In M. G. Moore & W. G. Anderson (Eds.) Handbook of Distance Education, Second Edition. Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
  • Deborah K. LaPointe; (2007). Pursuing Interaction. In S. Michael Spector (Ed.) Finding Your Online Voice: Stories Told by Experienced Online Educators. Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.
  • Deborah K. LaPointe (2006). The Role of Transformational Learning in Distance Education: Becoming Aware. In M. Beaudoin (Ed.) Future Perspectives on Higher Education.
  • Deborah K. LaPointe (2005). Distance Education International Research: What the World Needs Now. In Y. L. Visser (Ed.) Trends and Issues in Distance Education: An International Perspective. Greenwich, CT : Information Age.
  • Deborah K. LaPointe & Charlotte N. Gunawardena (2004). Developing, testing, and refining a model to understand the relationship between peer interaction and learning outcomes in computer-mediated conferencing. Distance Education, 25, (1) 83-106.
  • Deborah K. LaPointe, Katherine R. B. Greysen, & Kerrin A. Barrett (2004). Speak2Me: Using synchronous audio for ESL teaching in Taiwan. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. Retrieved April 5, 2004, from http://www.irrodl.org/content/v5.1/technote_xxviii.html
  • Charlotte N. Gunawardena and Deborah K. LaPointe (2003). Assessment in Distance Education. in S. Panda (Ed.) Planning & Management in Distance Education. Sterling, VA : Kogan Page.

Source: http://www.unm.edu/~olit/fac_dLaPointe.html


Assistant Director, Education Development
Education Development Health Sciences Library & Informatics Center
NIH Biosketch

UNM School of Medicine Library Responsibilities
  • Liaison to HSC components, educators, and trainers
  • Liaison to the College of Education at UNM
  • Advise in the design, delivery, and assessment of compliance education and training for professional development of the HSC staff and faculty
  • Represent the HSLIC and the HSC for opportunities to partner with UNM academic units and technology support units
  • Teach Theory and Principles of Distance Education and Distance Education Course Design through UNM’s Extended University
Assisted with
  • New technologies that may become important for learning in the traditional and virtual classrooms and for collaboration across distances with colleagues on research projects
  • Envisioning learning in the future with technology
Education

Illinois State University, Normal, IL B. S. Ed. 1975 Business Education, Comprehensive

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL M. S. Ed. 1978 Consumer Education and Law

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM Ph.D. 2003 Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies

Positions and Honors

Recent Professional Experience:

Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, Albuquerque, NM, Full-time Faculty, Business Occupations Department, 1989-2004

  • Interim Director of Distance Learning Program 1997-1999
  • Director of Court Reporting Program 1994-1997
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Graduate Teaching Associate, College of Education 2001-2003

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Adjunct Faculty, College of Education 2003- 2004

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library Center & Informatics, Asst Prof, Asst Dir, Education Development 2004-present

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Joint Appointment to the College of Education 2004-present

Fellowships:

Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Visiting Research Fellowship, School of Computer & Information Science Australia 2004.

Selected Activities and Awards:

William Rainey Harper Research Award for Dissertation, 2004.

South Central Chapter, Medical Library Association Second Place Research Award for Poster, 2007.

Selected peer-reviewed publications or manuscripts in press (in chronological order):

  • LaPointe, D. K., Greysen, K. R. B. and Barrett, K. A. (April 2004). Speak2Me: Using synchronous audio for ESL teaching in Taiwan. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. Retrieved April 5, 2004, from http://www.irrodl.org/content/v5.1/technote_xxviii.html

  • LaPointe, D. K. and Gunawardena, C. N. (May 2004). Developing, testing, and refining a model to understand the relationship between peer interaction and learning outcomes in computer-mediated conferencing. Distance Education, 25, (1) 83-106.

  • VanBerschot, J. A. and LaPointe, D. K. (2008). A Model for Knowledge and Innovation in Online Education. In S. Hatzipanagos and S. Warburton (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Social Software and Developing Community Ontologies. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.

Source: http://hsc.unm.edu/library/faculty/content/biosketch_LaPointe_0109.pdf


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jvisser.ldi 		Latest page update: made by jvisser.ldi , Jul 28 2009, 4:05 PM EDT (about this update About This Update jvisser.ldi More recent publication added 07-28-09 - jvisser.ldi

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MarkSalisbury One of Deb's many Nominations for Outstanding Instructor of the Year 0 May 23 2009, 2:33 PM EDT by MarkSalisbury
Thread started: May 23 2009, 2:33 PM EDT  Watch
I wrote this letter to Nominate Deb for Outstanding Instructor of the Year. It's been shortened to fit here.

Dear Selection Committee for Outstanding Instructor of the Year:


I am very pleased to write this letter of support for Dr. Deborah LaPointe’s nomination for Outstanding Instructor of the Year. I am the Program Coordinator for the Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology (OLIT) program where Dr. LaPointe has a secondary appointment. I am very aware of the outstanding teaching that Dr. LaPointe has provided our students and I am honored to nominate her for this award.

As Program Coordinator for OLIT, I have seen Dr. LaPointe’s student evaluations over the years. Dr. LaPointe’s scores are always incredibly high -- with scores between 5.5 and 6.0 (with 6.0 being the highest possible score) using the ICES student survey instrument. This is an amazing feat and a tremendous indication of her effectiveness as an instructor in our program.

…..
In addition to teaching in the classroom, Dr. LaPointe has also provided outstanding service to our program by advising our students. She has also chaired and served on numerous program, thesis, and dissertation committees.

In summary, I have heard from countless students and other faculty in our program about the incredible teaching done by Dr. LaPointe in her courses. I have also witnessed first-hand the excellence of her teaching – and found the legend to be indeed true. I can think of no more qualified recipient of this award. I wholeheartedly support Dr. LaPointe’s nomination for the Outstanding Instructor of the Year.


Sincerely,

Mark Salisbury, Ph.D.


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DGFeck Courses 0 May 22 2009, 3:33 PM EDT by DGFeck
Thread started: May 22 2009, 3:33 PM EDT  Watch
I took OLIT 535, 538 and 596 with Deb. Her direction and guidance helped to grow and have a love for eLearning and Instructional Technology. She was always encouraging yet challenging. It's hard to get those two dancing and she someone knew how to get the steps to sync with the beat. Some people leave footprints in other lives....her footprints are forever fossilized. Dolores
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