How long have you been teaching online?

I have been teaching online courses since the Spring of 2009. I have added online courses every year. I now have online sections of almost all my courses.

What was your initial reaction when you found out that you would be teaching online?

I was excited about the possibilities of teaching online. I had been exposed to online instruction as a student for some time. Most of these courses were continuing education courses that I took for my professional practice. I was excited about using state-of-the-art technology to produce high-quality instructional materials that not only would help students learn, but that also would be enjoyable for students.

Describe the biggest advantage to teaching online.

Online teaching provides greater access and flexibility to students. Many of our students are nontraditional students. Because of work schedules and other commitments, it may be difficult for many of them to attend traditional face-to-face classes. As a general rule, they prefer online courses over evening courses.

Describe the biggest obstacle that you have faced in teaching an online course.

For me, the biggest obstacle to teaching online is the amount of time it takes to plan, produce and edit the courses with limited resources. I have experimented with dozens of different formats to continually improve both the content and the quality of the presentation of my online courses. It is a myth that you can quickly record a class and just put it online.

What tips do you have for new online instructors?

My suggestion for someone who has never thought online would be to start with a course that can be presented in a simple, straightforward format. I benefited greatly from the experience gained from taking many online courses as a student. I would also recommend taking one or two courses on online teaching.

What is the #1 best practice that you apply to your online courses?

It seems that my #1 best practice is shifting from semester to semester. I think that it is important not only to provide students with high-quality audiovisual learning materials, but also to provide students with different learning opportunities such as online lectures and videos, discussion boards, practice quizzes and projects. I’ve also found the use of rubrics to be very helpful for both instructors and students. As an online instructor, you pretty much have to be available to students all the time. Online students have very different backgrounds, work schedules, learning styles and study habits. Flexible, virtual office hours are important.

About Dr. van Bulck

I was born in the Netherlands. I am an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at USC Sumter. I am also a member of Van Bulck and Company, CPAs, LLC in Sumter, where I focus on corporate accounting, tax and planning, medical practice consulting and business valuations.

I am a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (SCSCPAs), Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPAs), Physician’s Viewpoint Network (PVN), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and the South Carolina Tax Council. I earned an undergraduate degree from the Netherlands Institute for International Business – NOIB Nijenrode, as well as a MBA and Ph.D. in International Business and Marketing from the University of Georgia. My professional credentials include my CPA certification and I am accredited in business valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and I am an AICPA Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). I have a SC Producer License for Life, Variable Contracts and Accident/Health and I have passed the FINRA Series 6 (Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) examinations.

I have over 30 years of experience in private practice and I have served on the faculties of the USC Sumter, Clemson University and St. Andrews Presbyterian College. I was honored with the 2012 South Carolina Governor’s Professor of the Year Award for Two-Year Colleges. I have published scholarly and professional articles in the United States and Europe. My current research and publications focus on business valuation.