EOL instructional designer aims to help give online students 'robust and rigorous course experience'

In just her first month as instructional designer for Engineering Online, Cynthia Baker co-hosted a workshop, developed course modules, and started building important relationships with engineering faculty. 

“My goal is for our online students to have just as robust and rigorous a course experience as they would if they were attending that same class on campus and in person,” she said.

Baker said it’s her job to present instructors with ideas for collaboration and engagement with their online students, as well as suggest opportunities for students to build camaraderie with one another.  

“You have to be very intentional about thinking through every aspect of the course so that you can be proactive in addressing the concerns any student might have in taking an online course – we don’t want to limit them just because they can’t raise their hand and ask a question in a classroom,” she continued.

Course accessibility – ensuring that students with disabilities can access and interpret course material – is also a key component of online course design. Baker recently helped host an accessibility workshop for College of Engineering faculty and revised materials for two space systems courses for accessibility.

Additionally, she has worked with Engineering Career Development to develop modules that faculty across the college can use in their classrooms, and with Chemical Engineering (CE) to help design an online “bridge” course for students who want to transition to a chemical engineering master’s program but don’t have the background.

"I'd love to continue to grow the number of courses that I help professors build for the online class format as well as continue to learn about and build a rapport with the COE faculty,” she added.

Before coming to Engineering Online (EOL), Baker served as instructional designer for the Office of Distance Education at Auburn University Montgomery for three years. At AUM she earned certifications in Quality Matters (reviewing courses for engagement and accessibility) and Camtasia (video creation and editing) and completed several instructional technology certification courses. She also initiated an “Office Hours” program in which instructional designers spent significant time within their respective colleges so that they could get to know faculty and be readily available to answer questions. 

Baker said it was rewarding to know she could still have an impact on students without physically being in a classroom. Prior to switching gears to instructional design, she spent 15 years teaching kindergarten through 5^th grade in Huntsville City Schools.

“My time at AUM made me realize that I could feel “fulfilled” knowing that I was doing work that helped with student learning and engagement even if I wasn’t working directly with students anymore,” she said.

Baker has a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems, a bachelor’s in education, a master’s in education, an education specialist degree (Ed.S.), and is currently working on her doctorate in education at AUM.

When the opportunity at Engineering Online worked out, she said she was excited to have so many instructional design resources that are not available at smaller schools. Baker also has a strong family connection to Auburn University, which she said made the job undeniably more appealing.

I grew up ‘Auburn.’ My son, my parents, my brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even cousins’ children have all attended AU. You could say I was raised orange and blue,” she said.  “My father earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from Auburn University so (this job) makes me feel like I am not only a part of the family legacy, but it connects me with his personal legacy as well.”