Eastern West Virginia Community College to Showcase HOW2 Platform's Impact at Upcoming AACC Conference

Curtis Hakala, English Professor and Online Advisor at Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College, is set to showcase the HOW2 Platform at the upcoming American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 9, 2024.

His presentation, titled ​“Bridging the Pedagogical Divide: Empowering New Faculty Through Innovative Onboarding,” will outline Eastern College’s approach to faculty development, which combines systematic faculty support with the implementation of the HOW2 Teacher Development Platform.

The AACC Conference is known for being the premier gathering of community college professionals, offering unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and engaging speakers. Hakala’s session promises to be a highlight, providing valuable insights into addressing a common higher education challenge: merging subject expertise with effective teaching.

Eastern College identified a crucial gap in pedagogical training among faculty members and successfully addressed it through the HOW2 Platform. This initiative has revolutionized onboarding by providing new faculty immediate access to essential pedagogical tools, streamlining their transition into effective educators.

The impact of Eastern’s implementation of the HOW2 platform, coupled with systematic faculty support, has been significant. Attendees at Hakala’s session can expect to learn about the notable improvements in course evaluations, student satisfaction, and learning outcomes. The session will delve into the fostering of a culture of continuous professional growth at Eastern by embedding pedagogical training into the goals and priorities of new faculty.

Curtis Hakala, with over two decades of teaching experience and a track record of leadership positions including Dean of Teaching and Learning and Division Chair of General Studies, will shed light on Eastern College’s journey to harmonize subject expertise with teaching prowess, ensuring that every educator is well-equipped to thrive in the classroom.

Attendees will gain actionable insights into how strategic pedagogical training, as exemplified by Eastern’s successful onboarding model, can enhance faculty performance, student satisfaction, and overall learning outcomes. The session promises to be a must-attend for community college leaders and professionals seeking innovative solutions to address the challenges of higher education.

For media inquiries or more information about Curtis Hakala’s presentation at the AACC Conference, please contact:
Anne Burke
TeachingHOW2s
+44 (0)7526 243 264
anne.​burke@​teachinghow2s.​com

Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College is an institution of higher learning accredited through the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Nestled in the mountains of the Potomac Highlands, Eastern has been serving the educational needs of our communities throughout Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, and Tucker counties for over 20 years. To learn more, visit www​.east​ern​wv​.edu.

The HOW2 Teacher Development Platform empowers educators to lead their professional learning and work collegially to strengthen their practice.

Delivering systematic, evidence-based, pedagogical on-demand expertise for unlimited numbers of teachers — the HOW2 Platform offers 100% scalable support, building teaching and learning capacity across entire teaching institutions — or networks of institutions — without the costs and inconvenience typically associated with in-person workshops and conferences.

Available anytime, from any device, the HOW2 visual guides to Evidence-Based Teaching (EBT) techniques come in various visual formats, including info-graphics and click-through presentation screens. The guides’ precise, step-by-step, easy-to-navigate nature makes learning and adapting the techniques quick and easy whether it’s for the classroom, lab, or workspace, accelerating the application of high-impact practices that have been shown to build student learning and close equity gaps.

The HOW2 Platform is used by Community Colleges, Further and Higher Education colleges, schools, independent vocational training providers, and public organizations in the UK, the US, and Canada.