Minakshi Lahiri earns OTL grant to enhance quality of online courses

Minakshi Lahiri

Pharmacy Education Specialist Minakshi Lahiri was awarded a grant from the university's Office of Teaching and Learning to serve as a certified peer reviewer for Quality Matters, a global program leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments.

Ten Quality Matters Peer Reviewer Grants were awarded across Wayne State to create a pool of faculty members certified to peer review the university's online courses using an internationally recognized benchmarking tool, with the goal of continually refining online course offerings to support student success - a critical role as WSU makes the transition to more online education. More than 1,300 colleges and universities throughout the world participate in the Quality Matters initiative.

In addition to her role at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Lahiri is a part-time faculty member in the College of Education and earned her Ph.D. in instructional design and technology from Wayne State.

"I have experience both as a student taking online classes as well as teaching online and hybrid classes over the last few years, so I understand benefits and challenges online education brings to both students and facilitators," Lahiri said.

In the online courses she facilitates, Lahiri emphasizes the importance of engagement, collaboration, discussion and interaction.

"Online learning is the future of higher education," she said. "As an education specialist involved in faculty training and professional development for WSU Applebaum's pharmacy division, knowledge of the Quality Matters tool will enable me to apply and share strategies our pharmacy faculty can use to design effective online courses and promote a successful online learning experience."

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