Northeast HAPI Graduates Well Prepared for Transition to Online Teaching
By William Germano, B.A., D.C., M.S.
Former Director, M.S. in Human Anatomy & Physiology Instruction Program
How are anatomy and physiology instructors handling the sudden conversion of their classes to the online environment? Well, if they are Northeast M.S. in human anatomy and physiology instruction (HAPI) graduates, it's business as usual.
As programs across the country make a rapid transition to online learning, many are finding that their instructors who earned Northeast's M.S. in human anatomy and physiology instruction are not only well prepared to teach effectively in multiple formats (such as face-to-face, hybrid and fully online), but they're also the ones leading their colleagues and institutions through these challenging times.
The M.S. in human anatomy & physiology instruction program at Northeast is a completely online program, which equips its students with the ability to quickly adapt and respond to any situation they may encounter in their teaching careers.
Erika Martinez (M.S. '19) stated, "Due to our high school facility (recently) being shut down until further notice, all of our staff is having to transition to online teaching. I feel very comfortable doing this because of the instruction, experience and practice I received through the HAPI program at Northeast. Now every day, I am truly utilizing what I learned in HAPI. This was true even before the COVID-19 shutdown."
Anatomy & Physiology Experts with a Solid Foundation in Pedagogy.
Coursework in the HAPI program prepares its students to deliver highly effective and engaging instruction through a variety of modalities, utilizing the most current trends in teaching theory and best practices. This level of expertise extends from the lecture hall to the lab and in face-to-face settings as well as in online and hybrid learning environments.
Dr. Joseph Muldoon (M.S. '17) a professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University, is thankful he had the training and preparation from the HAPI program when faced with a rapid shift in teaching. "When the COVID issue hit here, Northwestern wasted no time shuttling all courses into online/remote format," he said. "I have to attest that integrating all of the concepts and exposure to the plethora of remote tools we worked in, and the wherewithal to have to figure things out, made the learning curve of this abrupt transition way easier."
M.S. in human anatomy and physiology instruction degree holders are anatomy and physiology content experts and also possess what many other instructors in that field may lack: a solid foundation in pedagogy. It's one of the many things that sets HAPI graduates apart from other candidates seeking college-level anatomy and physiology teaching positions.