by Rian Barreras (Guest Blogger)

Eddie Merc is an outstanding third year student in the Educational Technology program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. While he is a man of many talents, his career path has lead him to Hawai‘i Pacific University where he works as the Interim Director for Distance Education.

During his 2014 TCC presentation, Eddie shared an online module which is designed to encourage and support military personnel who are both deployed overseas and seeking higher education. The Online Military Student Orientation features a mini-course environment as a university level class. Eddie has designed the course to consist of multiple interactive modules that aim to engage learners in information sharing, hands on exercises and formative assessments. This online course was constructed as a way to help veterans acclimate to online learning and build the skills necessary to succeed in the long term and eventually complete the degrees they seek. These modules were presented to us as more of prototype, but it is clear that Eddie’s thoughtful and tailored work has been specifically designed to meet the needs of learners new to the online learning environment. Although this particular project is designed for military personnel learners, it is easy to see these modules benefiting all distance learners. The possible applications for these modules could truly benefit a multitude of online students. I guess that’s why his ETEC friends lovingly call him Ready Eddie!

Eduard Merc Contact Information: emerc@hawaii.edu