Meet DELTA Faculty Fellow Annette Moore

Teaching Associate Professor Annette Moore has long understood what it means to be a DELTA Faculty Fellow. With more than 20 years as a full-time instructor with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM), she has demonstrated curiosity, enthusiasm and excellence in teaching with technology. In 2019, she joined the ranks as an official Faculty Fellow. 

Moore arrived at NC State in the early 1990s, initially teaching part-time in PRTM after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at The Pennsylvania State University and Northeastern University, respectively. In that time, she’s had numerous opportunities to explore learning technologies with DELTA. 

PRTM has received multiple DELTA Grants to introduce innovative teaching strategies such as blended learning and gamification. With these experiences in mind and a tradition of DELTA Faculty Fellow grants being awarded to colleagues in her department, Moore applied for the position during the 2019-2020 DELTA Grants cycle. 

“Having had such amazing experiences with DELTA and seeing the impact our joint efforts have made on my classes and student learning, I really wanted to see how I could help spread the word and help other faculty get into the fold,” she says. 

Moore joins Michael Kanters, Ed Lindsay and current Fellow Stacy Supak in carrying on PRTM’s culture for technology and collaboration. She aspires to make connections between a technology’s development and its application in the classroom, assisting faculty and DELTA staff along the way. 

“Sometimes faculty are reluctant to get into technology because there’s often a very steep learning curve. I sure hope to help make some of this very useful technology more accessible to faculty. I love learning new tricks, especially when I can see the impact on student engagement and student learning,” she says.

Blended learning is one of Moore’s favorite and most effective ways to teach. As she combines the physical and digital aspects of instruction, she also hopes to connect the analytical and emotional aspects of learning. 

“Immersing oneself in an experience is really critical. I think that’s one of the challenges we have as faculty. A part of DELTA is making sure that it’s not just reaching the head, but reaching the heart. I think that’s why I really like the blended model,” says Moore.

“To me, technology has to have a heart. I think that’s one of the challenges –– to not depersonalize the learning experience and the societal benefits of what people are learning.”

This type of instruction allows her students to experience the advantages of learning technology while also engaging in face-to-face discussion about real-world applications. Moore is keen to employ creative techniques that inspire her students to succeed like inviting experienced undergraduates to serve as class mentors, which is a focus of her research. 

“One of the most phenomenal things that I’ve been doing lately is working with undergraduates who help me teach. I call them course assistants,” she says. “They’re bringing in examples that the students can very much relate to because they’re having similar experiences. The course just continues to become more effective because of [their] input. Those students leave so confident.”

As Moore works to develop her students’ skills, she consistently expands her own with DELTA Workshops. She’s a fan of face-to-face sessions where she can learn about new technologies with hands-on support from DELTA team members. 

Top Hat is one of Moore’s preferred learning tools, and her students love it too. The student engagement software facilitates meaningful interactions in multiple areas of a course. Moore values DELTA’s ability to communicate with Top Hat as an organization and advocate on behalf of faculty, and she’s excited to learn more about the platform. As part of her Faculty Fellow work, she’s currently working with a team at DELTA to create a day-long Top Hat workshop to help faculty maximize its benefits.

Moore has also attended workshops for PlayPosit, an interactive video application currently in a pilot phase at NC State. Since introducing PlayPosit to PRT 358 (Recreation Program Planning), students have voiced an affinity for the tool and its ability to integrate online videos and assessments. 

Moore shares DELTA staff members’ drive to continually strengthen course quality at NC State. To learn more about the Quality Matters framework and the Course Quality Program at NC State, Moore attended the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) Workshop, a full-day introduction to the course quality pathways that DELTA offers. 

“[I enjoyed] being able to draw on DELTA’s knowledge, experience what makes for effective teaching with technology and adapt those principles to my teaching. It was nice to be immersed in it and talk with other people. That’s one of the challenges with technology –– we might tend to do it alone, and some of us work much better collaboratively,” Moore says.

For this reason, Moore encourages her colleagues to encounter new learning technologies together, welcoming a DELTA expert to her department’s roundtable for an instructional workshop each year.

She takes the same proactive approach to address the challenges of teaching with technology. Moore enjoys keeping up with new advancements in online learning to better respond to technical difficulties, and she acknowledges that not all students are tech savvy themselves. 

Moore’s students influence every aspect of her teaching, and each decision she makes is aimed at their success both in and out of school. She sets strategic deadlines and work hours to help students prioritize leisure and personal activities. 

“From my viewpoint, we as faculty have a responsibility to [educate] our students in our discipline but also as human beings, how to become healthy adults.”

With this philosophy and DELTA’s help, Moore hopes to empower her students to make the world a better place. 

“DELTA is helping [faculty] teach more effectively so students are better equipped with the tools they need to make these positive impacts in our communities and the world.”

Moore looks forward to advancing student success and innovation at NC State. In helping DELTA refine its services, she contributes to improved learning environments for faculty and students throughout the university. 

“I love working with DELTA. I’m so grateful for the opportunities and for what DELTA does for the university, for students, for faculty. DELTA has kept us on the forefront of teaching and learning. I’m immensely grateful.” 

Become a DELTA Faculty Fellow

Are you interested in joining Moore on her journey to enhance learning environments and foster student success at NC State? Apply for a Faculty Fellows Grant as part of the 2020-2021 DELTA Grants cycle between March 30 and May 15. 

In-person group consultations and online informational sessions are available to explore DELTA Grants. 

Learn more about eligibility and the review process at the DELTA Grants FAQ page. Additional information can be found at go.ncsu.edu/deltagrants, and we’ll answer your specific questions at deltagrants@ncsu.edu.