1. Scholar Profile/

Scholar Profile: Lesleann Whiteman

Bio Information

Researcher Picture

Dr. Lesleann Whiteman

 Academic Programming and Delivery Division Not Applicable Programme Manager Active Check out my Website!
My Research Interests:

Leadership in Higher Education, Teacher Education, Online Education, Parent Education, Early Childhood Development & Family Studies, Piror Learning Assessment, Continuing Education

Biography/Responsibilities/Duties:

Biography

I hold a Doctor of Education and a Master degree in Education from the University of Sheffield UK, a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education) with 1st class Honours and a Certificate in Early Childhood Education from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. I also possesses a Diploma in Early Childhood Studies and Certificate in Counselling in Education from Roehampton Institute London, UK. I have worked for thirty one (31) years in the area of early childhood development teacher education with diverse organisations in the United Kingdom, North America and the Caribbean to ensure that Early Childhood Teacher Education Programmes use a holistic curriculum approach in training early childhood educators. My work speaks to that of designing professional development programmes for early childhood educators and developing parent education programmes with a strengths-based approach, in addition to advocating for relevant early childhood policies for the development of early childhood care and education in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. At present I am the Programme Manager for the online Early Childhood Development & Family Studies undergraduate programmes (for which I was a contributing writer) at the University of the West Indies, Open Campus. For the past seven years, I have managed over five hundred students and 100 facilitators, to provide quality online early childhood development programmes to the Caribbean region.  My goals for the online early childhood degree programmes have focused on student engagement, customer service, and academic rigour, supported by diverse flexible and multidisciplinary teaching/learning experiences for the students in the online environment.

Current Duties:

1. Planning for Course Offerings

  • Prepare and submit to marketing department, changes in programme structure for updating UWIOC website
  • Identify the number of courses to be offered each semester/academic year.
  • Prepare programme-advising documents for submission to the marketing department
  • Consult/liaise with course development department on the schedule for development of materials for new courses
  • Verify that programmes/courses in the OCMS (Open Campus Management Systems) have been built according to the programme structures
  • Determine approximate number of facilitators for each semester based on application data.

2. Manage Delivery Personnel (Staffing)- Recruit & retain high quality staff

  • Initiate and carry out the process of recruiting, interviewing and hiring online facilitators
  • Assess the training needs of new online facilitators and pass on data to the ODL Instructional Specialist Team
  • Give oversight to the assignment of online facilitators to courses and ensure their adherence to department guidelines for student/tutor ratio
  • Evaluate and select returning online facilitators for continuation of service
  • Identify and assign first and second examiners according to UWIOC regulations
  • Supervise the preparation and distribution of facilitators’ contracts

 3. Provide Leadership to online facilitators- Promote competency based activities linked to the attributes of the UWI graduate

  • Conduct meetings/information sessions with online facilitators to ensure that they are properly oriented to the rules and regulations of the Programme Delivery Department and UWIOC and be informed of their roles and responsibilities
  • Ensure that online facilitators receive important dates on the academic calendar: critical dates for exams, mark sheet submission etc.
  • Ensure that Course Coordinators prepare course guides by PDD deadline
  • Ensure that Course Coordinators are informed of the first and second examination process
  • Meet with online facilitators throughout the semester to discuss the course progress and challenges/issues that may arise
  • Ensure that facilitators receive all documentation, are aware and kept abreast of UWI’s policies and regulations relating to programme delivery
  • Ensure that facilitators are aware of wrap up activities for the semester
  • Ensure that facilitators are informed of in-service professional training sessions/workshops
  • Supervise the Clerical assistant in preparation of facilitator contracts
  • Ensure that all shared PDD documents are continually updated with accurate information
  •  
  • 4. Manage Student Support -Student Engagement & Experience
  • Provide academic advice to students with respect to programmes
  • Identify and follow up with at-risk students
  • Resolve student matters to the teaching and learning aspect of programmes that require intervention etc.
  •  
  • 5. Manage Course Delivery- Enhance learning effectiveness
  •  Work with PDD team members to ensure that the preparations for the start of the semester are effectively carried out
  •  Ensure that the course pages in the Learning Exchange are humanised and documents uploaded as per required of facilitators before the start of teaching
  •  Liaise with CC’s to solve problems (related to teaching and learning) and suggest improvements where required
  •  Consult with ODL Instructional Specialist Team for intervention in pedagogical discrepancies identified
  •  Share best practices with facilitators across courses
  •  Monitor CC’s to ensure that grade sheets are submitted to Exam Dept. within the given timelines
  •  Prepare end of semester/trimester reports on programme delivery
  •  Review/assess pass/fail data and request examiners report from CC’s if required
  •  To attend to all pedagogical matters for the early childhood programmes
  •  

 

Research Interests

  1. Leadership in Higher Education
  2. Teacher Education
  3. Online Education
  4. Parent Education
  5. Early Childhood Development & Family Studies
  6. Piror Learning Assessment
  7. Continuing Education

Research Activity

Public Service

  1. [Public or Community Service]

    I was the UWIOC representative on the management team for The University West Indies After School Centre more..

    2011-2012

    Contribution of > Public or Community Service

    COMPLETED

  4. [Public or Community Service]

    I was the UWIOC Early Childhood consultant for CNMG TV and Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. more..

    2012-2013

    Contribution of > Public or Community Service

    COMPLETED

  5. [Public or Community Service]

    Conducted professional development workshops for the Ministry of Education early childhood educators more..

    2013-2014

    Contribution of > Public or Community Service

    COMPLETED

University Service

  1. Sorry, no information available as yet.

Education and Training

  1. [Education and Training]

    Diploma in Early Childhood Studies more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  2. [Education and Training]

    Certificate in Early Childhood Education more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  3. [Education and Training]

    College Teacher Training Program more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  4. [Education and Training]

    Certificate in Counselling in Education more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  5. [Education and Training]

    Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Care & Education) more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  6. [Education and Training]

    Master of Education more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

  7. [Education and Training]

    Doctor of Education more..

    Contribution of > Education and Training

    COMPLETED

Memberships

  1. [Membership]

    The Caribbean Research Empowerment Network (CREN) more..

    Contribution of > Membership

    COMPLETED

In the News

  1. Sorry, no information available as yet.

Social Media

  1. Sorry, no information available as yet.

Other Activities

  1. Sorry, no information available as yet.

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