Three classes of University of Mary Washington students traveled the globe during spring semester without ever leaving campus. The 115 students were in an online regional geography course taught by Associate Professor of Geography Donald Rallis. As Rallis journeyed to more than 15 cities in 11 countries, the students followed along via an online teaching site, Twitter, YouTube, and blog posts. Through Rallis, they experienced a medieval cathedral in Worcester, England; interviewed a French student at Sorbonne University in Paris; and surveyed a lush tea plantation outside Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali. “It’s like I’m there with Dr. Rallis,” said Jennifer Greenwood ’16, who plans to major in geography because of Rallis’ class. “It’s amazing to be able to interact with someone who is across the globe. I’m able to connect on a personal level. I’m learning while he’s learning.” The ambitious course was the first of its kind at the University, and one of the first launched … [Read more...]