Dr. Ryan Hassler is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Mathematics at Penn State Berks. Ryan holds a BS in Mathematics Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, an MS in Applied Statistics from Villanova University, and a PhD in Mathematics and Science Education from Temple University. In addition to teaching various levels of Statistics, Ryan works as a professional tutor in the PSU Berks Learning Center and teaches the peer-tutoring classes. In addition, he is the PSU Berks Engineering Ahead Coordinator and the Co-Director of the PSU Berks Center for STEAM Collaboration. Ryan has been recently awarded the 2018 PSU Berks First Year Advocate Award and the 2019 College of Engineering Campus Outreach Faculty Advocate award for his research involving the first year experience of engineering students. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys traveling and spending time with his 4 dogs. Ryan is also an avid Penn State football fan and has attended most home games (and many away games) over the past 35 years! He is passionate about distance learning because he sees the vast opportunities that online instruction provides to various types of students. It is his belief that someone is never too young or too old to learn and with the help of the PSU World Campus, nothing should come in the way of one's desire for furthering their education.
I had been teaching for an online high school but was interested in how I could use those experiences to strengthen our university. I reached out to contacts in the Statistics department at University Park and got in touch with the right person! I now teach 1 section of Stat200 each semester and over the summer.
The best thing I like about teaching online is the more personal feedback that I can/do provide students. With limited means of face-to-face communication, I find myself providing more detailed feedback on assignments and questions than I normally would in writing for my traditional classrooms (since those conversations can occur verbally). The multi-faceted methods of delivery online also allow students to learn differently. I find teaching online very rewarding.
I provide timely and detailed feedback on all assignments and try to bring my personality into all communications with students. I make use of the discussion boards through Canvas and stress to my students that they are not on the journey of learning Statistics alone!
My best advise is to not treat it like a normal class that meets 2-3 times a week, but to work on small amounts of information each day. If the students stay on task and stay engaged in the class, they will find success and Statistics will not be the “burden” that many of them think it is when they set out on the path of discovery in this new discipline.