ST. GEORGE — Monday, Dixie State University will hold its fourth Presidents Colleagues of DSU meeting of the 2013-14 academic year. This meeting will feature a presentation on effective educational-course delivery by Dr. M. David Merrill.

The meeting will begin at noon, in Room 156 of DSU’s C. Taylor Health Science Center, located on the Dixie Regional Medical Center’s River Road campus, 1526 Medical Center Drive. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Merrill has been engaged in the study of educational instruction for more than 50 years since he started his doctorate program at the University of Illinois in 1961. His presentation is entitled “What makes a course effective, efficient and engaging.”

The presentation will provide answers to the following questions

• Did you take some courses that were boring and difficult?
• Did you feel that you didn’t learn the skills you hoped to acquire?
• On the other hand, did you have some courses that were interesting and motivating, where you really acquired new skills?
• What is the difference? What makes instruction effective, interesting and motivating?
• What is required in a course to enable you to really acquire new skills efficiently and effectively?

About the speaker

Since receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1964, Merrill has served on the faculty of George Peabody College, Brigham Young University, Stanford, University of Southern California, Utah State University, Florida State University, and BYU-Hawaii.

Since retiring he has taught online courses at Florida State, BYU-Hawaii, and USU. Merrill is internationally recognized as a major contributor to the field of instructional technology, has published many books and articles in the field, and has lectured internationally.

He received a lifetime achievement award from the USU College of Education in 2010; and he was recognized as an honored alumni for the College of Education at BYU in 2011. He recently received the ETR&D Distinguished Development Award from AECT.

About Presidents Colleagues of DSU

The President’s Colleagues of Dixie State University, established more than 20 years ago by former DSU President Dr. Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the St. George and Washington County area. Alder, who also started an Honors Program at DSU, organized the colleagues as a way to increase academic activities on campus.

The colleagues meet together once a month during the academic year to hear presentations from each other and invited guests. After Monday’s meeting with Merrill, the next colleagues meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3, with a presentation on cowboys, outlaws and American fiction by Dr. Neal Lambert.

Event Recap 

• When: Noon, Monday, Jan. 6
• Where: Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, 526 Medical Center Drive, room 156
• Cost: None

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