Dr. Dawn Kaiser

Meet Dr. Dawn Kaiser: She Was an Online Student Herself

Dr. Dawn Kaiser's first online teaching experience was at AIU Online in early 2004. Before that she had taught at traditional brick-and-mortar universities and had been an online student herself, earning her Ph.D. in Organization and Management.

"Coming to online teaching having been an online learner myself helps me better understand where my own students are coming from. I went through many of the same time management issues and had to get used to the medium just like they do."

Kaiser's own time as an online learner doesn't only help her better understand the challenges her students face; she takes the things she saw as problems in her online education and fixes them in her own classrooms. Kaiser most frequently teaches Decision Making, Business Management & Leadership, and Business and Society in the Associate's and Bachelor's degree Business Administration programs.

"I didn't have online chats as a student. It is a major advantage of AIU Online though, so I encourage all my students to take advantage of them. If I had a question, I would have to email my professor and then wait some indeterminate length of time for them to get back to me. With online chats at AIU Online, students can ask me a question and I answer immediately."

Kaiser is also easily accessible outside of chats. She has a toll-free number students can call and leave messages at. She then quickly gets back to them via email or phone. She also likes using the instant messaging capabilities of AIU Online's virtual campus. "Anytime I'm logged onto the AIU Online campus, students can tell I'm around. I tell them that they don't have to hesitate to ask me any questions when they see me online. They can IM me directly and I'll get right back to them."

The chats and instant messaging capabilities at AIU Online aren't the only things Kaiser likes about the school. "The Business Administration programs are top notch. Looking at the classes I usually teach, they are set up wonderfully and build on each other in a very practical way. I'll see students in Business Management & Leadership and then have them in Decision Making later and the two classes link together very well. There is one Decision Making assignment that completely relates to something from Business Management & Leadership."

Kaiser says AIU Online Business Administration classes don't just relate to each other but also to the real world. "Decision Making especially has a lot of instant gratification. All the time I hear from students that what they've learned in class they've been able to take right to their jobs."

Being able to take what they've just learned and use it at work helps students out. "I'll get emails from students who haven't yet graduated and have already moved up the ranks in their company because they've proven they can make good decisions, understand various processes, and know how to do research and follow through. It always makes me feel good to hear about students advancing and doing so well."

"A Business Administration Degree from AIU Online sets students up for a great career. It is a broad enough education that it can be applied to any industry. With a Bachelor's degree a student could start out at a lower level management position and work their way up. An Associate's degree would probably get someone started as a Junior Executive where they can then start to go forward. Like I said, I think our programs are top notch."

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