{"id":1345,"date":"2026-09-16T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/?p=1345"},"modified":"2026-09-16T07:55:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T11:55:38","slug":"personalized-and-interactive-teaching-award-recipient-engages-students-with-applicable-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/2026\/09\/16\/personalized-and-interactive-teaching-award-recipient-engages-students-with-applicable-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Personalized and Interactive Teaching: Award Recipient Engages Students with Applicable Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each year, one faculty member receives the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsu.edu\/about\/administrativeoffices\/online-and-strategic-learning\/faculty-support\/awards-and-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award<\/a> in recognition of their dedication to online students through innovative teaching. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Assistant Teaching Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsu.edu\/academics\/collegesanddepartments\/isom\/about-us\/faculty-and-staff\/kuruppuarachchilakshika\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Lakshika Kuruppuarachchi<\/a>, is the 2025-2026 Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award recipient. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m truly honored and grateful to receive this award. Teaching online has given me the opportunity to connect with students who may be balancing work, family, and other responsibilities, so it is especially meaningful to know that my approach is making a positive difference in their learning experience,\u201d says Dr. Kuruppuarachchi. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI see this award as recognition not just of my teaching, but of the students who continue to work hard and engage with their courses in an online environment.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Personalized Approach: Reaching Students through Video Feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Kuruppuarachchi says&nbsp;one of Ball State University\u2019s strengths is \u201cthe combination of quality education, practical learning, and faculty who are genuinely invested in their students\u2019 successes.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s clear that Dr. Kuruppuarachchi is dedicated to her students. Her online courses are designed with the student learning experience in mind. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI try to make my online courses highly personalized, applied, and interactive. I try to be very responsive to students,\u201d she says. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor example, in my simulation modeling course, when students encounter problems with their models, I review their files and create personalized video walkthroughs explaining the problem and how to correct it. This allows students to receive guidance specific to their work and revisit the explanation at their own pace.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, Dr. Kuruppuarachchi places a major focus on applicable learning throughout her courses. Students in her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsu.edu\/academics\/collegesanddepartments\/online\/academic-programs\/bachelors\/logisticssupplychain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">logistics and supply chain management courses<\/a> use project-based learning to solve realistic supply chain problems. Sometimes those problems are actual examples from a student\u2019s workplace. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy students are not just learning concepts; they are learning how to analyze a problem, work with others, communicate their findings, and develop recommendations that could be used in a professional setting,\u201d says Dr. Kuruppuarachchi.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intentional Design&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While enrollment in online courses and online degree programs may have leveled out since the height of the pandemic, the <a href=\"https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/ipeds\/trendgenerator\/app\/answer\/2\/42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most recent federal data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)<\/a> indicates that demand for online learning remains high.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Kuruppuarachchi believes the quality of education should not depend on whether a student is sitting in a physical classroom. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn my courses, I hold online students to the same academic expectations and learning outcomes while intentionally designing activities and support around the online environment,\u201d she says. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The quality of education in her courses is reflected in both the rigor of the coursework and the skills her students develop. For example, Dr. Kuruppuarachchi closely tracks the skills employers increasingly need for logistics and supply chain management\u2014data analysis, forecasting,&nbsp;quantitative decision-making, problem-solving, process analysis, simulation, and supply chain analytics\u2014and emphasizes&nbsp;them throughout her courses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy goal is for an online student to receive the same level of intellectual challenge, engagement, support, and real-world exposure as a student in a face-to-face course,\u201d says Dr. Kuruppuarachchi.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhether students are learning online or in person, they can receive meaningful interaction with faculty, challenging academic experiences, and opportunities to develop skills that prepare them for their careers.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each year, one faculty member receives the Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award in recognition of their dedication to online students through innovative teaching. &nbsp; Assistant Teaching Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management, Dr. Lakshika Kuruppuarachchi, is the 2025-2026 Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award recipient. &nbsp; \u201cI\u2019m truly honored and grateful to receive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":454,"featured_media":1343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[127],"tags":[6],"ppma_author":[132],"class_list":["post-1345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awards","tag-course-design"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - 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As Administrator for State Authorization, Leilani guides compliance for online programs, handles market research, assists with the Teaching Innovation Blog, and manages the U.S. News Report data collection for online programs. She is also an adjunct instructor of sociology at Ball State University and Ivy Tech College, and she brings a critical lens to teaching and student engagement. Her work\u2014whether analyzing student experiences, contributing to institutional research, or advocating for equitable education\u2014centers on amplifying voices through qualitative inquiry. Leilani started her career with Ball State in 2013 as the receptionist of the Career Center and she moved to the Division of Online and Strategic Learning in 2016. She earned her bachelors of science in both Sociology and Women &amp; Gender Studies with a minor in Psychology of Human Development and graduated summa cum laude. She continued on to pursue her masters in sociology and also earned a graduate certificate in university and college teaching. Most recently she earned a graduate certificate in community college leadership. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociological honors society, and she has presented her research at various conferences throughout the Midwest. Passionate about higher education\u2019s transformative power, she is also pursuing her EdD to further explore the intersections of policy, pedagogy, and student success. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Leilani enjoys craftivism, reading, and baking.","url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/author\/leilani-mascio\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":963,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/2025\/03\/05\/2025-teaching-technology-summit-keynotes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1345,"position":0},"title":"2025 Teaching and Technology Summit Keynotes","author":"John Carter","date":"March 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Learn more about the Opening and Closing Keynote Presentations at the 2025 Ball State University Teaching and Technology Summit. Join us for the 2025 Ball State University Teaching and Technology Summit. 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As the 2026 Teaching and Technology Summit approaches, I spoke with our opening keynote speaker, Flower Darby, about AI in higher education. Specifically, we discussed encouraging academic honesty among learners\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Instructional Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Instructional Technology","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/category\/instructional-technology\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pixel art illustration of white speech bubbles on a yellow background. 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Beginning in 2020, the Division of Online and Strategic Learning has supported a group of Ball State faculty, selected through an application process, to complete ACUE\u2019s Course in Effective Teaching Practices. Delivered asynchronously through Canvas, this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Assessment and Grading&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Assessment and Grading","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/category\/assessment-and-grading\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A group of people sit around a wooden table with laptops. 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In a previous post, I advocated for taking a \u201cmobile-first\u201d approach to course design, offering 10 teaching practices that benefit students accessing your course from mobile devices.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Canvas&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Canvas","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/category\/instructional-technology\/canvas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ball State student takes photo using cell phone","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/04\/25083757\/23_MC-30599_2096_edited.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/04\/25083757\/23_MC-30599_2096_edited.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/04\/25083757\/23_MC-30599_2096_edited.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/04\/25083757\/23_MC-30599_2096_edited.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bsu-wpe-blogs.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2023\/04\/25083757\/23_MC-30599_2096_edited.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1181,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/teaching-innovation\/2025\/12\/03\/provosts-faculty-teaching-technology-spring-summits\/","url_meta":{"origin":1345,"position":4},"title":"Provost&#8217;s Faculty, Teaching &amp; Technology Spring Summits","author":"John Carter","date":"December 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"At the Ball State University Teaching Innovation Blog, we focus on providing our readers at Ball State University (and beyond) with research, thoughtful reflections, and innovative ideas about all things teaching. Still, our work isn\u2019t confined to the webpage. 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Our students need flexibility in their education. 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