呦乐园

Meet Daniel Baracskay, Winner of 呦乐园鈥檚 2025 Presidential Excellence Award for Online Teaching

Dr. Daniel Baracskay has earned the 2025 Presidential Excellence Award for Online Teaching at 呦乐园. He joined the faculty of 呦乐园’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2005 and currently serves as a professor in the Department of Political Science. He is pictured with Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, university president.

VALDOSTA — Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of 呦乐园, has honored Dr. Daniel Baracskay with the 2025 Presidential Excellence Award for Online Teaching.

The Presidential Excellence Award for Online Teaching recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates a strong commitment to quality online teaching and learning, employs innovative online teaching practices, and develops rapport with individual learners in and beyond the virtual classroom.

Baracskay joined the faculty of 呦乐园’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2005 and currently serves as a professor in the Department of Political Science.

呦乐园: What are your favorite classes to teach and your favorite topics to research?

Baracskay: One of my favorite courses to teach is Foundations of Public Administration, which is the first one that new graduate students take upon entering the Master of Public Administration program at 呦乐园. The course surveys the core areas that students will encounter throughout the program and helps prepare them for the various roles they will play in public service. I enjoy meeting students when they are entering the program, and I have many enroll in subsequent courses I teach where we are able to explore core topics in the field. It is also particularly rewarding to observe their growth in the program, as they take earlier foundational concepts to higher levels through critical thinking.

I also enjoy the Administration and Government course that I teach at the doctoral level for new enrollees in our Doctor of Public Administration program. Much like our master’s level foundations course, it is usually the first class that students enroll in that teaches some of the fundamental ideas and theories relating to our system of government. We begin by looking at historical contexts and events that have shaped public sector institutions over time and progress forward to look at modern frameworks, as well as future directions. It affords students a rare opportunity to explore how the field has both normative and empirical dimensions that have shaped its evolution over time. Similarly, I have appreciated opportunities to teach courses pertaining to ethics, technology and innovation, public management and organizational behavior, and even some more specialized topics such as administrative law and community organizations. These have coincided well with my research interests in technology usage in the public sector, intergovernmental relations and management, and comparative approaches to public administration to name a few areas. 

呦乐园: What strategies / tools / techniques have proven most effective in increasing student learning in your online classroom?

Baracskay: Online courses have progressed significantly from the initial platforms of 20-plus years ago, offering so many more opportunities to really “connect” with students in an active learning environment. While the earliest e-learning platforms largely relied upon posting lectures and general information, today’s online classroom offers opportunities to involve students much more rigorously through a multitude of visual tools. I consider the importance of course discussions below, but besides these, one favorite that students have consistently responded positively to is the use of module lectures. These bring a visual dynamic to the classroom that helps impart new ideas and concepts while offering opportunities to ask students to critically think about important topics that they encounter as practitioners in the field.

Another indispensable pedagogical strategy I have found to be beneficial is the use of case study exercises. These may be traditional case scenarios or more visual presentations like videos. For instance, a broadcast video of a local city council or public meeting helps students understand the process for how governments and public organizations function, especially when they reflect upon challenges and recommend solutions. After watching these informative presentations, I pair this to an applied assignment such as having students write a memo to the mayor and city council of their locality to present a policy area of concern, inclusive of basic data trends. Other informational videos of state or local officials provide scenarios of common ethical dilemmas or work-related issues that are encountered on the job that have a connection to theories we are studying in class, to help bridge the theory-praxis divide. Using resources like these teaches about the complexities of the decision-making process and allows students an opportunity to practice these techniques in course assignments. Many open access videos by professional organizations tie well to course concepts and theories we are studying and provide a valuable ancillary to help students share firsthand experiences, which makes content we are covering seem more applicable and relevant. 

呦乐园: When it comes to developing a meaningful rapport with your online students, how do you ensure that your students feel actively engaged in and satisfied with their online learning experience?

Baracskay: In addition to the examples I mentioned above, perhaps the most significant way to actively engage students in online learning environments is through group discussions. Time and again, this has been the most singularly referenced area that students have touted for providing opportunities to engage with their classmates and build critical thinking skills by discussing cutting edge topics of interest. Discussion forums help students connect theory to practice by introducing foundational content from the field and having them apply this through thoughtful reflection. Considering the perspective of the student is essential in order to inspire engagement. For instance, asking students to “describe the basic theories of public sector management” is a much different exercise than posing, “Of the theories of public sector management we cover, which have you most closely observed in your experiences as a public administrator, or that you are currently witnessing in your workplace? What benefits and challenges does it present?” The wording of the first is more conventional, relying upon merely stating back basic characteristics students read about in course content, while the second involves not only applying theory to practice but also self-reflection.

In bridging the theory-practice divide, students take what they learn and find meaning in it through direct observation, which they can then extend outward to better understand its relevance to practical situations. They become more engaged because they are able to share ideas that are grounded in experiences, and the exercise is more meaningful because they more easily identify with the topic being discussed. Besides discussion forums, what may appear to be minor gestures — having screenshots that show how to perform certain tasks in the course, posting guides for how to access the library or start a research project, or even just encouraging them along the way — all have a positive effect on actively engaging students.

呦乐园: What advice do you have for other faculty who wish to identify more effective ways to stimulate engagement and comprehension in their own online classroom?

Baracskay: Teaching is a dynamic and ever-changing process. Even for those who consistently teach the same classes from one semester to the next, we all keep informed of the latest developments through pedagogical journals in our respective fields. Don’t be afraid to try a new approach or idea, but be prepared to revise as needed and update regularly. As faculty, we all have a keen sense of what has worked well and what may need to be changed. Students let us know what has helped them to learn in the course, where building upon these positive aspects serves as the best starting point.