Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – South Texas College English faculty member Robin Bell has been recognized as the 2025 eFaculty of the Year through a nomination and selection process of her peers.
With a teaching style centered on forging authentic connections in a virtual environment, Bell said she sees online accessibility as an opportunity to support students as people, not just learners.
The eFaculty honor is given to STC faculty members annually as a way to recognize innovation and the integration of technology into online teaching.
Bell credited the recognition not only to her own efforts, but made possible through the encouragement of colleagues and her husband, who also teaches at STC.
With no prior online teaching experience, Bell said it was the personal connections with students during the Covid-19 pandemic, which she described as a “trial by fire,” that spurred her to shift to online teaching while increasing her technological expertise and discovering new ways to connect.
At the same time, Bell said she was undergoing cancer treatment, but the work gave her focus and purpose. Making the most out of the difficulties brought on by Covid, she said the ordeal challenged her to engage students through visually appealing and interactive content, while promoting ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), honesty and open dialogue.
“It saved me in more ways than one,” she said. “I saw the power of being able to connect with people that you never really see in person.”
In the years following the pandemic, Bell said her courses have evolved to incorporate creative strategies to keep online students engaged. On any given day, her courses can include video quizzes with an emphasis on visually dynamic course design and interactive tools.
AI especially remains at the heart of her teaching. Bell said she encourages students to use AI thoughtfully and transparently while fostering open conversations about its appropriate use.
She challenges students to view AI as a tutor, a source of debate or even a “feedback partner” rather than just a shortcut to getting an assignment done.
Reflective writing assignments, which allow students to analyze their use of AI and their learning experiences, have become a favorite feature in her classes, she said.
The approach has cultivated an environment of trust. Students often come to her with questions about whether certain uses of AI are acceptable. Bell said she reassures students often that honesty matters most and emphasizes dialogue over discipline.
The openness, she said, is one of the most rewarding outcomes of her teaching style.
“Students were coming to me saying, ‘I want to use AI in this way, but I want to run it by you first.’ That kind of honesty has been the most gratifying part of the process,” she said.
Faculty with STC’s English department say Bell’s approach to teaching online has been groundbreaking, especially as she continues to reach out to students while spurring their success.
“Robin Bell is an innovator with technology,” said English department chair Carissa Hayden. “We are proud that she is being recognized because she always strives to make her content accessible and most importantly, fun for students. The honor is definitely well deserved.”
Bell said she hopes students leave her class believing in themselves. Recognizing the doubts many students face about belonging in college, Bell said she works to reaffirm their abilities while reminding them that what truly matters is how they connect with others.
“Sometimes you just need somebody else to see in you, what you cannot see in yourself,” Bell said. “I hope my students leave my class believing in themselves more than anything.”
Information source: STC
