Pia Anderson Duncan

Dr. Anderson Duncan is a clinical assistant professor in the Criminal Justice department and the coordinator of distance education. With a rich background in academia and fervent advocacy for online education, Dr. Duncan brings a wealth of expertise to NCCU. Her academic journey has been marked by a dedication to fostering innovative teaching practices and ensuring inclusive educational environments.

As the coordinator of distance education, Dr. Duncan has played a pivotal role in reshaping her department's online program. Through her visionary leadership, she has spearheaded the redesign of the department's online curriculum, focusing on enhancing student engagement, accessibility, and learning outcomes. Dr. Duncan's expertise extends to training faculty members in effective online teaching strategies and course design principles. Her hands-on approach and pedagogical insights have empowered instructors to deliver high-quality online instruction, aligning with best practices in distance education.

Passionate about the transformative potential of online education, Dr. Duncan is a vocal advocate for its widespread adoption. She believes that online learning offers unparalleled opportunities for students to access education regardless of geographical constraints, fostering a more inclusive and flexible learning environment. She is a certified Quality Matters Master and Peer Course Reviewer for Higher Education, K-12, and Publisher. She is also a certified Quality Matters Program Reviewer.

Prior to joining academia, Dr. Duncan worked in McDonough State’s Attorney Office as a legal aide and also worked on Capital Hill as a legislative aide to Illinois US Representative Lane Evans.

Dr. Andeson Duncan focuses on the exploration of innovative approaches to online course design that leverage the affordances of digital technologies to enhance learning outcomes. Dr. Andeson Duncan is particularly interested in investigating how the integration of open educational resources (OER) can enrich online courses by providing accessible, high-quality educational materials that support diverse learning needs. By examining the design principles, pedagogical strategies, and technological tools that facilitate effective utilization of OER in online learning environments, she aims to contribute to the development of more inclusive, engaging, and cost-effective educational experiences for students.

Dr. Duncan’s research also seeks to understand the unique challenges and opportunities associated with online learning environments, which is essential for developing interventions and support mechanisms that foster student engagement, persistence, and academic achievement. Through empirical inquiry and theoretical exploration, she seeks to identify effective strategies for promoting student success and mitigating barriers to retention in online courses. By illuminating the complex dynamics of online learning and student outcomes, her research aims to inform evidence-based practices that optimize the educational experience and empower learners to reach their full potential.

Dr. Duncan teaches in the following programs: B.S., B.S. Online, and M.S.