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Getting to know Rayne Vieger

OSU Ecampus assistant director of course development and training

Rayne Vieger collaborates with Kok-Mun Ng, an Ecampus faculty member in the College of Education. The two sit together at a table with a silver laptop open in front of them.

Rayne Vieger’s goal is to provide Oregon State University Ecampus faculty with the tools necessary to serve today’s adult learners from coast to coast and beyond.

While studying to be an academic librarian at the University of North Texas, Rayne Vieger enrolled in an online class that changed the course of her career forever. Desiring more from her learning experience, Rayne made connecting the dots between instruction and learning her focus, and ultimately, her passion. 

Rayne earned a B.A. in English Literature and a M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas before working in instructional design at the University of Florida. Now leading Oregon State University Ecampus’ instructional design team, Rayne’s academic background coupled with her creative and technical skills prepare her to serve Oregon State Ecampus faculty in supporting online delivery of award-winning, quality education. With extensive experience in instruction and design, Oregon State Ecampus’ newest assistant director is well-equipped to collaborate and inspire.

By Jess Waldschmidt
Dec. 18, 2017


Hometown

Dallas, Texas

“I was originally born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up there my whole life. I am actually the only one of my immediate and extended family that lives outside of the state of Texas. That’s kind of surprising given that I have such a large family (with 27 first cousins!), but our love for the state runs deep.”

When did you begin working at Oregon State Ecampus?

“I came to OSU Ecampus in October 2015 from the University of Florida in Gainesville. I drove from one side of the country to the other for this job. It took me four days to make the trip.”

What excited you about the opportunity to work for OSU Ecampus?

“Initially, I was attracted to the opportunity to work somewhere that had the resources to be innovative within online education, specifically through multimedia design and development. As I researched more, I was excited at the prospect to work for another land grant university, and to work somewhere that was so invested in my development within the profession. I also wanted to live near mountains and within reach of snow.”

You have transitioned into a relatively new role at Ecampus. Describe why this role was needed, and what your responsibilities are.

“Originally, I was hired as an instructional designer for Ecampus, but recently, I have transitioned to a new position for our team as an assistant director for our course development and training unit, overseeing our instructional design team. I supervise and lead this team, in addition to doing instructional design alongside them. Right now, I am designing the College Student Services Administration fully online graduate program, which we launched this fall. The new assistant director position was necessary as we grow within the course development and training team, and I am excited to grow with my division in this way.”

Describe the importance of instructional designers – and how their work benefits students.

“Instructional designers never actually interact with students directly, but always have them in mind and are advocating for them throughout the design process as they work with faculty. We help faculty understand how students learn best online, and we collaborate with faculty to create effective and engaging learning experiences for their students.”

“Instructional designers never actually interact with students directly, but always have them in mind and are advocating for them throughout the design process as they work with faculty.”

Rayne Vieger is seated in a classroom and smiling. She wears a bright blue shirt underneath a navy blue blazer.

With extensive experience in instruction and design, Oregon State Ecampus’ newest assistant director is well-equipped to collaborate and inspire.

What do you like most about your job?

“For the instructional design side of my job, I enjoy that I get to collaborate with so many talented faculty at OSU. I enjoy learning so much from them about their disciplines and research interests, and I also enjoy building positive relationships with them so they know they can always reach out for support with their online course.

“The other, bigger part of my job is leading a team of talented instructional designers. My favorite part of that work is getting to know my team as individuals, learning what motivates and excites them about our work, and connecting them with opportunities to help them continue to grow both personally and professionally.”

What do you wish others knew about your job?

“There is not one set way to become an instructional designer, and that’s actually my favorite thing about our team. We have all come to the profession and to Ecampus from such diverse educational and career paths, and all of those unique perspectives and experiences make us stronger.”

What made you decide to get into this field?

“When I was in grad school, I took an online class where the instructor was not present at all the entire semester. It was such a frustrating, isolating experience, and I remember thinking, ‘There has to be a way to make this better.’ At the time, I was physically located on campus, so I could only imagine how a true distance student must have felt. I was also providing library instruction and support to engineering distance students at the time, which allowed me to understand their unique needs as online learners. I wanted to be a part of a field that made the learning experience better for these students.”

What advice would you like to give to students, staff, faculty?

“For faculty: Designing and teaching an online course can be daunting initially, but it’s important to remember that the instructional designer is there to support faculty throughout that experience. We collaborate with faculty to design the entire class before the term begins, but we also learn a lot the first time the class runs and we use that knowledge to make adjustments, as needed, for next term. My best advice to faculty is to know that the design is iterative, and be open to feedback from students. It’s a learning process for them, too.

“To students: A big part of instructional design is continuous improvement, so it’s important that students give honest feedback to their instructors about their learning experience. This feedback provides insight about the evolving needs of online students and can be incorporated to make the learning experience even better for future students.”

“We collaborate with faculty to design the entire class before the term begins, but we also learn a lot the first time the class runs and we use that knowledge to make adjustments, as needed, for next term.”

What is one surprising thing about you that not many people know?

“I actually went to school and trained to be an academic librarian, and although I stayed in academia, I pursued faculty support and instructional design instead. The two professions and skillsets go hand in hand though, and I think having a background in library instruction, reference, digital libraries and metadata has made me a better instructional designer.”

What are your favorite activities outside of work?

“Wow, so many things! I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I recently started brewing my own Kombucha, and I enjoy experimenting with different flavors. My husband and I garden a lot, too. This past spring and summer, we had so many veggies that we couldn’t keep up with them!

“I also spend a lot of time outdoors. I really enjoy exploring Oregon with my husband and two Catahoula leopard dogs. During the first rainy, cold winter here, we stayed indoors and couldn’t wait for summer to come so we could start hiking again. An instructor I worked with asked me if I had explored Central and Eastern Oregon in the wintertime yet, and I told her I was scared to drive in the snow (remember, I’m from Texas.). Once I mustered up the courage to put snow chains on our tires, it changed everything for us. We spend all seasons outdoors now, but we especially look forward to snowshoeing with our dogs in the winter. There’s something about being out in that bright, white snow, exploring with no one else around that is so peaceful and uplifting.”

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