Rooted in research, new framework aims to help instructors, administrators align policies and improve consistency for online learners
Oregon State University Ecampus has developed a new research-based tool that helps faculty who teach online navigate the challenges and opportunities of using artificial intelligence in their courses.
The Six Essential Pedagogical Moves for Online Education in the AI Era provides a clear framework for faculty and administrators to design holistic, program-level generative AI policies. The tool addresses the growing concerns of many faculty members who want to preserve academic integrity amid the ongoing spike in AI use.
Just as importantly, implementation of the tool’s strategies will result in Oregon State online students gaining a better, more consistent understanding of how and when to use AI on class assignments.
The six-point framework is one aspect of Oregon State’s comprehensive AI Action Plan for Online Education, rooted in research and created by a five-person OSU team as part of the AAC&U Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum. The development of the larger plan and related framework comes at an ideal time.
“AI is a disruptive force in the world and specifically to online education. There is no simple solution, but it is clear that we need a strategy to make online programs and courses AI resilient,” said Shannon Riggs, the associate vice provost of educational programs and learning innovation in OSU’s Division of Educational Ventures. “By taking this proactive approach, we can give faculty and other key groups resources to ensure that meaningful learning takes place online.”
The Six Moves framework is available under a Creative Commons license to be freely adapted and reused by faculty and administrators at any institution. It is organized by pathways that correspond to three roles: program administrator, faculty course designer and course instructor. The distinct pathways highlight strategies that each group can apply within their area of responsibility.
Six Essential Pedagogical Moves for Online Education in the AI Era
- Evaluate and revise course learning objectives / module learning objectives
- Create and reinforce course policies
- Guide online student development of AI literacy and use
- Motivate online students
- Refine assessments and rubrics
- Review, reflect and revise
Learn more about the Six Moves and explore the interactive tool »
But the lead developer of the framework — Katherine McAlvage, the associate director of faculty development and support for Oregon State Ecampus — says the main feature is the interconnectedness of the pathways and how all Six Moves complement one another. That’s also what sets it apart from other, similar resources in higher education.
“There are a number of frameworks that other schools have published, but we didn’t think they were comprehensive enough or were based in the research that aligns with our Quality Matters initiatives or our Online Teaching Principles,” McAlvage said. “The component that was missing in every other framework was a holistic program vision.
“We need to look at everything together — from the program level to course design down to the teaching of a course. It’s all a big package, and we need to treat it as such.”
A recent study conducted by the OSU Ecampus Research Unit reveals a clear need for a holistic framework such as this. In a 2024 survey of nearly 700 OSU online learners, students said they experienced many different policies and degrees of clarity from faculty regarding AI use. A significant number of respondents said “generative AI tools were not addressed at all in their online courses.”
You can envision the resulting dilemma: A student receives clear guidance from the instructor of one class on how and when to use AI tools on assignments. But in another course, the instructor does not set any parameters, and students are left trying to fill in the blanks.
“Students (in the survey) basically described feeling a sense of whiplash going from course to course with radically different AI policies and approaches to where AI can be used or not,” McAlvage said. “We’re trying to get people to see the bigger picture with this framework.”
The Six Moves outlined in the framework can be tackled in any order. Riggs and McAlvage have been encouraging faculty and online program leaders to treat it as a “buffet” of options and to start with whichever move makes the most sense or where there is the greatest need.
“We want this framework to be infinitely flexible for folks to pursue the pathway that has the highest reward right now or that they’re most comfortable with. There are a lot of options to get started.”
“We want this framework to be infinitely flexible for folks to pursue the pathway that has the highest reward right now or that they’re most comfortable with. There are a lot of options to get started,” McAlvage said. “But ultimately, we want faculty to aim toward addressing all Six Moves because that’s what AI resilience would look like — you’ve filled all those gaps and addressed all those concerns.”
The five-person team from Oregon State who participated in the AAC&U Institute and developed OSU’s AI Action Plan for Online Education featured a diversity of roles and perspectives, including a senior faculty member, an instructional designer and administrators. The team consisted of:
- Shannon Riggs, associate vice provost of educational programs and learning innovation, Division of Educational Ventures
- Karen Watté, senior director of course development and training, DEV
- Katherine McAlvage, associate director of faculty development and support, DEV
- Phil Chambers, instructional designer, DEV
- Inara Scott, senior advisor for strategy and innovation, College of Business
This is the latest in a suite of AI resources for faculty created by Oregon State Ecampus. Riggs says the university as a whole is facing the challenges and promise of AI head-on and will continue to innovate as the technology inevitably evolves.
“We ask students to really work hard at their learning and have what is called a productive struggle. Learning should be challenging — if it were too easy, you wouldn’t be learning,” Riggs said. “Instructors and administrators in higher ed have to give ourselves the same grace and say, ‘AI is really new, and we need time to grapple with it and lean into that productive struggle.’ This is an excellent tool to help faculty do that.
“Together, we’ll all continue to experiment and make sure that we deliver the high-quality educational experience that Oregon State is known for.”
