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Online teaching

An instructor stands behind a transparent white board and points to a series of math equations.

How to choose the best school for online degrees

5 minute read At Oregon State Ecampus, we’ve devoted 20+ years to infusing every online course with the level of quality you deserve. But what do we mean by “quality”? It’s an important question to ask (and answer), so here are five specific things to look for as you evaluate the quality of an institution’s online learning experience.

Scenic image of the black entrance sign to Oregon State University with trees in the background

10 research-based principles paint a picture of what good online teaching looks like

2 minute read Oregon State Ecampus developed Online Teaching Principles, a resource that helps paint a picture of what good online teaching looks like. These evidence-based principles point faculty to key resources for further reading and exploration, and, very importantly, they have been “road-tested” by experienced faculty who teach online to help promote buy-in.

When does online class size matter? Read the study

2 minute read The Oregon State Ecampus Research Unit recently conducted a study on a rarely researched topic in online education: class size. What the researchers found is that students’ grades were higher in certain online classes that had lower enrollment, and that it may be beneficial to limit particular kinds of courses to 30 students or fewer.

A woman uses a laptop while also writing on a notepad

Adopt these 10 Online Teaching Principles from Oregon State Ecampus

2 minute read Quality online education happens when courses are well-designed and well-facilitated. With that in mind, OSU Ecampus is excited to share a new resource, Online Teaching Principles. The principles draw from research in online teaching pedagogy and practice, and they provide the groundwork for talking about what strong online teaching looks like across disciplines.

Photo of associate professor Christopher Stout, who teaches political science online and on campus for Oregon State University.

New era in politics creates a demand for political science graduates

3 minute read “There are so many more jobs in politics now than there has been in recent history. When (our students) graduate, they don’t just have the critical thinking skills, they also have the applied skills to go out and get some of these jobs and bring a new perspective to understanding politics.” — Oregon State political science associate professor Christopher Stout

Clock and bell tower on the campus of Oregon State. Teaching online

Why continue to teach online? Interview results from experienced online instructors

6 minute read Since Oregon State has been offering online education for more than 20 years, our the OSU Ecampus Research Unit decided to conduct a qualitative study where we interviewed faculty from diverse disciplines who had been teaching online for 10 years or more. The interviews asked a series of questions about instructors’ perspectives and experiences teaching online, as well as lessons learned over time.

Meet Oregon State’s open educational resources team

4 minute read Making high-quality education affordable and accessible for students is a critical priority at Oregon State. That’s the mission that has driven OSU’s Open Educational Resources Unit for many years, and it’s one we’re committed to more than ever. In order to help faculty and the OSU community better understand why OER are so critical for student success, the OER Unit’s leadership team answered a series of questions.

Photo of the Weatherford Hall building on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis, Oregon

The 3 most valuable skills for online teaching, according to long-term instructors

6 minute read The Oregon State Ecampus Research Unit conducted interviews with 33 faculty members who have taught online at OSU for 10 years or more. This post discusses the results from one of the interview questions in this study: “What skills do you think are most valuable for online instructors to have?” A qualitative analysis of this question revealed some useful and timely information for instructors who may be teaching or planning to teach online.