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.
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.
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.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust an opportunity upon online education professionals under very unfortunate circumstances. Now is the time for us to “get out of our lane,” so to speak, and show how we will support an entire educational enterprise for the advancement of our universities. Online education is on display like never before, and it is crucial that we rise to the occasion by sharing the collective leadership and knowledge we have that has led to many educational innovations in recent years.
At OSU Ecampus, we partner with nearly 1,000 Oregon State faculty members each year, and we constantly stand in awe of their expertise and innovation. The annual Oregon State Ecampus Awards recognize our outstanding partners who go above and beyond. This year, we honor five faculty and staff members who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and student success in everything they do.
Oregon State University’s nationally ranked online Ecampus program has published a collection of resource guides to assist K-12 teachers, administrators and parents in helping students learn remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection of quick reference guides is available to the public online and was developed by the Oregon State Ecampus course development and training team.
While online and remote education may not be synonymous, today’s new remote educators can benefit from the “lessons learned” by experienced online educators who are providing high-quality, engaging learning experiences for their students. The one “lesson learned” I see as the most significant for faculty as they begin to teach from a distance is to consider the new learning environment from a student-centered perspective.
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