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ERIC Number: ED668501
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 332
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5355-9142-1
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Improving Support for Online Learning at the University of Delaware
Aviva Heyn
ProQuest LLC, D.Ed. Dissertation, University of Delaware
This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) reviews the state of online learning at the University of Delaware (UD). UD lacks the sufficient infrastructure and resources to support online learning, despite its steady growth in online enrollments over the past decade. This growth was punctuated with a spike in online enrollments due to the pivot to predominantly online learning for course continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. I identify three major improvement strategies for online learning in this ELP. The first strategy is catalyzing strategic planning by reviewing the current state of online learning, strategic planning recommendations, and lessons learned from continuity planning. The second strategy is improving instructor support by improving coordination between the Faculty Commons partners, offering instructors sufficient professional development opportunities, and making institutional investments in instructional design capacity. The third strategy is improving the student online learning experience by designing and implementing evaluation for online programs and courses, addressing evolving needs for remote proctoring, and sufficiently orienting students to online learning. These strategies are informed by data collection and analysis. Findings and recommendations that support these improvement strategies are communicated in the reports that make up this portfolio's artifacts. The purpose of this ELP was to inform decision making for the future of online learning at the institution that would bridge support gaps and accommodate enrollment growth. The effectiveness of the improvement strategies has been mixed and it is difficult to attribute their success solely to the ELP as the organizational context was complex and evolving throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ELP artifacts laid the groundwork for discussing the issues that online learning faces and were resources leveraged during the urgent need to address some of the pandemic's challenges. I propose recommendations to continue institutional improvement in two main areas. The first is formal strategic planning of online learning. The second is implementing institution-level evaluation using compliance guidelines, key performance indicators, and quality metrics. These next steps would further improve instructor support, and ultimately, the student learning experience in UD's online programs and courses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Delaware
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A