Repairing Our Reputation Post-COVID: A Conversation

Concurrent Session 3
Streamed Session Leadership

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Brief Abstract

The online learning community needs to repair the public's perception of online learning in the context of the past year of emergency remote instruction. This will be a panel discussion moderated by Thomas Cavanagh where panelists will share their impressions of how to repair the reputation of online learning post-COVID.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Thomas Cavanagh, University of Central Florida

Thomas Cavanagh, Ph.D. is Vice Provost for Digital Learning at the University of Central Florida. In this role he oversees all classroom technology and the distance learning strategy, policies, and practices of one of the nation’s largest universities, serving 68,000 students, where online learning represents more than 47% of the university's annual credit hours. In his career, Tom has administered e-learning development for both academic (public and private) and industrial (Fortune 500, government/military) audiences. He has been recognized with a number of awards including the WCET Richard Jonsen Award, the USDLA Outstanding Leadership Award, and been named an Online Learning Consortium Fellow. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and serves on a number of national advisory boards. He is also an award-winning author of several mystery novels.

Co-presenter: Jennifer Mathes, Online Learning Consortium

Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the Online Learning Consortium. In this role, she provides the strategic direction for the organization and supports the development of key projects and programs to support OLC members. Dr. Mathes has 25 years of experience in both public and private education where she has continuously supported digital learning initiatives. In addition, Dr. Mathes is the author of the ICDE Report Global Quality in Online, Open, Flexible and Technology Enhanced Education: An Analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (2019) and co-editor of the OLC Quality Scorecard Handbook: Criteria for Excellence in Blended Learning Programs (2017). She continues to write and present on key topics in online, blended and digital learning.

Co-presenter: Ray Schroeder, University of Illinois at Springfield

Co-presenter: Van Davis, WCET

Co-presenter: Bethany Simunich, Quality Matters

Extended Abstract

As discussed during a recent episode of the Teaching Online (TOPcast) podcast (Ep. 87), the online learning community needs to repair the public's perception of online learning in the context of the past year of emergency remote instruction. As colleges and universities look to the post-pandemic future, there is a large population of students both in K-12 and in post-secondary institutions whose only experience with online learning has been through "emergency remote/synchronous instruction." This type of digital learning does not represent the best practices of online course design and delivery that have been honed through 25 years of research and experience.