From the Dark Age to the Digital Age: Program Development and Re-Vitalization

Concurrent Session 4

Session Materials

Brief Abstract

Professional education units are charged to innovate, create, and revenue generate! Learn how we re-energized a dated program and transitioned it into a modern, online program.  Learn practical tips you can apply and learn about a four-stage model for program development that can be applied to new and existing programs. 

Presenters

Extended Abstract

Professional and continuing education units are often charged to innovate, create, and revenue generate! This session explores how to meet this charge by re-energizing a dated training program and transitioning it into a modern, online program. Kansas State University Aerospace and Technology Campus moved a 20+ course program serving 3,000 students online in 6 months. Join us to learn practical tips you can apply as we use this case study to explore program development. We will discuss a four-stage model for program development that can be applied to both new and existing, credit and non-credit, online or in-person programs. As a group we will explore how to identify key elements of an existing program to preserve or improve when moving to a new program model and discuss processes followed to ensure the design and development of quality online courses. We will identify the benefits and challenges of working with both full-time faculty and adjunct or industry professionals as online instructors as well as designing for a less than tech-savvy student population.   

The move of this program to an online modality was dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Challenges had to be overcome in identifying the diversity of learners that would use the program, many of which were not familiar with online learning and/or lacked the technological resources for a highly immersive online education experience. Collaborating with our state agency partnering was both an opportunity and a challenge. Ultimately the result is a well-received training program that we continue to refine. 

Participants will receive the following take-aways: 

  • Understand program development in a four-stage model: Analysis, Development, Execution, Evaluation and how it applies to online training programs 

  • Discover how to identify key elements when adjusting an existing program, including audience, learning outcomes, and assessment strategies 

  • Identify differences in working with full time faculty and adjunct/industry professionals as online instructors and tips on how to support their work 

  • Understand course design needs of working professionals with limited technology and adult online learning experience   

This session is ideal for anyone interested in improving their unit’s online and/or training programs. It is intended for those that have program development, execution, or evaluation responsibilities. Program administrators, coordinators, instructional designers, and those with instructor facing roles are encouraged to attend. The presentation will allow those that are practicing to take away practical tips they can use to improve their program development practices. 

Participants will be engaged with live polling questions and by a facilitated conversation to encourage attendees to share other practical tips and strategies as we share our experience.