As online learning has evolved, so have UIS course offerings and outreach programs

Michele Gribbins
·4 min read
Michele Gribbins, director, University of Illinois Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research and Service
Michele Gribbins, director, University of Illinois Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research and Service

Since its conception, the University of Illinois Springfield has excelled at serving community college graduates and adult learners. Supplementing our on-campus program offerings with online courses in the late 1990s was a natural extension of the mission of UIS. With our 52 online undergraduate and graduate programs, we are celebrating 25 years of UIS being a pioneering leader in the field of online learning.

Online learning at UIS today looks a bit different than it did 25 years ago or even 10 years ago. The delivery of online course content has evolved from text-based to rich media, such as the weekly videos that assistant professor Livia Woods creates for her English classes that are tailored to students’ recent writings and online discussions.

Course assignments also have evolved over time. Teams of students in assistant professor Serkan Karadas’ Topics in Finance course, for example, compete in the CFA Institute Research Challenge. Professionals in the financial services industry mentor the teams throughout the investment competition.

Time and location flexibility are primary drivers in the growth of online learning. Students of assistant professor of political science Matthew Garas can attend synchronous online class sessions via Zoom or participate in similar asynchronous activities and discussions at a time of their choosing. These benefits also extend to the speakers our faculty bring to their courses. assistant professor José Irizarry invites several faculty colleagues from other universities to share their expertise and experiences with his public administration students.

More:Chancellor Gooch: UIS expanding ways students can learn beyond classrooms

The Center for Online Learning, Research and Service (COLRS) at UIS aims to empower faculty in the delivery of online education and research. Over the past decade, nearly 40 UIS faculty have conducted research studies on teaching online in their disciplines through the COLRS Faculty Fellows Program. The late professor of educational leadership Karen Swan was a leading researcher on learning effectiveness in online environments, having authored over 100 publications and mentored many of the faculty fellows.

Disseminating best practices for effective online teaching is a big part of COLRS’ outreach efforts. In 2011, COLRS founding director Ray Schroeder launched eduMOOC. It was the largest massive open online course at the time, reaching more than 2,600 educators from 70 countries.

Today, we have several initiatives to disseminate best practices. Interim associate provost Layne Morsch coordinates the Central and Southern Illinois Faculty Development Network for college educators to share ideas and learn from each other. UIS’ Illinois Online Network provides online professional development and certificate opportunities to educators across Illinois and beyond. Vice chancellor for enrollment and retention management, and former COLRS executive director, Vickie Cook is a frequent keynote speaker and serves on the board of the Online Learning Consortium. And my COLRS colleagues Carrie Levin and Emily Boles and I disseminate best practices for teaching online through webinars, conferences and professional development events for other institutions.

This semester, UIS has more than 1,600 students from across the United States and 15 other countries enrolled in our online programs. Many students select online learning at UIS to balance their educational pursuits with their personal and professional responsibilities. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Jay Ribeiro, who graduated with a master’s degree in management information systems in 2013. While an online student at UIS, Jay served as an active duty captain in the U.S. Army. Today, Jay is the chief information security officer/associate chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Transportation. He credits his education at UIS with giving him the credentials needed to advance his career in the Army, which ultimately led to his work in cybersecurity.

Jay is just one example of the more than 6,500 alumni of UIS online programs who have found new opportunities after earning their degrees. Every year at commencement, COLRS invites our newest graduates from online programs to meet the faculty and staff they have worked with as online students. For many, this is their first time stepping foot on the UIS campus. For some, it is their first time coming to Illinois.

As we join them in celebrating their accomplishments, we hear stories about how UIS’ online programs provided them the access and opportunity they sought and needed. On May 13, we will meet our newest set of online graduates. It will be a special day of celebration for them and for all of us at UIS who value online learning.

Michele Gribbins is the director of the University of Illinois Springfield’s Center for Online Learning, Research and Service (COLRS).

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: University of Illinois Springfield marks 25 years of online learning