Awardee: William Wisser (HGSE)

Summary: Awardee will convene a group of faculty and staff to study and document the current range of online learning models and disseminate a matrix of findings that will inform pedagogical strategies and production activities.

According to Wisser, employing a doctoral student to explore existing and emerging models of online learning had a significant, if unquantifiable, impact on the development of HGSE’s online portfolio. Over the course of the project, however, it also became apparent that creating a static resource chronicling a dynamic process is unfeasible, largely due to the rapidly changing field of online learning.

In response, Wisser’s team began to outline a web resource of modular learning assets that will not only introduce instructors to online learning, but can guide them in thinking about how to incorporate elements into their courses and create support in course planning and design. This focus on modularity and reusability was informed by the early project research on emerging trends and best practices in the field.

The finished website, due to launch publicly in 2016, will include the following resources:

• Early stage course planning and design guidance
• Concrete tools and tips from the field
• Examples of previously developed models
• Up-to-date digital learning research and news
• Key concept glossary, including examples