Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE)

PROJECT PURPOSE

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 quickly accelerated growth in student demand for online and hybrid higher education delivery models. In Oklahoma, state system colleges and universities rapidly transitioned over 173,000 students to virtual course formats following Spring Break in March 2020. The rapid transition to remote instruction during COVID-19 pandemic revealed that many institutions across the nation lacked robust online degree programs, sufficient instructional design and technology staff, strong course development processes, and adequate student support services. The OSRHE requests funding to strengthen the capacity of state system colleges and universities to deliver high-quality, affordable, and accessible online postsecondary education offerings to Oklahomans. Given growing student demand for flexible learning formats, especially among adult learners, and increased enrollment in online course offerings as a result of the pandemic, investing in online education is critical strategy to increase Oklahoma?s educational attainment levels to meet current and future workforce needs.

EVIDENCE

Research on student feedback regarding learning experiences during the pandemic indicates their online learning challenges and strategies are mediated by the resources made available to them by their institution. Intervening supports, such as implementation of zero-cost instructional materials, availability of professional development for faculty, quality assurance of online courses, and digitization of credentials, both removes barriers from and enhances the strengths of the online learning experience. While online learning is a naturally satisfactory experience for some learners, others experience a loss of learning when unable to access such cornerstone elements of their education as hands-on experiences or laboratories.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

The COVID-19 pandemic created significant learning disruptions for students attending Oklahoma?s state system colleges and universities, especially those from traditionally underserved backgrounds (e.g., low-income students, students belonging to a racial/ethnic minority, students with disabilities, English learners, etc.). The accelerated adoption of synchronous online learning as a strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on these students. Specifically, low-income students and students living in rural areas with limited broadband access were most negatively impacted by the rapid switch to remote instruction by colleges and universities at the onset of the pandemic. Challenges experienced by these groups included limited access to technology, reliable wi-fi connections, and adequate working space at home for online learning. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated underlying challenges for many online learners due to impacts on the quality of learning experiences, among other factors such as mental health.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

The OSRHE will collect data from participating institutions to measure program outcomes. Evidence of project success include increases in: student success rates for Quality Matters (QM)-certified courses; student success for courses transitioning to zero-cost textbooks/OER and using new, high-quality STEM labs and simulations; and faculty participation in QM workshops. Additionally, the OSRHE will collect data on aggregate student cost savings generated by courses moving from a paid textbook to OER, number of digital credentials shared by state system graduates through the Credly platform, and the number of non-credit completion certificates earned by students completing Coursera learning programs.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

The OSRHE will seek additional grant opportunities to continue initiatives contained in this proposal, and internal allocations may be able to cover some costs in the future.

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Not able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma