New on WCET Frontiers
Practice
Navigating the Intersection of State Authorization Compliance and Wraparound Services
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 6/1/2023
As higher education institutions seek to support learners in a more holistic and comprehensive manner, many are turning to wraparound services to ensure that learners’ full range of needs are addressed. Specifically, wraparound services are programs and support initiatives that go beyond assisting learners with the normal rigors of academics. These programs often help with […]
Policy
ED’s New Proposed Regulations: Part 1, State Authorization Reciprocity
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 5/24/2023
Big changes could be in store for institutions that offer programs in other states and for the students they serve. This might surprise you as recent press articles about the Department of Education’s new proposed regulations focused solely on Gainful […]
Practice
Why Not Both?: It’s time to teach accessibly AND teach accessibility!
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 4/27/2023
This month WCET has focused on accessibility. As you may or may not know, we’ve been undertaking an accessibility review and revision of our entire website and document development practices. We held a WCET Webcast this month to feature the […]
Practice
Thinking Strategically About Student Belonging in Online Learning
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 4/13/2023
The feeling of belonging is, in my opinion and experience, a truly important factor for anyone’s success in an educational or even professional environment. The courses that I remember the most, the ones that I felt made the greatest impression […]
Practice
Increasing Access to Learning by Creating a Custom Online Lab Platform
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 4/6/2023
A few weeks ago we started our feature of recent WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award winners. Today we continue that feature with one of our WOW Honorable Mentions – Oregon State University Ecampus and their outstanding work developing a custom […]
Policy
New SARA Reciprocity Policy Modification Process Yields Proposals Intended to Increase Student Protections
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 3/21/2023
Providing uniform consumer protection for distance education students located in all member states is a hallmark of the interstate reciprocity agreement known as the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA). States that chose to join the agreement, often through state legislation […]
Practice
Indigenous Ways of Knowing, a Faculty’s Journey to Redesign Native American Art Online Course
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 3/16/2023
Each year, I have the honor of coordinating the WCET Awards initiative. The goal of our awards program is to highlight those doing great work in higher education digital learning. I feel so lucky to get the chance each year […]
Policy
Regular and Substantive Interaction: Resources to Support Learning, Neuroplasticity, and Regulations
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 3/2/2023
Today’s blog explores Regular and Substantive Interaction through a learning science-based approach to course design and instruction. Thank you to Kristen Betts, Clinical Professor at Drexel University, and Karyn Holt, Vice President of Institutional Partnerships & Research at INTERACT123, for […]
Practice
Three Ways to Make Distance Learning Actually Work
Published by: Megan Raymond | 2/16/2023
Today’s blog emphasizes the need to continue iterating on how digital learning works and how we can leverage technology to deliver successful outcomes for learners. Thank you to Katie Brown, founder of EnGen, for this look at the shift to […]
Practice
Put Down the Shiny Object: The Overwhelming State of Higher Education Technology
Published by: Lindsey Downs | 2/2/2023
At this year’s WCET Annual Meeting, Brandon Karcher, the Manager of Instructional Technology at Bucknell University, facilitated an unconference session titled “Higher Ed Technology: Innovative or Overwhelming.” A thought-provoking Twitter thread flowed from the session, further considering the proliferation of […]