Extending Online Learning Design to the Community
August normally means “Back to School” season, but in 2020, students and faculty across the country are coming to terms with the reality that they may not be physically going back into a school for a long time. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique set of challenges for the education industry as institutions strive to prioritize student’s safety and health without sacrificing the quality of education students receive. For instructors accustomed to teaching in the classroom, navigating the limitations of social distancing can seem extremely daunting when it comes to adapting their curriculum to an online format.
There is no doubt that creating a digital learning environment comes with many challenges, but it is important for teachers to remember that they are not alone in their efforts. Orbis Education is here to help make the transition to online instruction easier for teachers by offering free resources to the community.
As COVID-19 continues to impact educators and students across the globe, Orbis Education's goal is to extend our knowledge and expertise of online education to educators of all levels required to move their classrooms online. By offering these free resources, we hope to provide solutions and a pathway for success during the global pandemic in order to enable them to keep their focus where it’s best served, on the students. Similar to what we do with our university faculty, we coach teachers to lead with best practices and design student-centered courses.
On Thursday, August 6, 2020, Orbis Education’s learning design and technology experts joined forces with the Indiana Department of Education to host a free webinar to teachers in Indiana and across the United States to discuss innovative ways educators can design a digital learning environment. During the session, we discussed strategy around organized development for online courses and building an atmosphere that removes technology as a barrier allowing students to focus on learning. The concepts discussed are directly applicable to create a rich learning experience for the students while simplifying course design for instructors.
If you were unable to attend the session, you can watch the video recording below. During the session, you will discover the theory behind online instructional best practices and take away actionable items, including:
- Adapting assignments for online teaching
- Structuring a course that is easy for students to navigate
- Communication plans for students and parents
- An outline of a “Help Section”
If you are interested in learning more about future information sessions and resources offered by Orbis Education, please contact us today.
