Institutions are continuously adapting to meet evolving learner demands, and technology is now a big part of how students learn. So, institutions must learn about and step into the online learning environment without compromising the many advantages of in-person learning. In this interview, Andrea Gregg discusses the evolution of the online course design space, challenges in the online environment and how to be effective in this space to meet online learner needs.
The EvoLLLution (Evo): What are the most significant changes you’ve seen in the online course design space over the last few years, especially when learner needs and demands are shifting all the time?
Andrea Gregg (AG): When I reflect on the evolution of online learning, the most significant changes pertain largely to people’s comfort with technology, the advances in wider access to the internet, though the digital divide is still a factor, and the explosion of video-based learning. When I started in this field, courses were largely text-based, and we would have extended discussions about whether a single video would add enough value to be worth the bandwidth and time to create.
Fast-forward to today, and online learners are taking courses in ways we never could’ve expected 20 years ago. In addition to more formalized online higher education programs, people are learning from platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera, and they’re learning in informal ways from content on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Much of it is entirely video-based learning.
Evo: What are some common challenges that learners face in online course environments?
AG: We just talked about some of the biggest changes in online learning over the years, but some of the fundamental challenges for learners remain consistent. Being an online student, even in well-designed courses, requires more self-regulation and motivation than in-person learning. You need to be disciplined and manage your time effectively, especially when juggling multiple responsibilities, which most online learners are.
In a physical classroom, you’re in a shared space with other learners and your instructor. Even if you never speak to another student or interact with your instructor, you’re still in a physically shared learning environment with built-in class times. In an online class, especially a fully asynchronous one, you lose all that. You gain flexibility and the ability to balance a job and family while attending school, but making it work requires self-regulation, motivation and time management. Despite radical changes in technology, these core challenges persist.
Evo: What are some critical elements of an engaging and effective online learning experience that will retain learners?
AG: Connecting this to the previous question, while instructional designers and course instructors can’t make students self-regulate or excel at time management, good course design and teaching presence can be crucial factors in the difference between a successful and unsuccessful online learning experience. One of my core beliefs in online course design aligns with what I learned from Steve Krug in terms of web usability: Don’t make me think.
Now, for many faculty, this statement might seem offensive on the surface because learning is fundamentally about thinking. But what I mean is don’t make me think about the logistics of the course. Don’t make me struggle to figure out how to submit an assignment or find necessary documents. While some of this burden is on the learning management system—or LMS—a lot of it falls on the course designer. In an in-person course that uses the LMS solely as a repository for key documents, organization is less impactful. If everything is dumped into a single folder, a student can lean over to a classmate or ask the instructor where the syllabus is, and a simple statement can clear it up for everyone. Online, there isn’t that natural community in the same way. Many online learners are hesitant to email their faculty directly with questions to which they feel they should already know the answer. It seems like a small thing, but having an organized course that is easy to navigate can make a big difference. A well-designed course helps learners know where they are both technically and in the overall learning experience.
Evo: How do you think the online experience will continue to evolve, and what strategies can higher ed leaders use to stay ahead of the curve?
AG: We’re on a precipice right now pertaining to generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot. While we haven’t yet fully tipped into a radical transformation of the online learning space, it’s fast approaching. We are already seeing instructional designers use these tools to help with creating rubrics, writing course content, brainstorming activities and developing and refining learning objectives.
When it comes to learning, I don’t think we know yet. Some faculty are heavily integrating AI into their curriculum, allowing and even encouraging students to use the tools. Others are forbidding it, probably even more are ignoring it, and students are using it in whatever ways they find helpful. In some cases, this is beneficial, and in others it might shortchange the learning they should be doing.
It’s challenging for higher education leaders to stay on top of everything and feel they are keeping up with all the developments. I believe generative AI will change how we work and learn as much, if not more, than the internet did. Given that, people need to just jump into using the tools and start experiencing them.
Evo: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
AG: Online learning as a field still has a lot to learn from UX—or user experience—approaches in terms of aligning our instructional design and teaching intentions with learners’ actual experiences. This approach should include both quantitative learning analytics and qualitative methods like interviewing and think-aloud observations. We can’t assume that learners are experiencing learning as we’ve designed it or intend for it to happen.