May 31, 2022

Fellows:
Joseph Argiro, Central Ohio Technical College

Don Godfrey, Washington State Community Colleges

Melissa McCarthy, Sinclair Community College
Ginna Witte, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Project Advisor:
Rick Woodfield, Ohio Association of Community Colleges

Executive Summary:

The COVID-19 pandemic forced colleges to rapidly shift course delivery modalities from face-to-face to remote, online learning. Since spring 2020, many postsecondary students have now taken some or all of their courses virtually.

This shift to online learning could have dire consequences for historically marginalized and underrepresented students who are particularly impacted in online courses where there is little interpersonal interaction. A recent report by the Center for Education Policy and Evaluation warns: “There is considerable danger that moving vulnerable students online will widen attainment gaps.” In this way, the pandemic could prove to be an “at-risk multiplier” for students who are already at greater risk of lower course completion rates, delayed time-to-degree, and stopping out of school altogether. Assessment of online learning outcomes is critical to ensure that marginalized students are not falling through the cracks, and providing targeted professional development is necessary so that faculty teaching online course sections have the tools they need to help all students succeed.

In OACC’s 2018 Guided Pathways Scale of Adoption Assessment, most Ohio community colleges reported that the assessment of educational practice and the development of aligned professional development activities were not yet fully systematic (regardless of course modality). Presented with an opportunity to “meet the moment” and evaluate current trends in online course design and delivery, our implementation memo outlines the high-impact, evidence-based practices colleges should adapt to improve teaching and learning outcomes in online classrooms.