From Grassroots to the Highly Orchestrated

From Grassroots to the Highly OrchestratedOnline educators have occupied a central role in higher education's changing landscape since the inception of online learning. This edited volume features contributions from 43 educators and academic leaders who have facilitated this change at institutions across the United States; in particular, the collection emphasizes the complex development and, in many cases, the significant growth of online courses, programs, and campuses. This collection of

Online educators have occupied a central role in higher education's changing landscape since the inception of online learning. This edited volume features contributions from 43 educators and academic leaders who have facilitated this change at institutions across the United States; in particular, the collection emphasizes the complex development and, in many cases, the significant growth of online courses, programs, and campuses. This collection of stories depicts the concurrent maturing of a field by highlighting key components of online education: engaged leadership, administrative functions, academic functions, and student onboarding and support, while also highlighting its continued innovation. The narratives that emerge offer a multi-faceted view of a growing and competitive field, critical success factors in onboarding and supporting online students, strategies for best-in-class online academics, and guidelines for online organizational leadership.

From Grassroots to the Highly Orchestrated invites readers to engage with narratives of success and struggle as they refine their own approaches to online learning facilitation and program management. Topics range from responding to the rapid changes that often impact online programming; navigating shared governance, managing high growth, and launching online programs; leading cross-functional teams to deploy new modalities in online learning environments; leveraging the rich data afforded through learning management systems; effectively working with or leaving online program managers (OPMs); and responding to shifts in student demographics and institutional priorities. This actionable roadmap provides an opportunity for readers to consider how to develop strategic, resilient frameworks for supporting students while navigating ongoing challenges posed by changing technologies, evolving student needs, and local and global barriers to education.