Over the past year, each of the COF institutions has employed a variety of virtual tools to engage students as they pivoted to on-line/virtual and hybrid courses during the pandemic. While planning for the future, the institutions embarked on a research project to assess the effectiveness of different course modalities (virtual, synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid, face-to-face), the tools employed and identify best practices in terms of student learning outcomes. Deloitte was selected as the consultant for the project, and work team members include:
- Beth Ross, Emmanuel College, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness/Chief Data Officer
- Karalynn Gau, MassArt, Executive Director, Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning.
- Riette Pranger, MCPHS University, Associate Provost Institutional Research and Effectiveness
- Jennifer Herman, Simmons University, Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching
- Tes Zakrzewski, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Director of Learning Innovation & Technology
- Belle Bozin, COF, Office Manager/Senior Program Assistant
- Allison O’Connor, COF, Director for Academic Programs & Professional Development
Goals: Identify best practices for teaching and learning across the COF. Assess the impact and effectiveness of modalities, platforms and learning tools on the student experiences and learning outcomes as we plan.
- Inventory content learning tools and platforms by institution, modalities, discipline and courses being employed across the COF. Identify commonalities. Provide a detailed analysis of their individual and collective use of virtual content learning tools and platforms by institution, modalities, discipline and courses being employed across the COF. Identify commonalities. Provide a detailed analysis of their individual and collective use of virtual tools.
- Identify best practices for experiential learning delivered in hybrid or fully online formats (including but not limited to research and clinical labs, studio arts, maker spaces)
- Document impact of course delivery method and impact of tools employed on learning outcomes. Document lessons learned from online and hybrid teaching and learning during spring, summer and Fall 2020.
For more information on project outcomes, reach out to your campus work team member or Chief Academic Officer.