How Online Leaders Can Drive Digital Institutional Transformation — Campus Technology
Leading Through Complexity: How Online Leaders Can Drive Digital Institutional Transformation
As colleges and universities navigate an era of enrollment declines and financial uncertainty, many are betting big on online education as their path to long-term growth and sustainability. Yet, as nearly 70% of online learning leaders report that their institution is prioritizing the development of online courses for on-campus programs, the path forward is far from simple. The rapid transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed numerous challenges, from ensuring quality instruction to maintaining student engagement. And while more institutions are turning to online programs to expand access, outcomes remain mixed — fewer than half of students at major nonprofit online institutions graduate within eight years, according to a recent Inside Higher Ed analysis.
Leaders charged with developing and expanding online programs at their institutions are finding themselves in increasingly complex roles. They are tasked with the tricky balancing act of bridging institutional ambitions with the needs of faculty and students, all while driving the quality and scalability of online education. To succeed, these leaders need to master the art of “leading through complexity,” acting as a bridge between the senior administrators making decisions and the faculty and staff responsible for delivering online programs.
But while the process can be complicated — and dependent on institutional context and culture — there are a few core steps institutional leaders can take to ensure success.
1) Engage a broad group of stakeholders.
Effective collaboration is the foundation of scaling an institution’s online learning. Bringing together a committee that includes online faculty, student representatives, administrators, instructional designers, IT staff, and other key stakeholders is a vital first step in developing an organizational culture able to scale and sustain effective online learning programs.
By fostering collaboration between departments from the start, institutions can more effectively address challenges that will arise as they scale. The committee can serve multiple purposes, from brainstorming solutions to operational challenges to advocating for faculty resources and student support systems. For example, the Community College of Philadelphia established an Online Learning Advisory Group composed of 15 faculty members that ultimately became instrumental in shaping distance education policies, refining online course approval processes, developing comprehensive faculty training in online course design, and implementing an intensive quality assurance program.
2) Don’t just look at data; put it into action.
In higher education, data is often the most effective tool for influencing institutional decision-makers. What gets measured, gets managed, the saying goes. Academic leaders can enhance their impact by collecting and analyzing institutional data and other information — from faculty satisfaction to student retention and performance in online courses.
Such data can be used to evaluate the efficacy of online learning initiatives, identify potential challenges, and provide possible solutions. That last point is especially important. Framing the data as part of a solution — rather than as a list of problems — can increase the likelihood of buy-in from more senior administrators. Institutional leaders are more open to hearing from “solution providers” than “problem-bringers.” If student engagement in online courses is lagging, for instance, academic leaders can propose implementing specific, evidence-based instructional design or technology strategies to address the issue.
