Designing and delivering online curriculum in higher education: riding the perfect storm

Abstract

Purpose – In a time that could be described as a “perfect storm” in higher education, faculty and administration have been exploring all possible tools to attract students and help them stay on a curriculum path so they can graduate within a reasonable time. The purpose of this paper is to explore three strategies for riding the storm in a large mid-western USA university. Design/methodology/approach – The authors identify three strategies for increasing student retention and course completion, including: increased choices in scheduling; redesigning the curriculum; and offering multiple options for mode of delivery. In addition, the pilot of these strategies in a Technical Data Analysis class will be described and evaluated. Findings – Providing choices in scheduling courses (strategy 1), redesigning the curriculum to offer flexible pathways to graduation (strategy 2), and offering students options in delivery modes (strategy 3) increase the likelihood of student success, allowing them to find a way out of and therefore escape the “perfect storm” that higher education finds itself in today. Practical implications – Flexibility in scheduling courses by offering multiple delivery modes increases student access while maintaining the same learning objectives and outcomes. Originality/value – This paper addresses a known challenge in higher education and offers three strategies to improve retention and completion.