The Role of Orientation Programs to Prepare Students for Online Learning: A Case Study From an Executive MPH Program

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has caused many colleges and universities throughout the United States to pivot from in-person teaching to distance-based instruction, and while this form of education offers many advantages, one challenge facing institutions of higher education is how to best prepare their students for success in the online environment. This article describes the approach used by a hybrid executive Master of Public Health (MPH) program to orient its students, who are all working professionals, to the online environment. In addition to a description of the online orientation course, quantitative and qualitative evaluation findings are shared. The article includes recommendations for establishing an online orientation program. Although the orientation described was developed for working professionals earning an MPH degree, the approach can be applied or adapted to other online programs as they face the need to prepare students for online delivery, whether during a time of emergency like the coronavirus pandemic or during a period of natural programmatic growth.