Penn State Online Coordinating Council

The Penn State Online Coordinating Council (PSOCC) aligns with the charge of the Penn State Digital Learning Academic Council (PSDLAC) and was created to support academic policy as it aligns with the Penn State Online Digital Steering Committee, particularly with regard to scale and planning in online operations.

The council will work closely with groups such as the Consortium for Online Innovation and Learning (COIL), the MOOC Strategy Group, Teaching and Learning with Technology, and college and campus department heads.

The purpose of the Penn State Online Coordinating Council is to address the operational issues Penn State faces in the realm of digital learning as it relates to strategic growth and advancement, technology enhancements, operational policy and procedure and practice and student success. More specifically, the Penn State Online Coordinating Council will:

  • Review, discuss, and recommend practices and approaches for operational support
  • Inform Academic Council of issues or concerns arising from existing revenue models as currently implemented and fiscal issues or barriers encountered in promoting growth in digital offerings
  • Develop processes to pilot new approaches for support functions
  • Conduct studies to test effectiveness and efficiency of various methods and their impact on quality and learner success
  • Identify operational barriers to growth in digital offering and opportunities for investment; and provide feedback to the World Campus on its growth strategy
  • Identify, assess, and pilot tools that have features identified as priorities by the Academic Council; and as a result of the pilots, make recommendations for tools that will support the academic mission
  • Pilot digital learning tools and promote their use within and across individual units
  • Encourage and promote alternative emerging technologies within curriculum and program development; implement these technologies once adopted and assess their effectiveness and impact on quality and learner success
  • Create and share staff and faculty development programs related to instructional technologies and encourage participation within and across individual units
  • Inform Academic Council of issues arising from current policies and procedures and test new procedures once developed
  • Document and report on results of testing; ensure that changing regulations or requirements are incorporated into program design and delivery
  • Ensure that processes and policies are followed within each unit and inform the Academic Council of issues encountered with the implementation of policies
  • Provide information to Academic Council on roadblocks encountered in following established timelines
  • Work with academic departments to identify opportunities for non-credit offerings and incorporate best practices into current and future programs
  • Design, build and evaluate emerging pedagogy tools such as MOOCs and MOCCs
  • Build methods for collecting data on course design quality across units and distribute and share data collected
  • Ensure that design and delivery quality guidelines are regularly reviewed and incorporated into design processes
  • Recommend strategies to meet retention and student success goals
  • Encourage faculty creativity in developing student engagement opportunities
  • Promote successful ideas and strategies and cross-pollinate best practices; ensure appropriate design and support best practices are implemented
  • Create faculty development opportunities to increase awareness and sensitivity of adult learner issues

Quick Links