Transforming Modes of Learning

The infusion of 21st century modes of learning have enabled dramatic changes in access, diversity, and globalization of perspectives in higher education.

The online learning program at the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) was founded in 1997 with a grant from the VPAA to develop the Office of Technology-Enhanced Learning (OTEL) to encourage and support online learning on the campus. Online learning at UIS has experienced dramatic and continuing growth over the past decade. Ray Schroeder, the founding director of OTEL leads the unit dedicated to faculty development and support. UIS has received national recognition from the leading national association in the field of online and blended learning, the Sloan Consortium, for quality, scale and breadth in the online program. Awards include Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual in Online Learning (Schroeder, 2002) and Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning Programming (2007).