Online Summer Courses Surge

An OWU Information Services Success Story

Whether it's to get ahead or catch up, online courses show the power of ed-tech.

It’s only been a few years since Ohio Wesleyan University introduced online summer courses with the help of a gift from 1954 OWU graduate David P. Miller. Yet, in that short time, the faculty and staff have been able to expand the program to a whopping 27 courses being offered this summer (while only a handful have been offered before). Many professors from a range of disciplines are lining up to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for students. Student favorites such as Religions of the West (REL 103) taught by Professor David Eastman and Exploring Computer Science (CS 103) taught by Professor Sean McCulloch return this summer.

The courses now being offered online serve as a collective example of the powerful intersection of education and technology. Through the medium, students and professors can communicate effectively and efficiently. Professors may give students video feedback on their assignments, bridging the gap that can occur when a student doesn’t understand a margin note. Online discussions between students happen often via either discussion forum or web conferencing. These discussions give introverted students the chance to speak and empower themselves to learn through conversation. And lectures, either pre-recorded or live, keep the sense of close student-faculty relationships that OWU students know and love. Students taking these online courses can learn and take advantage of a liberal arts education no matter what they’re doing over the summer or where.

It’s clear that the pilot program launched in 2015 has been a massive success. This achievement has come from the teaching abilities of some of Ohio Wesleyan University’s great professors and from the magic of technology.

Other news stories about online summer courses:

A Summer Splash! published on March 26th, 2018

Students Love Summertime Classes To-Go published in the OWU Magazine in Fall '16