Belonging by Design: Building Trust and Connection in Online Learning
Online learning has solved many problems of access. It has made it possible for working adults, military-connected students, parents, caregivers, rural learners, and place-bound professionals to pursue education without stepping away from the rest of their lives. But access is not the same as attachment. As AI becomes embedded in online learning, institutions face a […]
Emotional Safety in Online Learning: A C.A.R.E. Framework for Human-Centered Digital Teaching
Introduction It is Monday morning, and a learner logs into an online course to begin the week. The assignments are posted, discussion prompts are visible, and an announcement outlines upcoming deadlines. Yet before engaging, the learner pauses. Is it acceptable to use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to brainstorm ideas? What does the instructor mean […]
Accessibility Isn’t a Compliance Problem. It’s an Organizational Change Problem.
Higher education doesn’t have an accessibility problem. That sentence probably sounds strange coming from someone who spends much of her professional life helping my college prepare for the April 2027 ADA Title II compliance enforcement deadline. Yet after working with faculty, instructional designers, administrators, and accessibility specialists across my institution, I’ve become convinced that accessibility […]
I Used AI (But Not Really?): The Curious Case of AI Disclosures
AI disclosures are statements that inform readers that the author(s) had assistance from Large Language Models (LLMs) or AI tools in preparing a document, course materials, or other educational content. AI disclosure statements are becoming common as individuals and businesses are increasingly AI tools to generate content. Many states require notices to inform consumers when […]
July Snap Survey Results: Technology and Learning
Sometimes the question isn’t about AI: What a calculator reveals about technology and learning We asked online learning professionals a question about calculators. Some of them answered a question about artificial intelligence. That unexpected turn may tell us nearly as much as the poll results themselves. In Part 2 of OLC’s July 2026 Snap Survey, respondents considered the following statement: A student who correctly […]