The Design Center has embodied its mission through a series of transformative initiatives that have elevated the online learning experience for students while fostering deep collaboration with faculty and campus partners. Our efforts are not just strategic—they are transparent, inclusive, and grounded in the values of service and innovation.
Our monthly newsletter serves as a vital hub for transparent communication and critical updates, consistently spotlighting the campus partnerships and faculty collaborations that drive online learning forward. Each issue features essential online teaching resources, often developed through cross-departmental efforts, and our professional development opportunities.
Our newsletters also regularly feature Marshall’s innovative faculty and thought leaders, providing valuable insights and inspiration for other educators. This dedicated focus on collective expertise has significantly enhanced engagement, resulting in a 51% increase in newsletter open rates since August 2024. The newsletter effectively fosters a connected and informed academic community by highlighting our key initiatives in areas like Accessibility, AI, Course Modalities, and the H.O.M.E. Framework.
A core initiative enhancing our online learning experience is the Marshall H.O.M.E. (Humanistic Online Model for Engagement) Framework. This innovative quality assurance model provides a comprehensive framework for creating engaging, inclusive, and effective online learning experiences that align with best practices and Marshall’s mission of promoting student success through innovative teaching. H.O.M.E. reflects our belief that effective online courses are not only academically rigorous but should also be welcoming, clear, and deeply human. Unlike traditional models, H.O.M.E. moves beyond structural standards to emphasize the student experience, providing guidance for faculty on Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI).
The HOME Framework was officially launched in August 2024. The first pilot training session was held on August 22, 2024, to gather feedback from faculty for future trainings. As of May 2025, 92 online instructors have been certified through the in-person and asynchronous online HOME Framework training sessions. We also have a robust collection of Best Practices in Online Teaching and Learning.
The framework has attracted national interest at conferences such as Online Learning Consortium, Anthology, OH/WV/NY Blackboard User Group, and Educause. Positive feedback from faculty includes appreciation for diverse engagement strategies, learning from peers, and clear connection between Ultra and H.O.M.E.
Quotes from Faculty
“I don’t have enough room to talk about how helpful this training was! It will help me in every aspect of course development!”
“I liked the guidelines for how to meet and exceed expectations. Gives me something to aim for even if I can’t get all of the exceeds items into my course.”
The HOME Framework includes Essential Structure Standards and especially emphasizes Essential Experience Standards.
Developed from our unique H.O.M.E. Framework, the Stephen and Sue Zemba Excellence in Online Teaching Award was established to recognize faculty who demonstrate innovation and a deep commitment to transformative online engagement.
We proudly celebrated the inaugural Zemba Award recipients during National Distance Learning Week. Complementing this, Marshall Online hosted a comprehensive series of workshops and webinars throughout the week. These events were designed to bolster online teaching practices, cultivate student engagement, and ultimately enrich the entire online learning experience. Through presentations, interactive sessions, and discussions, the week fostered a strong sense of community and provided essential resources for our online educators.
We deeply value intentional collaboration with our faculty in all our initiatives. This collaborative spirit is evident in our newsletter, professional development, and various projects aimed at enhancing the online learning experience.
- Faculty Liaisons: Our faculty liaisons play a crucial role in bridging the gap between instructional design and faculty needs, creating resources and training sessions that support innovative teaching practices.
- Collaborative Course Development: We work closely with faculty to ensure that online courses are academically rigorous, engaging, and student-centered.
- Best Practices in Teaching and Learning: We co-develop resources, such as this page on Teaching Sync Choice, with faculty to engage their expertise.
- Faculty Professional Development: We prioritize the continuous growth of our faculty by offering professional development opportunities tailored to their needs. These include workshops focused on integrating technology and promoting innovative instructional strategies.
Marshall Online collaborated with the Presidential AI Task Force to host AI Days, which included customized AI training sessions, an AI Showcase, and a panel discussion featuring President Brad D. Smith and representatives from Adobe, Coursera, and Anthology. We showcased various AI tools, including Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant and AI video tools like ClipChamp and Synthesia.
We collaborated with the Presidential AI Task Force on Marshall’s Generative AI page. The page features several faculty resources created by the Design Center, including AI: Tools and Prompts, Blackboard AI Design Assistant, AI: Resources to Inspire, Artificial Intelligence: Faculty Digest, and Using AI Tools in Teaching from Marshall Online Faculty Liaison, Dr. Laura Stapleton.
In partnership with the AI Taskforce and the Center for Teaching and Learning, Marshall Online formed The Tech Research Collective to foster innovation and collaboration in AI teaching and research. This faculty-driven, interdisciplinary initiative holds monthly discussions and speaker events focused on both practical AI tools for the classroom and new research directions.
Marshall Online featured interviews with AI thought leaders. Dr. David Wiley discussed the transformative potential of generative AI in higher education, offering practical tips for getting started and sharing successful projects enhancing educational equity. President Brad Smith shared Marshall’s forward-thinking approach to supporting graduates navigating new AI expectations in the workforce.
Our Marshall Online Recording Studio in the Brad D. Smith Business School Building has been a game-changer for Marshall Online, allowing us to elevate our communication and training efforts and providing exciting collaboration opportunities for faculty to create and model human-centered content. The studio has been instrumental in initiatives like the Durables Skills Suite, which incorporates videos of subject-matter experts throughout each course.
The studio also supports the creation of personalized multimedia for online courses, enhancing the online classroom experience and creating a more immersive learning environment. Our studio work has allowed us to feature faculty expertise and create human-centered content that enriches the learning experience for our students, shaping a more connected, responsive, and empowering online learning environment at Marshall University.
