Tell History

The Digital Smithsonian Plan refers to the Institution’s past efforts as “random acts of digitization” – not because the projects lacked quality or depth but because each was a specific, unique response to institutional priorities, new tools, collaborative partnerships and/or funding opportunities. We might think of previous online teaching initiatives at WSU as “random acts of distance learning” despite the quality of specific programs and courses. The Smithsonian answer was not a turn towards rulemaking and rigid tools so much as an embrace of openness, collaboration, integration and interoperability. At Wright State, we have built up a reservoir of experience and relationships but not so much a formal (and difficult to adapt) architecture or course management infrastructure. Even as we move courses into Desire2Learn, we can employ other options like Eluminate, ItunesU, and WordPress. Now is a good time to talk about the future.

Distance learning should be motivated by both student needs and the instructional context (the learning outcomes, course size, content, the instructor’s strengths and teaching style, etc) rather than by the availability of classrooms. A great lecturer should not feel compelled to give up lecturing, and discussions that highlight the personal dimensions of power and politics may not lend themselves to online sharing. Others warn that our students themselves are unprepared for online learning and may fail at a higher rate as a result. This is a real concern, but one that has been addressed extensively in other institutions, including Sinclair Community College, where most students experience some online learning. Wright State already has recognized that “one off” distance learning courses may not be the best investment of faculty effort (it takes a lot of effort) or of institutional resources. “Random acts of distance learning” are a disservice to students who are not well informed about their choices.

In order to provide more choices while insuring that students are better prepared, we could develop a Digital Studies counterpart to the Liberal Studies major as well as a Digital Studies minor. Digital studies would be simply one more option among the many majors, minors, and certicates that we offer. This leaps over individual distance learning courses to a “born digital” course of study. Most, if not all, of these Digital Studies courses would be open to all students, but these would be selected from a digital studies list. Faculty and staff collaboration around these courses, offered by affiliate faculty, would support the extension of well designed digital learning opportunities within other majors.

The majority of courses, and for some students all courses, could be completed online. Digital literacy provides a connecting thread to the course of study. While students would have flexibility in how they build the individualized degree program, a crucial feature (as with Women’s Studies and other integrative, interdisciplinary programs) would be a sequence of core learning experiences leading towards a capstone seminar and project. The core experiences could include both interdisciplinary courses that introduce critical perspectives on, and skills for, digital studies, along with face-to-face learning communities that bring students together for a week-end at least twice each year.

Students could complete many or all of their WSU Core courses through existing and future distance learning options across many departments; however students would also reflect upon the online learning experience and resources as they examine digital literacy. Students would be encouraged to look outward, taking advantage of digital course options and learning experiences beyond Wright State. A Digital Studies option would mesh well with international education and service learning initiatives.

A Digital Studies program requires an institutional commitment to distance learning beyond “random acts.” It will also be crucial to guard against pressures to increase enrollment limits on online courses that will undermine the future of digital learning at Wright State University.

An open framework like Liberal Studies/Digital Studies could support the growth of born digital certificate programs as well. We might begin by looking at creating an undergraduate Digital Humanities certificate. More on that later.

Margie McLellan