Purdue University’s online teaching cohort program, CoPILOT, wins Online Learning Consortium Award for digital learning innovation
Purdue University’s Cohort Program for Innovation and Leadership in Online Teaching (CoPILOT) recently won an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) award for excellence in digital learning innovation. This recognition from OLC is a testament to the innovative work being done by Purdue’s course production team, who created CoPILOT to help Purdue instructors develop and deliver high-quality online courses across all campus colleges and schools.
“CoPILOT represents a strategic investment in Purdue University’s educational mission,” said Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for partnerships and online at Purdue University. “It empowers programs from every college to innovate and collaborate in ways that strengthen our collective ability to serve learners, drive discovery and advance Purdue’s land-grant mission.”
OLC is a leading professional organization that sets standards for quality and drives innovation in online education through its research, quality frameworks and annual conferences. The Excellence in Digital Learning Innovation Award recognizes outstanding achievements in developing creative and impactful digital learning solutions that promote accessibility and drive learner engagement. CoPILOT was recognized for its hands-on approach to enhancing the online learning experience by giving Purdue instructors the support and resources they need to deliver excellence at scale.
CoPILOT takes a structured, cohort-based approach to instructor development. In the program, instructors are paired with other instructors in small cohorts, where they work individually and collaboratively to develop online courses. They also receive assistance from instructional designers and video producers, and they’re connected with Purdue’s myriad resources for online instructors.
By participating in CoPILOT, online instructors can get assistance developing asynchronous, accessible online courses that center active-learning and student engagement. CoPILOT helps instructors plan, execute, teach and evaluate online courses, while still giving them agency over the course design process. From creating assessments to incorporating engaging videos and activities, instructors can use CoPILOT to develop online courses that make students feel connected — no matter where they are.
Dharmendra Saraswat, professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, said participating in CoPILOT helped elevate his teaching strategy, and it saved him an invaluable resource — time.
“CoPILOT has elevated my teaching and resulted in a reduced workload,” said Saraswat. “By streamlining how my course materials are organized and presented, the program freed me from prep work and allowed me to focus on instruction and student engagement.”
Saraswat also said that CoPILOT’s evidence-based approach to teaching and focus on quality helped him create more value for Purdue’s online students. CoPILOT empowered him to build asynchronous online courses that were engaging and interactive, which in turn empowered students to be more successful in meeting course objectives.
“I feel CoPILOT translates into online classes that are objective, more interactive, and lead to a more supportive, practical learning experience,” Saraswat said.
Courses developed through CoPIlOT are fully funded by the university, and participants in the program receive a $5000 stipend for their efforts. Participants are expected to attend regular meetings, complete course milestones by agreed-upon due dates, and devote at least five hours of work every week to building the course.
To be considered for CoPILOT, instructors need to talk to their administration lead and department head, as well as fill out an application. Instructors can find their administration lead listed on CoPILOT’s website, where they can also submit an application.