Purdue’s course design team makes magic happen behind the scenes with new AgLeadPro online course

When Purdue students complete an online course, they only see the finished product, moving through each video, assessment and activity like they’re viewing a film, removed from what’s going on behind the scenes. But, just like in film production, the real magic of course design happens when the credits roll.  

Purdue University’s course design team excels at creating magic in the background. They work continuously to design, create and optimize online courses that are just as engaging and rigorous as their on-campus counterparts. Their recent work on Purdue’s AgLeadPro online course, the first course in the agricultural leadership and professional development program, embodies the effort and creativity that goes into course production. The course, which launched this past August, brought together a team of skilled professionals for the purpose of creating something that had never been done before at Purdue.  

“This is the first course students take for their agricultural leadership and professional development program,” said Jason Garvey, lead instructional designer at Purdue University and one of the course’s developers. “The idea is to introduce students to professional competencies important in the work world, and it’s really the first course of its kind at Purdue.” 

What makes this online course so unique is that it prepares students to participate in 10 experiential learning activities by covering 10 unique competencies: well-being, grit, career and self-development, leadership, critical thinking, teamwork, connections and networks, communication, professionalism, and technology. Within the course, each competency is covered through engaging videos from Purdue professors, industry professionals and students. Plus, the course is fully asynchronous, allowing students to complete it on their own schedule.  

“Asynchronous courses are tough,” said Jay Akridge, trustee chair in teaching and learning excellence and a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University. “I’d taught a number of online courses, but those courses had a lot of instructor engagement, which makes the course similar to an on-campus course. But asynchronous courses need to be all-inclusive and self-contained. We had to ask — are the directions clear? Are the assignments clear? Does the pacing make sense?” 

Akridge is an instructor for the course, and he helped to build it along with his colleagues Liz Buyers, Christine Wilson, Jason Garvey, Talay Herman and a team of other professionals. In total, the course took about a year. The process of building it required the expertise of many — from determining the structure and flow of the course in Brightspace, to designing and creating assessments and activities, to shooting and editing videos on-campus. A project of this complexity also required many check-ins, meetings and tests to ensure everything was working properly. It was a major effort, but, according to Akridge, the payoff has been worth it.  

“So far the course has played out really well,” Akridge said. “The students have been pleased. They like the videos and assignments, and they think the course is nicely structured. We’ve gotten positive feedback — as well as some ideas for how to refine the course.”  

Christine Wilson, senior associate dean and director of academic programs in Purdue’s College of Agriculture, described the course building process as inspiring and fun. “We were able to coordinate and split up areas and responsibilities to very efficiently and effectively create the course modules and build the course,” she said. 

“Jason Garvey and Talay Herman from the innovative learning team were simply outstanding to work with to build the online course design – they took what we envisioned and created with topics, concepts, and videos and helped transform them into excellent online learning,” Wilson continued. 

By building a foundational course that’s 100% online, the course design team behind AgLeadPro has also given students access to much-needed flexibility. Since the course can be completed asynchronously, it doesn’t have an enrollment cap like most on-campus courses, and students can complete it at their own pace. This is a big boon for students who want to complete the AgLeadPro certificate during their time at Purdue.  

“We would like to see hundreds of students per semester in the course/program,” said Akridge. “The course’s flexibility also gives students the opportunity to complete it over the summer or winter breaks. And our goal is that AgLeadPro helps them be better prepared for the work world.” 

Though AgLeadPro is offered online, it also gives students the opportunity to connect with Purdue’s campus through experiential learning. In the course, students must participate in 10 activities connected to the 10 competencies the course covers. These activities help introduce students to campus events and opportunities that align with the 10 professional competencies. After completing the activities, students complete the certificate with a reflection that helps them communicate what they have learned to employers.  

“This course gives students a strong foundation for completing the rest of the program,” said Garvey. “And it helps them figure out where they are going from there.”  

AgLeadPro is just one example of the effort, time and teamwork that it takes to create a successful online course. Every year, Purdue offers hundreds of online courses to students, and each one requires meticulous planning, designing, implementing and evaluation. Purdue’s course design team makes this all happen, even if most students never get to see what happens behind the scenes. According to Akridge, when it comes to helping students meet their goals, the effort is worth it.  

“You put so much effort into it before the course even launches, and once it starts it has to be successful,” said Akridge. “It’s worth the work because we are helping students shorten that step from the university into their career.”  

If you are interested in designing your online course with Purdue’s course production team, email tlt@purdue.edu to get started.  

For more information about AgLeadPro and Purdue’s agricultural leadership program, visit the program’s webpage.