{"id":11009,"date":"2026-05-05T17:25:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/?p=11009"},"modified":"2026-05-05T17:27:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:27:29","slug":"purdues-copilot-program-honored-again-with-innovation-award-this-time-from-upcea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/online\/purdues-copilot-program-honored-again-with-innovation-award-this-time-from-upcea\/","title":{"rendered":"Purdue’s CoPILOT program honored again with innovation award, this time from UPCEA"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Purdue\u2019s University\u2019s Cohort Program for Innovation and Leadership in Online Teaching<\/a> (CoPILOT) is the recipient of UPCEA\u2019s 2026 Award for Strategic Innovation in Online Learning. UPCEA, which is a premier professional learning community focused on education, announced the award in a press release<\/a> this past February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UPCEA\u2019s Award for Strategic Innovation in Online Learning recognizes higher education institutions that have set and met innovative goals in online education. The award is a testament to CoPILOT\u2019s continued dedication in supporting online educators and online learning at Purdue, said Matt Charles, director of online graduate programs in Purdue\u2019s Brian Lamb School of Communication and CoPILOT participant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe UPCEA Strategic Innovation in Online Education Award is a gold standard and recognizes the top-notch work that the CoPILOT team does in supporting online instructors develop and refine courses that increase student accessibility and experience,\u201d Charles said. \u201cThe Purdue development of and investment in CoPILOT demonstrates the University’s broad support for online learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not the first time CoPILOT has been recognized for innovation. Last year, the CoPILOT team won an Online Learning Consortium (OLC) award for excellence in digital learning innovation. <\/a>The OLC award recognized CoPILOT\u2019s outstanding achievements in developing creative and impactful digital learning solutions that promote accessibility and drive learner engagement. That CoPILOT has recently won two awards comes as no surprise to faculty who have worked with the program.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Receiving this award from UPCEA was a proud moment for the CoPILOT team. It recognizes not only the success of the program, but also the collaboration and shared commitment behind it.<\/p>\n\n <\/blockquote>\n

said Connie hahn (left), pictured with senior instructional designer larissa cremeens (Right)<\/p>\n

Lead Instructional Designer, Purdue CoPILOT Team<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt makes sense that the CoPILOT team is recognized so consistently,\u201d said Charles. \u201cI have worked with them over a number of classes, and they always deliver a team-first approach to make sure we deliver courses rich in content and easy to engage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By working with CoPILOT, online instructors at Purdue can get assistance with developing engaging, accessible online courses. They work with other online instructors in small cohorts, learning from peers and instructional designers, Brightspace experts and video producers. According to participant Kharon Grimmet, clinical associate professor in special education, the hands-on support CoPILOT provides makes it easier to grow as an online educator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve been in the online world for 12 years,\u201d said Grimmet. \u201cAs a teacher, I want to try new things. CoPILOT gave me a safe, comfortable place to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grimmet, who also teaches in person on Purdue\u2019s campus, said the world of online education can be daunting. Online courses need to be intricately structured and laid out so students can follow along with minimal to no face-to-face instruction. It takes a lot of creativity, and getting it right often requires working with experts. CoPILOT makes that process easy, Grimmet said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking with the CoPILOT team’s instructional designers will help you build a course that’s engaging and fun to teach. The instructional development they provide is so spot on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CoPILOT also helps online instructors build community with each other. Through CoPILOT, Grimmet got to collaborate with faculty who worked in many different areas across Purdue, and, in the process, she found a wide support network. In training sessions, CoPILOT meets every instructor where they are, giving them the tools they need to take their courses to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe CoPILOT team knows about teaching, and they know about online learning,\u201d Grimmet said. \u201cA lot of them have been online learners themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Members of Purdue's CoPILOT team accepted their award at UPCEA's 2026 conference in New Orleans, Louisiana<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n
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Purdue's CoPILOT team poses with their UPCEA award. From left to right: Matt Charles, Eric de Araujo, Connie Hahn, April Wolf, Larissa Cremeens, and Emily Craven <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n
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Lead instructional designers Eric de Araujo (left) and Connie Hahn (right) play an integral role in Purdue's CoPILOT program.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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