Though many at Sam Houston State University may not be aware, for several years SHSU Online has provided a variety of services that extends beyond the boundaries of SHSU. SHSU Online provides and supports the Blackboard learning management system (LMS) and other digitally based systems for five of the seven institutions that comprise the Texas State University System (TSUS).
Collaborating with the TSUS institutions and the System office, administrators and staff at SHSU Online have been responsible for creating an annual report on online education, particularly as it applies to TSUS. In February 2024, Dr. Bill Angrove, who serves as Associate Vice President & Chief Online Education Officer at SHSU and the Chief Online Education Officer for TSUS, recently presented the seventh edition of the report to the TSUS Board of Regents at their meeting that was hosted by SHSU. The Texas State University System Online Education Annual Report, 2023 is preserved at Scholarly Works @ SHSU, along with the preceding six annual reports. A summary of the 2023 report follows below.
The Texas State University System has been on an ambitious effort to expand and enhance its online education offerings across its seven member institutions. As of Fall 2023, TSUS collectively offered 279 online programs and had over 318,000 student credit hours in online courses.
A major focus has been on promoting digital accessibility for all students. This means ensuring fair distribution of digital tools, resources, and technology access - crucial for online learning but also impactful for on-campus students given the increasing digitization of higher education. Accessibility features like Anthology Ally for making course content accessible and Kaltura REACH for video captioning play a key role.
The TSUS Shared Services project has been essential for supporting digital accessibility and online growth. Five TSUS institutions currently utilize centralized instructional design, technical support, faculty training, and technology like a shared learning management system instance through this initiative. This provides cost efficiencies while ensuring consistent quality.
There are several possible transformations that may be related to the impact of the digitization of learning. One is the integration of AI capabilities into the new Blackboard Ultra LMS for functions like course design, questioning, and feedback. Another is the blurred modality lines between online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses into a more flexible spectrum to suit the needs of a diverse student population.
Addressing the "digital divide" for instructors through enhanced training on digital pedagogy is also a priority, given the proven link between faculty preparedness and student success in online contexts. TSUS aims to institutionalize best practices for accessible, digitally-infused education benefiting all students.
Partnerships and sharing of resources across TSUS institutions are seen as critical for navigating this digital shift. The Shared Services model expands program access while allowing economies of scale on platforms and tools. Collective efforts can elevate quality, accessibility, and innovative online offerings at a scale individual schools could not achieve alone.
With an eye towards the future, the final section (Next Steps) of the 2023 annual report, begins:
Texas State University System (TSUS) institutions are collectively pioneering a new strategic direction, one that is rooted in the principles of digital accessibility. This approach is comprehensive, extending its focus beyond the realm of online students to encompass those based on campus as well. This broad approach demonstrates a keen awareness of the rapidly changing educational landscape, which is characterized by the growing digitization of learning.
The new strategic direction is not merely a response to the growth TSUS institutions have experienced in their online education efforts. Rather, it is a proactive measure to ensure that soon all students, regardless of their mode of learning, will have full access to the resources and opportunities that digital learning can offer.
Overall, TSUS portrays itself as a leading system prioritizing digital accessibility and adapting proactively to technology's transformative effects on higher education. Its ongoing initiatives around online programs, shared infrastructure, and pedagogical training aligned to digital trends position it to further advance flexible, high-quality online and digitally-enhanced learning opportunities for Texas students.