Beyond the upload button: Designing exceptional online learning

Beyond the upload button: Designing exceptional online learning

As an educator working with adults who seek highly relevant, just-in-time learning, you may find yourself at a crossroad of "digital delivery." In the rush to make education available to all, it is easy to fall into the trap of uploading and assembling resources (videos, articles, links) with the expectation that learners will gain understanding from exploration. However, there is a wide gulf between sharing educational resources and developing online learning experiences.

Consider how - in the short span of a couple years - it has become incredibly easy and routine to use an AI chatbot to retrieve information and fashion it into unique responses to your requests. With generative AI tools at our fingertips (with their ability to retrieve and spin information in milliseconds), we must reconsider the value of resource-sharing and, instead, create high-value opportunities for learning.

In fact, high quality instruction is what Extension educators do best! And it is possible in online learning environments.

Resources vs. Experiences: Defining the Difference

Let’s look at the difference between educational resources and online learning experiences:

• Educational Resources (Content-Centric): This is the "What." It involves providing digital access to recorded lectures, slide decks, articles, etc. While necessary, resources are static and passive.
• Learning Experiences (Learner-Centric): This is the "How." It is an intentional design that incorporates active learning, scaffolded instruction, and feedback loops. It is an iterative process where the learner interacts not just with the content, but with the instructor and their peers.

The Science of Why Experiences Matter

Research consistently shows that learners require more than just information to succeed; they require relevant learning experiences that promote active learning.

The Power of Active Learning

According to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Educational Innovation, “Active learning is any approach to instruction in which all students are asked to engage in the learning process. Active learning stands in contrast to ‘traditional’ modes of instruction in which students are passive recipients of knowledge from an expert.”

A landmark meta-analysis by Freeman et al. (2014) found that students in courses with active learning facets were 1.5 times less likely to fail than those in traditional lecture-based environments. Active learning approaches also help reduce achievement gaps.

A comprehensive analysis of multiple studies compared the performance of underrepresented students to their overrepresented peers in active learning and traditional classrooms. The researchers found that active learning reduced achievement gaps in examination scores by 33% and narrowed gaps in passing rates by 45% (Theobald, et al., 2020).

What Does Active Learning Look Like?

Before launching your next online module, use this checklist to see if you are providing a static resource or a dynamic learning experience.

1. Shift from Consumption to Construction
• The "What Else?" Factor: Instead of just reading a text or watching a video, are learners asked to generate something new (a diagram, a summary, a case study application)?
• Prior Knowledge Integration: Does the activity explicitly ask learners to connect the content to their existing professional or live experience?
• Scaffolded Reflection: Are there brief activities embedded within long-form content to prevent cognitive overload and process information?
• Example: Embed a "Pause and Pivot" prompt after a video on budgeting, asking learners to identify one current expense they would reallocate based on the new concepts.
2. Move from Isolation to Interaction
• Meaningful Dialogue: Is the discussion board a "post once, reply twice" chore, or is it a structured debate/collaboration that requires interactive engagement?
• Feedback Loops: Do learners receive feedback—either from the system (automated quizzes), peers, or you—early enough to adjust their understandings?
• Example: Write self-check quiz questions rooted in real-life scenarios where learners receive instant, detailed feedback on why a specific choice might lead to a certain outcome, allowing them to adjust their understanding before moving on.
3. Focus on Application and Transfer
• Authentic Assessment: Does the task mimic a real-world challenge our non-traditional learners might face in the workplace?
• Example: Rather than completing a quiz about the process of community leadership, ask learners to generate a "First 90 Days" action plan tailored to their specific local organization.
• Generative Tasks: Are learners asked to apply a formula, theory, or process to a messy, "real-life" scenario rather than just recalling information?

Pro Tip

If a student can complete your module by only using "Copy+Paste" or "Play+Mute," it is a resource. If they must synthesize, defend, or create in order to progress, it is an experience.

Closing Thoughts

Our goal is not to be digital librarians, but to be digital architects. While a well-curated list of resources is a great starting point, the magic of education happens in the interactions we design. To serve our learners best, let’s move beyond the "upload" button and start building online environments where they can truly thrive.

Article by Shona Burke, Extension Learning Technologies, sfburke@umn.edu.

References

Active Learning (2025, December 22). Center for Educational Innovation, University of Minnesota.

Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., and Wenderoth, M.P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 111, 8410-8415.

Theobald, E.J., Hill M.J., Tran, E., Agrawal, S., Arroyo, E.N., Behling, S., Chambwe, N., Cintrón, D.L., Cooper, J.D., Dunster, G., Grummer, J.A., Hennessey, K., Hsiao, J., Iranon, N., Jones, L., Jordt, H., Keller, M., Lacey, M.E., Littlefield, C.E., Lowe, A., Newman, S., Okolo, V., Olroyd, S., Peecook, B.R., Pickett, S.B., Slager, D.L., Caviedes-Solis, I.W., Stanchak, K.E., Sundaravardan, V., Valdebenito, C, Williams, C.R., Zinsli, K., & Freeman, S. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 117 (12) 6476-6483.