New COVID-19 Resources for Educators

As educators and administrators continue to reevaluate and reimagine the future of remote learning, LSU Online & Continuing Education extends support by providing free resources for educators to help increase understanding of issues related to changing modality, as well as ways to move forward in the new normal.

The COVID-19 Resources for Educators is a free, online micro-course with open enrollment. The goal of the course is to provide online learning resources and training for any instructor or administrator—from kindergarten to higher education, and including non-profit organizations—who need more help or more support for online learning in the age of COVID-19.

The topics include:

• COVID-19 Implications for Online Learning;
• Moving to Designed Learning Experiences; and
• Organizations That Can Help

Dr. Sasha Thackberry, Vice President of LSU Online & Continuing Education, developed this course after working through LSU’s transition to remote learning. “Everyone pivoted quickly to ensure that all faculty and students had support during that time. We provided daily hyper care, even for 12 hours on the weekends.” As an administrator, a faculty member, and a parent, she understood first-hand how critical it was to have a supportive administration with quality resources during that time.

This easy-to-use course comes with practical implications and guidance for digital-based education and is perfect for any and all educators who don't have extensive experience with online learning. It is designed to provide educators with introductory information regarding online learning and covers possible futures and COVID-related implications for schools, colleges, and universities.

The learning outcomes for the first module include restating models for how K-12 schools and Higher Ed Environments quickly transitioned to online while identifying implications for moving to the long-term solutions from the short-term. In the second module, learning outcomes include a better understanding of learning experience design with examples and recommendations. The final module provides resources and organizations in the online learning space that provide support to educational institutions.

When asked why the course is free, with open enrollment and no expiration, Dr. Thackaberry noted the importance of the economic need during this time and that providing everyone access to the best practices that are immediately usable benefits the education landscape as a whole.

Course Snapshot:

• Type: Non-Credit
• Start Date: Self-Paced/Asynchronous
• Modality: Online
• # of Courses: 1
• Total Contact Hours: 2-3
• Cost: Free

Get to Know Your Instructor

Dr. Sasha Thackaberry serves as the Vice President for Online and Continuing Education at Louisiana State University. She leads fully online programs, support for online and blended courses, and continuing education that encompasses professional development, K-12, and community programming. Previous to her current post, she was the Assistant Vice President for Academic Technology, Course Production, and New Learning Models at Southern New Hampshire University. She is the Vice Chair of the Executive Committee for WCET, is a member of the National Council for Online Education Advisory Board for UPCEA, and is on the 7 Things Advisory Committee for EDUCAUSE.

She has served as a consultant for K-12, community college, non-profit, and corporations in instructional design, professional development and eLearning ecosystems. She has also held a variety of roles spanning the field of eLearning and innovation, including as the Director of eLearning Technologies, Manager of Next Generation Learning and Senior Instructional Designer at Cuyahoga Community College, and as the Online Learning Coordinator at WVIZ/PBS ideastream, a designated edtech agency for the state of Ohio where she ran online programs for professional development of in-service K-12 faculty statewide.

Dr. Thackaberry has published articles in Inside Higher Ed, EDUCAUSE Review, eLearn Magazine, Distance Learning, e-Literate, WCET, evoLLLution, and the League for Innovation’s Learning Abstracts. She is the co-recipient of the 2013 MOOC Award for Excellence through the Open Education Consortium, and a 2010 Innovation of the Year award through the League for Innovation. She holds a PhD in higher education administration with a research focus in Competency-Based Education as well as an MAT from Kent State University. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance is from the University of Akron.