Online Learning Ecosystems: Comprehensive Planning and Support for Distance Learners

Although designing and developing courses curricula are often the primary foci for online learning, instructional considerations are just one part of an educational ecosystem contributing to the online educational quality and success for online learners. In this paper, we explore systemic planning for online learning organized around the idea of an educational ecosystem. Just as in-person learners benefit from an educational system, online learners similarly benefit from carefully planned educational systems. We draw on systemic theories and frameworks with examples from successful programs, discussing features from each of these that inform the design of online learning ecosystems, arguing that rather than an either-or approach to online and face-to-face learning, institutions adopt a both-and approach that fosters robust learning ecosystems. The paper concludes with institutional resilience and how careful systemic planning that strategically integrates online planning is key to the success of online programs essential for institutions' future resilience.