Friday's meeting of the State Regents’ Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE) turned into a celebration of innovation and dedication within the realm of digital education in Oklahoma. The COLE recognized the tireless efforts of faculty, staff, and administrators, awarding honors to a group of individuals and university teams for their exemplary contributions to online learning, as reported by okhighered.org.
Among the awardees was Dr. Cindy Akkerman of Oklahoma State University, who took home the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Open Education Impact for her work on Open Educational Resources (OER), which has alleviated the burden of costly textbooks. Clarissa Anderson, from the University of Oklahoma, was heralded for her strides in online accessibility, earning the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Accessibility. Anderson's ground-breaking initiatives were particularly noted for making digital courses accessible to all, including those with disabilities, "Our public colleges and universities offer hundreds of degree programs online, providing digital education options that expand college access and increase flexibility for students, such as adult learners juggling employment, family obligations and degree completion," Chancellor Sean Burrage was quoted in the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education website.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University's Dr. Tugba Sevin received the nod for her innovative approach to teaching world languages online, securing the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Teaching. Dr. Dana Jo Lindon-Burgett of Rose State College was recognized for her leadership efforts with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Individual Leadership. Her involvement with the Oklahoma Quality Matters system and her role in training a new generation of online educators were noted for setting a high bar in the quality of digital instruction.
The Center for Instructional Development and Technology (CIDT) at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the Center for eLearning and Connected Environments (CeCE) Learning Design Team at the University of Central Oklahoma were both lauded for their team leadership and innovation, respectively. CIDT's acclaimed for their comprehensive faculty support and advanced course creation and CeCE for their novel instructional designs and technologies that cater to both students and the workforce. "Their commitment to innovation sets a benchmark for excellence in online education and significantly impacts the future of digital learning in Oklahoma and beyond," lauded the announcement from okhighered.org.
