Advancing Auburn’s Mission Through Digital Learning
Auburn Online supports faculty and academic programs in creating learner-centered online and hybrid courses that reflect Auburn’s commitment to academic quality, innovation, access, and student success.
We work alongside faculty as design partners — not just technical support. From the first conversation about course goals to media production, Canvas design, accessibility, launch support, and continuous improvement, Auburn Online helps translate strong teaching into effective digital learning experiences.
Our work also extends beyond traditional online courses. Through immersive learning, AI-enhanced learning resources, media production, and student success services, Auburn Online helps academic units explore new ways to serve students and strengthen Auburn’s instructional future.
Learn more about our process and see examples of our work.
Awards and Recognition
Auburn Online has earned national acclaim for its leadership in instructional design, academic innovation, and immersive learning technologies. Through strategic partnerships and groundbreaking initiatives, Auburn Online continues to redefine excellence in digital education.
Recent honors include:
- 2024 UPCEA Shauna Schullo Best Distance Teaching Practices Award: Recognized for outstanding online teaching strategies that elevate student engagement and learning outcomes.
- 2024 UPCEA Outstanding Noncredit Program Award: Awarded for the “Teaching with Artificial Intelligence” course, which equips educators with practical tools to integrate AI into instruction.
- 2024 ACHE AI Culture Grant: Support Auburn Online’s commitment to forward-thinking educational environments such as the innovative open educational resource project, "A Guide to AI Enhanced Learning."
- The 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Highlighted for creating virtual exhibit halls, museums, art galleries, laboratories, and interactive tools like virtual microscopes and slide viewers—demonstrating Auburn’s pioneering role in immersive education.
- 2020 EDUCAUSE Research Publication: Fall Planning for the New Normal: Auburn University was featured for its rapid and effective transition to remote instruction during the pandemic, including the development of virtual labs and simulations
- 2020 Auburn University President’s Outstanding Collaborative Units Award: The “Creed to Succeed” initiative, involving Auburn Online and multiple campus partners, was honored for advancing institutional excellence through collaboration.
These accolades reflect Auburn Online’s dedication to transforming teaching and learning through innovation, accessibility, and collaboration.
Research and Creative Scholarship
Our team actively contributes to the field through presentations at national and international conferences, peer-reviewed publications, and podcasts. Recent scholarship includes work on immersive learning platforms and AI integration in education.
Auburn Online partners with faculty subject matter experts to design and develop high-quality online and hybrid courses. A typical three-credit academic course is developed over two semesters and includes instructional design, project management, creative services, accessibility support, and media production.
Our Continuous Improvement process helps faculty revisit existing online courses using student feedback, course analytics, performance data, and instructional design review. The goal is not one-and-done course development. The goal is courses that get better over time.
Faculty who need focused support can meet with Auburn Online instructional designers for targeted design consultations. These sessions can support Canvas organization, assignment redesign, engagement strategies, accessibility improvements, media planning, or technology integration.
Auburn Online provides digital accessibility remediation services to help faculty, departments, and colleges improve the accessibility of Canvas courses and digital learning materials. This support helps academic units prepare for evolving accessibility expectations while improving the learning experience for all students.
Held before each semester, the Course Launch Hackathon gives faculty hands-on help preparing Canvas courses for launch. Faculty work directly with instructional designers to organize course shells, check key settings, troubleshoot issues, and apply practical course design improvements.
Auburn Online’s media production team helps faculty and staff create polished, purposeful instructional media. Our studios support Learning Glass recordings, talking-head videos, podcast production, AI-generated video, 360° video, and other formats designed to make digital learning more engaging and effective.
The team also supports on-location recording and post-production editing for projects that require a more customized approach. Whether you need a short course introduction, a full lecture series, a podcast episode, or immersive media, Auburn Online can help match the format to the learning goal.
The Auburn Online Program Ambassador Program highlights faculty leadership in online and hybrid teaching. Ambassadors share evidence-based strategies, promote effective digital teaching practices, and help connect colleagues with Auburn Online services and resources. Thank you to our inaugural Program Ambassador, Dr. Dave Ketchen.
Faculty partner with Auburn Online to create courses that are organized, engaging, accessible, and aligned with student learning outcomes.
Through Auburn’s AUX initiative, Auburn Online helps faculty use VR, AR, 360° video, and interactive media to create learning experiences that would be difficult, costly, or impossible in a traditional classroom.
Online learners benefit from orientation, communication, resource navigation, learning analytics, and outreach designed to support persistence and success.
