EdPlus exists because the enabling technologies allowing universities to grow and expand over the past centuries have fundamentally changed in the last thirty years.
We apply new technologies, strategies, and ideas in ways that increase access to university education and the success of students and learners, amplifying the transformative impact of our faculty on individual students, their families, and future generations. In the nine years since its inception,
Goal #1
Exceed
Increase the number of students enrolling in and graduating from ASU Online degree programs
How are we doing?
This year, EdPlus celebrated its largest student body and graduating class to date.
More than 89,000 students enrolled in online classes during the academic year 2022/2023, and over 15,000 students graduated.
Goal #2
Outperform
Break barriers to higher education achievement through leading-edge technologies, partnerships and services
Learning technologies, such as Dreamscape Learn, Study Hall, and Digit, help level the playing field for incoming and current students alike.
Technologies
EdPlus believes in testing and innovating with new technologies in order to stay at the forefront of education by providing students with the most engaging, effective and personalized learning experiences. Embracing cutting-edge tools and methods ensures that ASU is focused on enabling student success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, ultimately enhancing educational quality and transforming society.
Digit
reduction in errors made for students who completed three practice problems within each learning target
Digit is a next-generation learning platform designed for user-friendly practice, scaffolding and tutoring. This comprehensive approach prioritizes quick feedback to students, adapting to their unique learning paths with specific content curated by their learning experience and strengthening the overall learning outcomes. This new math approach is being used in middle schools now.
• The spring pilot showed combining hints and feedback resulted in a 6% increase in first-attempt practice problem success.
• Each hint used in practice problems was associated with a 12% increase in mastery problem success.
• There also was a 33% reduction in errors after only three practice problems.
More in math innovations
A redesign is also underway in two introductory calculus courses for college students. Calculus is a challenging course and dissuades some from pursuing STEM degrees. Creating a more contextualized and active learning experience will help close the education gap and maintain the richness of essential content.
Dreamscape Learn
1.7x
more likely to score between 90% and 100% on their assignments
EdPlus also wanted to know how and to what extent do students learn and enjoy learning with Dreamscape Learn’s uniquely immersive and expertly designed course experience. Our research team, the Action Lab, has partnered with the DSL team to implement a longitudinal study to get at the heart of student learning and experiences with DSL.
The Research
Various co-informing methods of data collection have been mobilized, including quantitative data collected from course materials, mixed-methods surveys, unmoderated user recordings, post-VR questionnaires, observations, and qualitative interviews. Exploring these varied data sets alongside educational outcome data records provides a holistic approach to understanding DSL as a catalytic learning approach.
Research Findings: Spring 2022 and Fall 2022 BIO 181; Campus Immersion 15-Week Course
• During both semesters, students enjoyed the VR experiences and storylines presented. In Fall 2022, from the first to the last VR experience, the novelty did not wane; the average student rating was 4.5 on a scale of 1-5. This high enjoyment is commensurate with subsequent semesters’ ratings.
• In a comparison of performance, students in DSL lab sections were 1.7 times more likely to score between 90% and 100% on their assignments than students in non-DSL lab sections.
• Historically underrepresented students in STEM continue to perform just as well as other students on DSL lab assignments.
• Students who attended more VR sessions felt more engaged in the course. In turn, these students earned higher scores on lab assignments than students who attended fewer VR sessions. This pattern is seen across multiple semesters.
Strategies
EdPlus believes in testing and experimenting with different strategies to engage and include learners and students where they are by offering tailored experiences to meet the evolving needs of learners and students. EdPlus supports ASU’s academic and learning enterprises by taking a proactive approach to meeting the dynamic demands of the higher education landscape and assuming fundamental responsibility for the success of audiences engaged with ASU offerings.
gostudyhall.com
Study Hall
Study Hall (a collaboration between ASU, YouTube, and Crash Course) is a series of video courses aimed at empowering learners with resources to navigate higher education and earn college credits.
EdPlus’ in-house media team assumed responsibility for producing and editing all Study Hall videos during the 2020 pandemic and has produced more than 560 videos since.
• The videos had over 4.3M views in FY23.
• The team completed four courses that link to academic credit.
Online Undergraduate Research Scholars program
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and EdPlus are addressing the pressing challenge of offering quality research opportunities to ASU Online students at scale through the Online Undergraduate Research Scholars (OURS) program. The OURS program is offering research experiences across a wide range of disciplines, including natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, differentiating ASU from other institutions that offer online degree programs.
In FY23, there were 315 online students that participated in the OURS program across 27 group-based research experiences. Participants included students across demographic groups.
• Of all participants, 40% were racial or ethnic minorities.
• Of all participants, 70% were women.
• Of all participants, 53% were Pell Grant eligible.
I love the engagement of the online classes. I didn’t know what to expect. I feel the way ASU approaches online learning actually teaches a deeper understanding of subjects.
Steven Hill, ASU Online Graduate Liberal Studies, BA
Ideas
As a thought leader and innovation hub for ASU, EdPlus is looking for ways to keep innovating and improving student outcomes. We value the diverse talent necessary to achieve success and are committed to proactive thinking about the future of higher education. We asked members of the EdPlus leadership team about their thoughts on the year ahead.
How can we keep improving outcomes for learners and students and better connect our degrees to outcomes?
The real secret to making educational outcomes achievable is to put students at the center of everything we do. We’ve got to keep asking them what they think as we make cutting-edge changes that’ll make their learning experience even better. Coming up with new tech is a good first step, but we’ve also got to match up with our ASU charter, which is all about making sure students succeed.
We’re not just about creating new things – it’s about mixing science and storytelling, making classes that really help students, and showing them how their degrees can lead to great careers and make them better all-around people. It’s like putting all these pieces of a puzzle together to create an environment where students don’t just meet our expectations; they go above and beyond, and that’s because we’re not just listening to them – we truly believe in what they can achieve.
Casey Evans Chief Operating Officer
How does EdPlus think about humancentered design across the ASU enterprise?
At ASU, we elevate human-centered design to its highest calling— placing the student at the heart of every decision. Our commitment is to weave data into the very fabric of our strategy, anchored to tangible human impact. Through a research led, iterative design process EdPlus is focused on transforming educational experiences, while removing obstacles or barriers around student success.
Amanda Gulley Chief of User Experience Design
How can we continue to work with partners to help solve big problems? What do you see for the future of partnerships in higher education?
EdPlus works with partners to solve complex education problems and to innovate for the future of education and work, across our ecosystem. Whether it be educational technology partners for our r&D unit or AI innovations in our UX units, there is constant evaluation and iteration with partners within the ASU ecosystem, as well as external to ASU. In regard to corporate partners, we seek to understand the current and future needs of partners’ workforce needs and provide an array of degrees through ASU Online and microcredentials, or noncredit learning opportunities, through our colleagues in Knowledge Enterprise.
Sean Hobson Chief Design Officer
ASU Online Performance
6.7%
increase in yearover-year growth for total online student enrollment from FY22 to FY23
ASU Online, established to further the reach of the ASU charter and eliminate educational boundaries, brings the premium campus experience to a broader audience. It offers the same esteemed programs, renowned faculty, prestigious degrees, and sought-after accreditations as its traditional counterparts, but in a more accessible and flexible format.
At the heart of this endeavor is EdPlus, serving as the central service provider for ASU Online. EdPlus has played a pivotal role in designing and evolving the ASU Online platform with unwavering ambition.
The results speak for themselves - ASU Online consistently earns top honors, securing a place among the U.S. News’ prestigious top ten for online undergraduate programs. It’s not just about rankings; ASU Online has reached a multitude of students, surpassing the combined numbers of the other top nine programs. This is the power of innovation and collaboration at its finest.
ASU has one of the top online programs in the country. The fast paced learning with multiple sessions in a semester felt like the best fit for me.
This degree launched with 494 students enrolled. Applied Business and Technology Solutions is a non-calculus based business program, providing additional accessibility through W. P. Carey School of Business.
Medical Studies, BS
Medical Studies launched with 150 students enrolled. This pre-medicine degree includes specializations based on professional school interests.
Positive Psychology Suite (BA, BS, MS)
These three programs launched with 170 total students enrolled. The programs are science-based and explore psychological sciences, emphasizing strengths, mental wellness, and well-being.
Pharmacology & Toxicology, BS
The Pharmacology and Toxicology degree launched with 40 students enrolled. It is a unique program that explores the impact of drugs and chemicals on humans, animals, and the environment.
As I started doing research, and it became exceedingly clear that ASU was light-years ahead of other programs in its innovative approach to distanced learning.
