Our work in developing online degree education nationally has continued with a focus on students and their experiences. Our national Online Degree Working Group has done important work in gathering student views on various aspects of online degree education. Student views should be heard and taken seriously in any development work of degree education, and online programmes are no different.

My recent interview on page 17 of SeOppi magazine for the Association of Finnish eLearning Centre lists some of the things that online degree students have named as important aspects to consider when developing online degree education. The topics were mostly related to organisation of studies, collaboration and contact with peers and staff, as well as self-management. The challenges raised by online degree students do not really differ from those often posed by on-site students, but the solutions in the digital context may differ greatly from those on campus.

Pedagogical design of online degree programmes should therefore consider holistically from both student and staff point of view how to make the online degree programme work so that students’ enjoy studying and are able to progress according to their personal study plan. Student well-being was the topic of our latest webinar offered by the national eAMK project.

I will be presenting my research and discussing some of the work done by the national Online Degree Programme Working Group at Online Educa Berlin. Read my interview on page 17 of SeOppi magazine and come and see my presentation at OEB in the session Supporting Learner Progress with Design and Data