A pandemic friendly model for inter-institutional graduate training

Abstract:

For three years, CUAHSI, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of the Hydrologic Sciences, Inc., has piloted and evaluated CUAHSI Virtual University – a framework for inter-institutional collaboration in graduate training. The program was developed so that students could take highly specialized online modules from national experts in sub-disciplines of hydrology, all while earning credit from their home institution and without transferring tuition dollars among institutions. In order for an institution to participate, an instructor from that institution must offer a one-month, online module that covers the equivalent of 1-hr of semester credit. Generally the modules offered are more specialized than topics that would typically be offered at a single institution because the class sizes would be prohibitively small; however, when half a dozen or more universities participate, a critical mass of highly motivated graduate students can be attracted. Students register for a 3-credit course from their home institution and each student choses a set of three modules that best suits their individual interests. At the end of the module, the module instructor submits scored homework assignments, quizzes, projects and other summative assessments to the instructor-of-record at the student’s home institution as well as a deidentified distribution of other student scores. The instructor-of-record uses this material to assign a grade based on the grading policies and culture at their institution.

The observed benefits of this model include: increased, and more specialized, course offerings; national student-student and student-faculty networking; faster dissemination of recent research advances; improved teaching efficiency by leveraging 1-cr of online teaching into a 3-cr course offering through collaboration; and improved ability to collaborate in a virtual setting. The primary drawback to the model has been hesitancy of instructors and students alike to engage in online teaching and learning. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided academics an opportunity to engage in virtual education and has disrupted university budgets, I suggest that there is even greater opportunity and willpower to expand this model of inter-institutional training.