Online education continues to expand at an unprecedented pace, presenting universities with a dual challenge: maintaining instructional quality while managing the increasing workload of their faculty. To meet the evolving demands of online education, institutions are partnering with Instructional Connections and their Academic Coaches—experienced professionals who deliver targeted instructional support to faculty, ensure proactive, timely communication, provide rubric-aligned formative feedback, and monitor student activity to foster engagement and drive success.
Academic Coaches have emerged as a critical component in preserving instructional integrity, enhancing student success, and enabling scalable growth. Recent research by Forman & Sanchez (2025) confirms that, when deployed strategically, Academic Coaches not only improve student outcomes but also alleviate instructional strain on faculty.
This white paper (click to open and download) explores best practices for integrating Academic Coaches into online courses, drawing on the operational expertise of Instructional Connections and the latest evidence-based insights. It offers a leadership-focused framework designed to strengthen institutional capacity, support faculty well-being, and elevate the online learning experience.
Reference:
Forman, T. M., & Sanchez, J. M. (2025). Effective utilization of academic coaches for instructional support in online courses. E-Learning and Digital Media, 20427530241239395.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20427530241239395