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Academic Coaching in Modern Online Education. ISBN13: 9798337325828

Instructional Connections, LLC Release Date: October, 2025 Copyright: © 2026 Pages: 492 DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-2582-8 ISBN13: 9798337325828|ISBN1 https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/book/368807
Academic Coaching in Modern Online Education explores the utilization of online tools and applications in academic coaching. It examines innovative support system's scalability, empowering educational institutions to expand their online course enrollment without the need for additional faculty recruitment. This book covers topics such as higher education, professional development, and education technologies, and is a useful resource for educators, academicians, researchers, and higher education leaders.

In modern online education, academic coaching serves as a critical support system for student success, faculty workload management, and the sustainability of high-demand online programs.

Unlike traditional tutoring, success coaching, or career services – support systems offered outside and independent of the course and curriculum, embedded Academic Coaching provides personalized support within the student’s online course. As the popularity and demand for flexible online higher education opportunities continue to expand, the role of Academic Coaches becomes essential in bridging the gap between course content and student engagement. They offer instructional support to both the faculty of record and the students enrolled in the courses.

Faculty are no longer required to serve as the sole support system within the online classroom. By having academic coaches assist with routine course management tasks, their bandwidth is preserved for the high-value interactions, targeted feedback, and synchronous or strategic interventions.

Academic Coaching in Modern Online Education investigates the use of online tools and how this unique academic coaching model is applied. It looks at the support system’s scalability, enabling educational institutions to broaden their online programs and increase course enrollment without adding more FTEs or expanding the faculty pool.

It explores critical themes in modern education, including higher ed administration, online education, and educational technologies. Serving as a valuable resource for educators, scholars, researchers, and higher education leaders.

Instructional Connections, LLC

Watkins, H. E., & Williams, R. F. (2026). Academic Coaching in Modern Online Education. IGI Global.

https://www.igi-global.com/book/academic-coaching-modern-online-education/368807

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White Paper – Strategic Integration of Academic Coaches in Online Learning

Strategic Integration of Academic Coaches in Online Learning
Enhancing Instructional Support While Reducing Faculty Burden

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

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Faculty Perceptions of Academic Coaches in Higher Education

Distance Education Concept. Above top view of female student sitting at desk, writing in notebook, taking notes, using laptop, having online class with teacher. Remote studying from home, quarantine

Online access to higher education has risen drastically over the past decade, allowing many students worldwide the ability to access educational opportunities. This method of delivering courses online has given students great flexibility in learning and pursuing degrees that they may not have been able to complete previously in a traditional classroom model. Despite the positive aspects of online learning, there are also challenges to this modality. One of educators’ most significant challenges is engaging students in online learning environments. The implementation and assistance of Instructional Connections’ academic coaches provide an extra layer of support to help guide students in their classes and help aid student retention and success. Additionally, the help academic coaches provide allows the instructor of record more time to focus on the course and student outcomes.

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/txdla_jdl/vol5/iss1/4 

TxDLA Journal of Digital Learning. Volume 5 (2024) A Leap to the Future.