Extension uses online learning to assist Iowans for a lifetime

Connie Beecher and other ISU Extension and Outreach faculty in the College of Health and Human Sciences wanted to serve Iowans by enhancing their skills through online learning. To do it, Beecher looked outside the traditional extension model with help from Iowa State's 2022-31 strategic plan.

"We serve citizens of the state with educational programs that are really meant to enhance their lives," the School of Education associate professor said. "We wanted to focus on employed individuals who had the ability to pay for skill development."

With help from two rounds of funding from the strategic plan, the effort led to new learning opportunities for Iowans. The proposal, which aligns with the strategic plan's statement to be a university that fosters lifelong learning, received $434,187 in 2024 and $365,922 in 2025 to develop the program and help extension learn more about Iowans' needs. The courses -- developed in part through statewide surveying -- are available through the Extension Store and completed at the learner's pace. Each course -- two to three hours long -- was designed and vetted through a process that ensures quality while offering learners numerous interactive elements. The courses are:

• The Science of Parenting
• Health Behavior Change
• Food Safety for Child Care Providers
• Open For All

"This project provides potential to the university because we don't have to say goodbye to people when they finish their degree," Beecher said. "We can be part of people's learning their whole life."

On average, courses took six months to build followed by five months of review for accuracy, digital accessibility and user compatibility. Beecher said a significant part of the project is developing processes and procedures to assist those who follow with future courses.

"This is something new with no credits attached to the course, so there are a lot of copyright and royalty issues that needed to be handled," she said.

In addition to the courses, extension staff researched Iowans' preferences for online learning, technology and marketing to expand noncredit offerings. They also investigated content creators’ and program leaders' knowledge of resources for creating online content. The project received a strategic plan time extension for 2025-26 for data collection to enhance marketing and inform future course development.

Getting started

The project began by determining how Iowans wanted to learn. Extension staff worked with ISU's Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology to identify a core audience that did not typically use extension.

"We were looking for people with less than a college education, men, those with an income less than $50,000 and those who spoke a language other than English at home," Beecher said. "It took us six months to find those groups."

Fifteen focus groups were formed with seven to eight people in each from across the state. A series of in-person and virtual interviews gathered information. Beecher said those surveyed want to learn online but enjoy the social environment of learning.

"That is the challenge we had when developing our courses to provide that social experience," she said.

The offerings

The Science of Parenting  -- which provides science-based and backed information -- was developed using information from a popular podcast and blog by the same name produced at Iowa State.

"We created four sections from the podcasts that all have big themes like, 'I am the adult here,'" Beecher said. "We took audio and video from our podcasts and broke them down into segments the learners can watch."

Beecher said courses like The Science of Parenting can be vital for adoptive or foster parents who must document parenting classes to satisfy court-mandated learning. They are often given little or no direction on how to fulfill it.

"We are offering easily accessible, high-quality content for them," she said.

Health Behavior Change is for physical therapists, dietitian coaches or other professionals who help people achieve health goals. Food Safety for Child Care Providers ensures standards are met in an industry with high turnover, and Open for All aids those who interact with people with intellectual disabilities in public settings. The courses are delivered through the learning management systems Canvas and Moodle, and users print off a certificate or certification after completing a course.

Designing online courses

Beecher said because learners pay for the courses expectations are raised. To give each course a professional look, Beecher and extension faculty enhanced their learning modules with new technology. For example, Synthesia is an artificial intelligence tool that allows users to make an avatar of a person to deliver content, and users create realistic videos from text prompts without using a live person.

"A five-minute recording can cover a two-hour course," Beecher said.

Most courses were built using Articulate Rise, a web-based authoring tool where users create responsive, engaging online courses. It uses a block-based approach so users can select and arrange pre-designed elements -- text, images, videos and quizzes -- to build courses. 

The time commitment to build a course is significant on top of the cost. There is incentive for creators to receive a portion of the profits (after costs) –- similar to grant incentives. Miller Fellowship and open educational resources grants also are available to possibly aid future course design.

Connecting with Iowans

The strategic plan funds allowed the extension advancement team to combine the survey information with its statewide needs assessment. Advancement communications manager Jill Brimeyer said the results emphasized the need to communicate with Iowans in clear, concise ways, not expecting them to adapt to extension's structure.

The launching of the new courses coincides with a redesigned extension storefront that provides a more intuitive user experience for accessing resources, publications and products. It makes finding information simpler for those with limited knowledge of extension and its offerings, and learners also are prompted with additional available resources that continue to enhance their skills.

"It allowed us to better determine our audience's needs and how they want to receive that information, then adjust our organization to fit those educational opportunities," said advancement multimedia and creative manager Jed Findlay. "It also allowed us to develop a process that is efficient and can be replicated in extension going forward."

Advancement staff also used the information to adjust how they market offerings to Iowans. Data-driven decisions are made around the audience, market, price and what competitors offer. Findlay said the idea of how to market products to audiences starts at the beginning of a project and not after its development. Earlier market research can help extension staff know what Iowans want and are willing to pay for, not just what extension wants to offer.

"We need to know if it is a viable way for us to go or establish if the need is already met," Brimeyer said. "As we move into more fee-based programs, it is important that we know who we are directing our offerings to and that we are able to recoup our investment."