Learning Innovation at CSCC: The Story of DEIS

In 1995, our college launched its first online course in Accounting. An early emphasis was on developing an online learning program to provide greater access to college coursework for potential learners. In 1997, the college received a grant from PBS entitled “Going the Distance” that enabled us to develop two full online degrees — an Associates of Applied Science in Business Management and an Associates of Arts. Two years later the college received an additional grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education that enabled us to design a center to support faculty in the development of distance education. As the college’s online course initiative began to grow, the academic division now known as Digital Education and Instructional Services (DEIS) was created.


DEIS is housed in the college’s Innovation Center for Teaching & Learning and is the central location for faculty to receive the support, training, and flexible learning spaces needed to explore how instructional technologies can be used to enhance the teaching and learning process.


Our Innovation Center is designed to be a gathering place for faculty to work closely with each other and instructional designers to explore how teaching and learning can continuously improve through the use of instructional technologies and innovative pedagogical approaches. In 2013, DEIS — along with our faculty leaders — introduced a new instructional design approach for digital education. This approach promoted a shift in pedagogy to active learning, mastery learning, and digital storytelling. This enabled our faculty to create digital content that was far more engaging for learners and promoted greater collaboration between students and the faculty member.