Boston University Distance Education Staff

All members of the BU Virtual Distance Education team collaborate to design, build, and deliver engaging and exciting learning experiences for Boston University’s online students. From course development to learner support, we have the knowledge and experience to ensure that every course meets the highest standards of quality and learner satisfaction.

Leadership & Administration

Faculty and Student Support

Instructional Design

Educational Resources & Production

What We Do

Faculty and Student Support Administrators (FSSAs) are always ready to answer questions and provide guidance to faculty and students in currently running courses. Experts in the use of the learning management system and its integrated technologies, FSSAs enroll students, monitor group interactions, troubleshoot, train, and make recommendations based on their extensive experience and broad knowledge of each program. Each FSSA maintains a close relationship with the faculty and facilitators in the programs they support, and pays close attention to each student’s needs and performance in every course. FSSAs provide numerous reminders and updates to students on a daily basis, while working in close collaboration with the instructional designers to ensure that student feedback is incorporated into course revisions. The faculty and student support team also extends into the ares of online student engagement, proctored exam coordination, and other online services such as textbook provisioning and quality control.

Instructional Designers (IDs) work in close partnership with the faculty and other subject matter experts to build BU’s award-winning online courses. Along with expertise in the capabilities of the learning management system and other integrated technologies that BU employs, our IDs have a deep conceptual understanding of how adults with different learning styles experience online courses. Putting themselves in the shoes of the instructor and student, they design content with an intuitive sense of what will—and will not—work in an online environment in terms of pacing, interactivity, and presentation. Boston University’s IDs work collaboratively with each other, with the faculty and student support administrators, and with the media team to develop innovative instructional approaches. They are always learning, and they make decisions with the faculty about how best to deliver the content in each course they support.

Media Production works with the faculty and instructional designers to create well-rounded and highly interactive learning experiences. The media team creates video content and interactive, multimedia learning objects that enrich BU’s online courses. They review scripts, shoot video in our studios and on location, and spend countless hours editing video content to make sure it is aligned with each course’s learning objectives. In addition, the team uses animations and other visual material to ensure that videos are interesting and engaging—delivering the message concisely and effectively.