Advancing the state of online learning: Stay integrated, stay accessible, stay curious

Learning environments are constantly evolving; where once students relied on textbooks, paper, and pencil, they now complete the majority of their assignments online (Lu, 2008). Demand for the integration of computer-based systems into existing instructional practices and curricula has led recent usage of online tools and content to spike (Pawlowski & Bick, 2012). However, prominent gaps in our collective understanding of how to best develop, evaluate, and disseminate educational technologies pose significant risks for consumers. These environments are only as good as the quality, quantity, and accessibility of their content. ASSISTments is an online learning platform designed to provide students with immediate feedback and teachers with robust assessments. A free public service of Worcester Polytechnic Institute supported through more than $25 million in public and private funding, ASSISTments is primarily used for middle and secondary mathematics, supporting the delivery, collection, and grading of classwork and homework. Keeping abreast of recent advances in the learning sciences, ASSISTments has improved educational outcomes by focusing on three ideologies: staying integrated, staying accessible, and staying curious. This chapter explores how the ASSISTments team has worked to apply each of these ideologies, the lessons learned in the process, and why others in the learning sciences should do the same.