Expanding, Evolving, Exploring: Online Teaching’s Year in Review

After its birth in 2019, the Online Teaching website had to grow up fast thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding a flurry of articles and guides as it quickly became a go-to resource for faculty navigating their sudden launch into virtual education. Over the years, we expanded the site’s content to include new pedagogies and technologies, always with the intent to provide expert advice and inspire teachers to deliver life-changing education for online learners.

Online Teaching had a big growth spurt in 2025. We added series like Learner Stories, Instructor Voices, and the CAI Policy Insights monthly feature to help our readers keep track of the ever-evolving higher education landscape. We explored research on MOOCs and extended reality in the classroom, shared tools and tips on making sure your online course materials are accessible for all learners, and presented an array of resources for effective course design and communication. Finally, we launched a monthly newsletter in October, providing a distilled look at the latest in online teaching and learning. 

As the Online Teaching website matures into its current stage, which includes new content published each week, the monthly newsletter, and plans to add video and audio elements, we are excited for the year ahead. Developing useful, effective resources and sharing expert insight with our readers remains our top priority. There is no denying that means further examination of the role artificial intelligence will play in higher education. It’s a much-debated topic, but the renowned faculty and staff at the University of Michigan are leading that exploration, and we’ll continue to share their ideas, approaches, and examples of how they’ve harnessed AI to best serve their students.

Please enjoy our top articles from 2025, and explore the Online Teaching website. If you want to stay in the know every month, you can also subscribe to our Online Teaching newsletter. Happy New Year!

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