Education that improves lives has to sink in deeply — and stay there so participants can use it. University of Minnesota Extension makes that happen through proven instructional methods
Online courses can be convenient in a fast-paced world. But is it really worth it if you can’t remember the information when you need it?
University of Minnesota Extension digital learning designers understand how brains work. They design courses that help participants learn a vast array of topics in meaningful ways so they are ready to put information to practical use, bridging the gap between convenience and lasting proficiency.
Components of Extension’s high-quality, learner-centered online courses include:
- Learners feel a connection to an instructor throughout the course.
- “Quick check” quizzes provide immediate reinforcement of concepts.
- Question and answer sessions clarify practical applications of the material.
- Discussion boards facilitate peer interaction and shared learning.
Asynchronous courses (available 24/7) feature some of the above components, along with strategies for independent learners.
Sticky — and sweet
“A beginner hiving their first bees can learn online and then come to our apiary to get their own hands into our teaching hives,” says Katie Lee, an Extension apiculture educator. Lee and her colleagues on the Bee Squad transformed the 30-year-old Beekeeping in Northern Climates course and other Extension beekeeping courses, working hand in hand with digital learning designers on the Extension Learning Technology team.
Jess Marshall-Kurysh took up the hobby in 2021 when her beekeeping grandfather passed away. She took the online Extension course and is now the president of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association.
Marshall-Kurysh is carrying the torch, but times have changed since her grandfather’s time and now. Ecosystem changes and parasitic mites are a couple of examples.
“There is much to learn about honey bees in order to maintain and successfully overwinter a hive,” says Marshall-Kurysh. “Extension’s online course included so many ways to learn it — like videos and quizzes with instant feedback. It all came with big-time benefits.”
Reaching rural
Parents Forever, an Extension curriculum in parenting education for divorcing parents, reached more than 1,500 participants in 2025; 43% of those who took the 8-hour online course came from rural counties, underscoring the program’s role in reducing geographic barriers to parent education.
“Understanding how to support children’s adjustment based on age and developmental stage increased from 58% to 96%,” says Ellie McCann, Extension educator. “It is extremely important to us that our participants can remember and use the tools of conflict resolution and co-parenting.”
Knowledge for good decisions
About 1,600 people have taken Extension courses in horse education. Those who complete all assignments can receive a certificate of course completion.
Jill Burcum, who signed up for the Basic Horse Nutrition course to prepare for buying a horse, says she was worried at first about taking an online class. “But it’s been perfect for my needs as a working adult who needed information to make good choices,” she says.
Printable resources make it easy to review; Burcum keeps some of them in a three-ring binder in the barn.
Find courses
Many other Extension programs use these methods with a long track record of success, including the Master Gardener Core Course. New online courses are launched every year.
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