I think being a wizard can definitely help. I suppose you can be a little less than the wizard but your attention to detail needs to be in hyper gear to keep the course up to standard. I am grateful our lessons are planned and the course is written ahead of time.
I think this will depend on the course that you are trying to develop but in general, I agree that you do not have to be a technological wizard in order to develop an online course. When designing a course, what you need is the expertise on the subject and how to help the students learn the content.
-Christine
The answer is definitely NO for two reasons. One because knowing the modalities/functionalities used in an on-line course does not mean one has to build them..., there are plenty of well packaged generic platforms in the market. The second(ary) reason is that in our days tech-wizard is a very high qualification...
Shelly,
I agree with your statement. Not all online content has to be complicated in order to be effective. Having said that,however, the more a developer of online courses knows about technology, potentially the more interesting/effective a course or lesson could be. If I know three chords on a guitar I can play a song....if I know five chords, I can make it more interesting.
I agree that developers of online courses do not have to be technological wizards. As long as sources are cited, previously tested graphics, photos, videos and audio samples can be used.
In my opinion, when I first started teaching online I did not have the skills, but gradually I gained those skills through practice and experience. It is a learning process for all including the instructors, course developers and the students.
Anne,
Comfort zone certainly plays a huge part, but we should always be expanding out comfort zone!
Shelly Crider
Daron,
After you create a class or two.....you will become a wizard!!! You will know what works and what doesn't.
Shelly Crider
Christine,
It is true that some classes are extra hard to create and then there are some that can be easier. I have found that math classes are a bit touchy only due to the math signs and making sure they show up correctly in a variety of programs. Just my experience!!
Shelly Crider
Elias,
With technology changing on a daily basis...the packaged generic platforms are not too bad!
Shelly Crider
Robert,
Excellent post....and very true!!! The more you work (play) in a sandbox or your class, the more you will learn what works and what you want to stay away from!
Shelly Crider
I think some wizardry is handy, but you don't have to be Harry Potter to figure it out. Most of it uses common sense and I think as instructors we need to constantly re-evaluate our courses and make sure they are up-to-date. Having the tools to do this helps out a lot, without having to rely on tech support to do it for us. So some training may come in handy when it comes to developing your own courses.
I disagree. Online course developers should have a minimum basic knowledge of technology use and application. Online students are tech savvy and they want content in online courses that is dynamic, techology based, and engaging. To make this happen you online course developers must be tech savvy too.
Cally,
There are times I would like to have a handy dandy wand to make things work in a classroom!!
Shelly Crider
Mountasser,
The developers need to be in communication with the instructors so the instructors can trouble shoot with the students as well.
Shelly Crider
Hi Shelly and Class. I do agree that developers do not have to be technological wizards. There can be a team with varying degrees of expertise in different areas of the course. As a subject matter expert, I would feel confident in my design for the course content, but would have to defer to others for the technical aspects of the course.
Maureen
I agree... I just feel as though the developer needs to know how to develop an online course that allows for easy navigation so the student is not intimidated by the course.
Maureen ,
A good class is even better when we collaborate with others to get the best of the best.
Shelly Crider
I would disagree with wizard part but would have to say that developers need to be technologically savvy. The need to understand the software that is being used as well as where to find help if necessary.
I disagree, to actually design and make sure all of the digital functions are working properly and are appropriate is a very difficult task. I concede that it is fairly easy to design a basic html website, but the types of media and digital files required for a successful and engaging course required are way outside the realm of basic html and require a deep knowledge base of digital programming.
