Hi Jim,
Let me ask you what you do within your classroom to help students feel more at ease within their course?
I definitely agree! I believe that from the time of conception of a course and after the final quiz within a course - that everything should include an on-going assessment of assignments, text, syllabus, objectives, learning outcomes and goals. Keeping the learner in mind while designing these courses helps the designer to better design and ask what goals and outcomes are indeed achievable for the learner within that specific course.
Oh, I definitely agree with that statement. I have experience with a few LMS and one in particular would not be a school for which I would like to study. It's the antithesis of navigational simplicity. There are areas that are apt to be missed by the student. If you can't find the educational materials, they don't do much good.
Cheryl
Terry,
Oh those assumptions.....they get us in trouble all the time!!
Shelly Crider
Terry,
good point.....we keep saying we are keeping the "learner" in mind, but we also need to keep the perspective employer in mind. What do employers need from the new employee?
Shelly Crider
Shelly,
What employers "need" from my students would be a great portfolio, and an employee that is attentive to detail, meets deadline, honest and reliable! :)
Dr. Powell
I would agree. There are lots of students that are visual learner because of this the course should look and feel appealing to students. I believe it will make the student want to learn more.
I agree Muriel. I think visual nature plays a big role in the way human beings respond.
It is important for students to feel comfortable in their working environment.
Hi Shelly,
I agree. End users must feel comfortable with the layout and navigation of an online course to maximize learning. A course that is not organized in a logical manner or is lacking navigation, leads to frustration and poor participation/attendance.
Robin
I agree completely...are as important, if not more important than the content. The look and feel, a'la presentation and the ease of navigation, is absolutely paramount in allowing students to successfully view and comprehend the subject matter being delivered. Lack of look and feel will prevent the students from accessing the content, which defeats the purpose of the course in the first place. Without good look and feel, the students will become lost and frustrated leading to poor performance, failure, and loosing the student as a customer.
Ron Carlson
Terry,
We can find most of the qualities in our students, but finding them all in one student will need some looking. Today's generation is a bit different in what they are looking for in a career than a few years ago.....but.....anyone in the medical field better be paying attention to detail!!
Shelly Crider
Kenya,
Visual is golden for most online students, but knowing what to put in and what seems too juvenile is a balancing act.
Shelly Crider
Kenya,
True, whether their working environment is an online class, McDonalds, or wherever they might be at that very moment.
Shelly Crider
Robin,
If our course is not organized, how do we really teach professionalism on top of that??
Shelly Crider
Ron,
Good point, not just confusion will occur, but poor performance and in the end failure and we do not want to see that as an instructor.
Shelly Crider
I agree, but often times a school will utilize the same basic visual format for every course. I teach in an Art program, and my my online environment is virtually the same as one of our English copurses. I think this maybe more or less due to keeping the environment standardized so students are familiar with navigation system. I just wished there was some way we could customize it some to help stimulate my predominantly visual learners.
I agree. We live in an entertainment society where most students are used to social media, videos, and short pieces of information given at one time.
I think the look and feel of an online course is important, not simply because of the mediums that are available -- but specifically -- and possibly primarily because of ease of access to content and navigation. Online education has had a stigma of insufficient delivery in the past. Some had said that students are not getting a full experience. Online portals are a tool. If the student can easily access the elements of the course, and the course content is rich, then there is no deprivation. We erase the bad stigma, because the student is fully engaged.
I also see frustration in one class can lead to poor perceptions and assumptions in another class. I have encountered students that bring notions to my class on expectations that takes time for me to correct. This is time that can be better spent on task. This means what I do in class can have an impact on another Instructor's efficiency.
