Great points! Some students who are also not fully invested in taking the class can use this an excuse to step away from it.
Good points on what the focus should be on. - Jon
Dr. Outland, the look and feel of an online course, as I interpret it (ease of navigation and user friendly), is equally important as anticipated content. The quicker students can settle into a "comfort zone" when it comes to accessing information, posting threads, etc. the quicker students can begin to actively engage in the learning process accelerating learning outcomes.
I have found that it typically takes students some time to settle into their zone. The online format and setup goes a long way in minimizing this adjustment period.
George
The look and feeel of an online course is very important to the digtal learner. It is what will grab the learners attention and provide part of the stimulus to stay engaged.
The look and feel of an online course is very important. I think it should be kept very simple so that the students can focus on the material. Providing too much information and too many resources can quickly overwhelm a student and they will give up. The easier it is to navigate through the classroom the more efficient the students work will become.
Great response - thanks! - Jon
I agree to the extent that the experience should be transparent. If the focus becomes the visual gaps or inconsistency of the site then the learner misses the content of the course. Good graphic knowledge and skills with learning styles and logics is very important in the online environment.
On a different note, I was quite surprised by the inaccuracies in the assessment for this unit. Providing a comprehensive exam unless it is an authentic assessment is not a form of Intellectual Interactivity. I was also disappointed that the first assessment item did not align with the content presented in the unit. While I agree with the ultimate answer, the fifth element is not discussed in the content so expecting it in the assessment violates much of what the whole unit was about.
Dr. Jeannette K. Jones, RCC
I agree as a result of my personal experience. The best content in the world will not receive my attention if I do not access it. That may sound obvious, but in an online environment, it is not so obvious. If a site is not professional with a friendly user interface, I will probably not use it. That applies to educational sites as well. So if the content is excellent, but getting to it is off-putting, the content goes unused.
George, I agree with your statement of seeking our "comfort zone". When I am the student, I always try to learn the instructor, even in a brick-and-mortar classroom. I want to understand expectations and I want to be assured there will be no surprises. Once I am in my "comfort zone" I become more engaged in the learning process.
I agree. It must look convenient to navigate and have the feel of concepts building upon previous concepts to enable comprension.
I agree. Most of the time people do not complete things for one of two reasons. First of all, frustration and/or confusion of information and expectations. Secondly, lack of intrest and motivation.
Our job as instructors is to commumicate(lessen the confusion) and to motivate our students. I think whether you are directly in front of the students or on a computer we have the same impact.
I agree completely. We have just started on-line courses, and some courses actually feel threatening; with the use of bold and red font with an emphasis on rules and consequences. Some classes are very relaxing and visually pleasing with an emphasis on support and student resources.
Presently I have a small number of students (3). I am a very fast typist, but wonder how these chats will go with a larger number of students commenting and responding simultaneously. Would it be better to hold more than one chat session
per week, or be necessary to assign students to chat sessions...or perhaps have multiple topics and the students can choose a chat session each week?
Exactly, good point! The look and feel of an online course is important to the student. Is it welcoming, easily understandable and kept current. All of which contribute to a successful learning experience.
Cyndy, it is not that much more difficult with many students attending a chat. As with a brick-and-mortal classroom, there are some students who participate and others who do not. With more students, you have to watch the side discussions to make sure they are relevant. Occassionally I have to refocus those who are involved in a side discussion because it is distracting.
Yes. People react to the environment they are in. Is the information accessible and laid out in a logical fashsion? If so the student is spending more time on learning than on navigating.
Also, there are varying learning styles and approaches. Thus the course should address these with a well developed visual component to help visual learners.
I tend to think that there is a happy medium between rich content and simplicity. I tend to prefer the latter as it makes a course more accessible.
Good thoughts and explanation - Thanks! Jon
The basic look and feel of the Online course is important , but I think reeal empahsis needs to placed on the preparation by the university to help the student utilize the onle course and to fully understand the capability of the online environmenet. Bottom-line look and feel can be top shelf but students need to understand how to use it...
Yes, I believe that the look and feel of an onloine course is as important as the knowledge and skill it is designed to impart. I have been an online educator for about 4 years. I have also been an online student for 3 of my 4 degrees and I can honestly say, that if the course is not set up so that students can easily navigate it, they will struggle with the content of the course. The reasons for this are many, but I believe that the distraction and frustration with trying to find the material takes away from the learning experience.
Also, there is another point to consider. Online education is potentially global.
So we have to make sure that we understand the broader audience. To ensure that an ethno or cultural centric approach is not taken.
I do not mean to be PC. Simply that culture plays an important role in perception.
Any thoughts on how to deal with this?
