Daniel ,
Excellent. Thanks for adding to Amanda's post. It is important that we begin to connect our thoughts to others to come full circle on many if these topics.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Daniel ,
I agree we can all learn from our students but we do need to know our content before we begin teaching.
Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
I believe the three most important things to consider when authoring an online course are:
1) Be sure that the course matches the audience. Does your audience already have a working, basic knowledge of the subject matter - and just need the most up-to-date information? Or do they need thorough explanations of the fundamentals? You must keep this in mind as the course is created.
2) Length doesn't necessarily equate to quality. In other words, a LONGER course isn't necessarily better than a shorter course. Working adults need the information in an efficient, smart package - not drawn out in a format that increases the time they need to spend in the course. The course needs to cover the needed information and do it concisely.
3) Keep them awake! The course needs to be interesting and lively - something that will hold their attention and bring the subject matter to life. Especially in the age of YouTube and elaborate video games, courses need to present information in an engaging format.
Hello everyone,
When I am authoring a course, especially one for which I am required to use a new text, I must first make certain that I know the course material backwards and forwards. If I don’t have a deep understanding of the course content, I can hardly expect my students to readily grasp it. Next, I need to assure that I have a thorough familiarity with the course platform—its virtues, its vices, its areas likely to cause confusion or frustration among students, its untapped potentials. Finally, I need to array all components of course content in a logical, sequential, lucid manner, one that will afford students easy navigability and uncluttered access to all readings, assignments, quizzes, projects, and discussions.
Mark A. Coppelli
Dee,
Excellent info. Thanks. I like the discussion of a longer course isn't necessarily better than a shorter course. Thanks again.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Mark,
Uhe level of understanding of the content is essential. We can learn from our students and students can learn from each other, but the instructor must know the content first. Thanks for your input.
Knowledge to be shared should be what's needed for class I'm teaching.
Ease of use for whoever uses it so that it can be accessed and be informative.
Ease of maintenance so that excessive time to keep udated isn't a problem.
Hello,
I have to admit I have not authored any courses for a college, but as a project manager for the technical training program at a Fortune 250 company, I managed an entire overhaul of our training program, putting all of our (non-floor) training online.
Our number one priority was creating a template that we could use for all courses. This made creating courses much of a cookie cutter experience instead of having to re-invent the wheel each time. This template included objectives and learning outcomes as well as the forms of training that would be used for each module/course.
Our number two priority was determining the forms of learning we would incoroporate, such as online reading, instructor involvement, videos, e-learning courses, audio, and more. There was no online discussion room as this training program had to be available for new hires that could be hired at any time with multiple employees at different phases in the training.
Our third priority was putting together a learning objects database so we could use many of the same materials for our courses. This not only included videos, audios, readings, etc., but also a bank of test questions (with feedback).
I am no longer with that company, but this program has been a tremendous success as the projected Tier 3 savings to be garnered from the project was between $750,000 - $1,500,000 annually for a training program for 55 centers nationwide.
Thanks, Jim
I think that setting up clear expectations and creating clear organization are the main issues. I also think that it is important to sequence activities and schedule them in a manner that encourages consistent participation and engagement by students. Student have to understand the structure of the class and what is expected of them, so that they can see the "road map" to the successful completion of the class.
Douglas,
Ease of use and course content many times does determine how to develop an online course. Thanks for your input.
James,
It is essential for those who do develop the course to communicate well with the instructor so that it is evident that learning outcomes are actually being assessed. When all constituents communicate with each other and the students are taken into consideration, then the course will more appropriately developed. Thanks for your input and sharing your experience.
Tomi,
You are so right. With clear expectations set and communicated and organization/navigation, the students can more readily meet the learning objectives. I do love the "road map" analogy. Thanks!
The three most important things I would want to consider are:
1. Making sure the learning content is clearly and concisely presented. When assignment instructions are not clearly presented and explained, the students will either choose to not do the assignment or do what he or she has interpreted the final draft to contain only to find out later in the feedback that the content was improperly developed.
2. Encourage the students to ask questions if any of the learning material or assignments are not clear. They are in an environment whereby asking questions is welcomed. Asking questions helps to learn. I advise students that the worst question is the one that does not get asked.
3. Provide resources to help further support the learning material already provided. The need for the students to be exposed to other sources for information that goes beyond the course textbook is a great learning tool. Also, making sure that students are seeking reputable sources for their assignments that are scholarly-based ones, i.e., journals and professional publications. Encourage the students to use the resources in the school's library and to take tours of the library if the students are not familiar with how to navigate the online library and what it contains.
Tina Means
Information that could be presented or received in the course can come about through a section that "houses" additional resources that the students can retrieve at their leisure. The instructor can provide announcements posted in the courseroom and blast e-mails to the students advising of the posted material, what it briefly contains, and where it can be found. Also, a notation could be included for what learning week or learning unit that information pertains to. Allowance of access to the information should be throughout the course because there are times with the same information can be used for other learning material units or learning weeks. Finally, the information can also align with the learning objectives to further substantiate the overeall learning material.
Tina Means
I believe the three most important things to consider are:
1) who is my audience?
2) what do I want them to learn? This would include paying close attention to the learning outcomes of the course (also program outcomes if applicable)
3) How can I engage my learners? Anyone can splash text across a page, but actually engaging the learner is another matter. This would include initially getting the learner's attention, and keeping it throughout!
When authoring a course, I believe the three most important things to consider are the the level of the target audience, the various learning styles and consistency in course set-up for the students so that hopefully the students will not have to overcome the fear of navigating the course.
Tina ,
Excellent. You have provided good information to think about. I love that you included that students should be introduced to library sources. Good idea.
Rob,
Definitely. You have to know who you're teaching, what they should learn and develop activities which engage students so that they do learn the content and achieve the learning outcomes. Thanks for sharing.
Tina ,
Setting up resources that can be used over and over again is essential. It saves you time and the students can revisit them as many times as they need. Thanks for your input.
Wendy,
Yes, your audience is first and foremost. Each one is different and we need to get to know them so we can provide content to them in appropriate ways. Thanks!
