Ty,
Thanks for your input. Consistency is important. Students will be able to find information and figure out where to submit assignments, communication, etc. more easily when the course design is user-friendly. If you have students in more than one of your online courses, they will recognize that this is "Kerstetter's" course and I know exactly where things are. Also, if you have multiple sections of a course, the consistency between courses is also helpful.
Thanks again.
I believe that the three most important items to consider are:
1. The desired learning outcomes - what do we want them to learn.
2. The educational level of the students who will be participating in the course.
3. How will feedback be delivered to the students and the instructor
Mark,
You are on target. You need to know who your students are (audience/level of students), what you want them to be able to do (and make sure you communicate that clearly) and how communication/feedback can be shared on an interactive level.
Thanks for your input.
I have not authored an on-line course, so I am speaking theoretically. I believe the most important things to consider would be
1. The course objectives. You have to know what skills and knowledge the students are expected to learn/master.
2. Once you decide on the objectives, I would then focus on how to chunk the material. I think it would be essential to make sure that the material is evenly distributed by date or content/unit and that the material is presented in a sequential/logical format.
3. I would then focus on making sure that the content would be delivered using a variety of learning objects, including text, audio, graphs, video, and pictures.
The course objectives has to be one of the main considerations when designing any course regardless of its online status. One of the next considerations would be to focus on how the students will learn the material. Additionally, organization of the course has to be a major consideration, the style and structure must also be addressed.
Jill,
You are thinking correctly. Even if you haven't authored a course you know the important items that must be included. Just as you might expect, they are things that must be include in any course, whether traditional face-to-face (F2F), blended or pure online.
Thanks for you input.
Donald,
Right on target. The course objectives/outcomes are essential. The course is built around these for any type of course. And, as you note, organization and structure are key components as well.
Great job.
The content of the course is the most important thing; what are you trying to impart to the students.
The next most important is how the course is designed. If it is difficult to navigate or the material incomprehensible, the students won't be able to absorb the content.
Focus should also be placed on the assessements; are they fair? do they reflect the material covered?
Juliette,
Thanks for your input. You bring up very good points. The content many times drives the course and I like that you added the information about assessments. They certainly must be fair, reliable and valid.
Good job.
I believe the three most import things are:
1. Clearly defined learning objective and out comes. Expressed clearly to students and instructors.
2. Course map or template so it is easy to follow and consistant.
3. Student focused-- seeing what the learner is seeing and expecting from the class.
Beth,
Thanks for your input. You are right on target with your comments. Developing a student centered online course with clear expectatinos defined in an easy to navigate format would be the perfect course.
Nice job.
My first thought is how do you address the students knowledge base if it's a course that they know nothing about? For example a course on dental assisting.
I believe you need to deleiver your materials so that the students are able to comprehend.
When presenting your powerpoints or lectures they should be uniform in style so the students get use to your format and then it will be easier to follow.
Three areas I've found important in online class development include these --
1. Consistency in presentation of the weekly assignments (scaffolding) has proven very important for students to develop a “rapport†with the course and settle into the studies (as opposed to worrying each week how the material will be presented or categorized.) I categorize by the week and use the same ordered sequence each week of Reading, Lecture, Current Event Application/Auxiliary Reading, Forum, Assignment (paper or quiz.)
2. Maintaining a learning-objects data base has been very helpful, and it’s important to review items and updates in my field of teaching.
3. Being very clear about how to move through the online course is key…from how attendance is registered to when to expect assignment grades, to how to submit an assignment, to making my ongoing availability known, etc. I share this in both the Syllabus and in an intro-announcement to the course, as well as in a separate Intro Lecture.
Debi,
Yes, gathering data from students (diagnostic testing) is a great way to see what students know at the beginning of the course. Then you know how to proceed, what content must be reinforced, etc. I agree that some type of template is good whether for PowerPoints or your whole online course so that there is a consistent look to your course. This minimizes the learning curve for students as to where information is located, etc.
Thanks for your input.
I totally agree with you Elizabeth. We have students with various learning levels, some are learning in time with schedule, some need more assistance than others, and some you don't seem to go fast enough for.
I like the feedback part of teaching, students always need to know what is expected of them, but the feedback is the most critical part, because that is the final thing they take away from the assessement and an important learning tool.
Dian,
Thank you for your very informative response to this forum. You use very key words that shows your knowledgebase in the area of online course development.
You are correct in that consistency and clear navigation are key elements. It is also very useful to use a learning objects database so that you can reuse material each time you teach the course.
Thank you for your feedback.
Terry,
You are correct in that feedback is crucial. How do you provide feedback?
Thanks!
I believe the three most important things to consider when authoring an online course are:
1. Easy to follow instructional design. Is the course easy to follow, does the user know where to navigate next, when to take a quiz, when assignments are due.
2.Engaging the student with discussion boards or lesson feedback sections.
3.Course content: Is the quality of the material presented online as good as the material I offer to my classroom.
Eleni,
Nice job and thanks for your input. Actually all of your considerations are connected. It's essential that the course material must be presented in an excellent format which engages students in a user-friendly environment.
Excellent. Thanks!
