Designing Effective Online Courses

Lawrence C. Ragan, Director Instructional Design and Development Penn State’s World Campus

Goals

• To explain/highlight the instructional design & development process for an effective on-line course

• Provide a framework for the ID&D process

• Q&A

Before You StartGoals, Guidelines, and

a Few Principles

Goal of the Online Course

• Enables the students to reach the learning objectives of the course

• Supports the teaching process and. . . is cost efficient and learning effective

• Enables success for both teacher and student

Design Guidelines

• Consider the needs of your learner

• Use EACH technology appropriately to support the instructional system

• Consider new pedagogy (new relationships)

• Stay flexible

• Have fun!

ID&D Guiding Principles

• be efficient in the presentation of content,

• activate appropriate levels of interaction, and . . .

• be effective (and creative) in the use of measurement and evaluation techniques.

Pieces and PartsHow do I get started?

Can you get there from here?

Classroom Model

Online Model

Step 1

Where are you now?

• What materials do you already have developed?

• What pedagogy works for you in the classroom?

• What would you like to do differently online?

Content

Learner Support

Interactions

Assessment

Evaluation

Pieces and Parts of T&L Online

• Content Presentation

• Instruction

• Interactions/dialog

• Student activities/assignments

• Assessment and Evaluation

Content Presentation Options

• Text materials (books, journals, study guides, reading packets)

• Audio/video (standard or streamed)

• Web-based communications systems

Interactions Options

Asynchronous

• Email

• Threaded discussion board

Synchronous

• Chat

• Video/audio conferencing

Student Activity/Assignments

• Low Tech

–Standard course activities

–Paper-based projects

• Hi-tech

–Web-based projects

–CBI/CBT

Evaluation/Assessment Options

• Creative alternatives (projects, reports, research projects)

• Low-stake on-line methods

• Non-proctored online exams

• Proctored online exams

• Proctored exams

ID&D Process

How do I get started?

Define the ID Model

• Map out the sequence of instructional events including:

– How will lesson content and instruction be delivered?

–Where/when will interactions occur?

–What will be the student activities?

– What evaluation strategies will be used (freq/type)

Examples

• AEE 413

• GIS 5121

Content

• Generate or locate content resources(no small task)

• Be creative (grad students, external sites-publishers, colleagues)

• Identify additional materials necessary

• Establish review process (if possible)

Interactions

• Who needs to be communicating with whom?

• How frequently?

• What’s optional, what’s required?

• What’s the outcome of that interaction?

• What’s the duration of that activity?

Assignments/Projects

• What’s the frequency/duration?

• How complex are assignments?

• Is there a mix of individual and group?

Evaluation/Assessment

• How will you know when the students have successfully completed work?

• What’s the mix of low and high-stake testing?

• Where and how will exams be administered?

• What’s the grade weight?

What’s Effective & What’s Not?

Dos and Don’ts

What Works for Adult Learners?

• Application of theory (how can I use this in my work?)

• Immediate engagement

• Technical support• Timely, personalized, meaningful

feedback and interaction

(more)

What Works? (continued)

• Flexible of content media

• Interaction w/peers and faculty

• Appropriate mix of individual and group assignments

• Clear and concise instructions

• Flexibility of assignments

What Doesn’t?

• Mismatch between audience technology access/ability & technology requirements

• Mismatch of faculty teaching style and technology selected for course

• Doing things because “it can be done” rather than what’s instructionally sound (more)

What Doesn’t Work? (continued)

• Infrequent checking of e-mail

• Falling behind on responding to assignments

• Too much too fast-- assignments and or content material

• Inflexible pacing in cohort model

Online Courses: What’s Different?

• “Classroom” not a place but a state of mind

• Resource-based rather than event-based

• Dynamics of the learning environment

• Role of instructor

• Diverse global audience

• Technology requirements and multiple media considerations

Challenges and Rewards

Why go through the hassle?

Challenges of On-line Learning

• Learner expectations & barriers

• Getting started

• Bridging the distance (“the loneliness of the long-distance learner”)

• Self-motivation and stamina

• Time commitment for student and faculty

Rewards of On-line Learning

• Extending University’s expertise to under-served audiences

• Invigorating T&L experience• Flexible study schedule• Personal one-on-one relationships• Access to previously unavailable programs

and a “second chance” at academic success• Global perspectives and dialogues

Rewards of On-line Learning

• Global perspectives and dialogues

• #1 Reward:

“I can advance my career without disengaging from life!”

Program Sampler

• Noise Control Engineering

• Reliability Engineering

• Geographic Information Sciences/Systems

• Turf Grass Management

• Chemical Dependency Counseling

• Educational Technology

Content Delivery:Textbooks and CD-ROM delivered HTML

Interactions: Discussion - FirstClass,audio conferencing Projects - FirstClass, MatLab

Evaluation/Assessment:Non-proctored exams, projects

Noise Control Engineering

www.worldcampus.psu.edu