Tips for getting your course readyto teach in a fully online or blended format

Online Learning

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Course Readiness

About Online Learning

Lastly, we discuss the basic tenets of how to design for accessibility, especially if you are using the Blackboard learning management system. Making sure all of your course materials are accessible may seem overwhelming, but it is essential for accommodating students with differ-ent abilities and the various ways in which they learn.

There is no single recipe for how to structure a course. With experience and through student feedback, you will find the magic formula that works for your course.

This document focuses on how to structure a course for online learning and addresses both fully online and blend-ed/hybrid delivery methods. Definitions for these methods are:

• A fully online course does not meet face-to-face, but may meet synchronously using a conferencing technology like Adobe Connect, Microsoft Lync, or WebEx. All course work is completed online.

• A blended course will emphasize completing a certain component of work online since class meets face-to-face a limited number of times throughout the semester. The Online Learning Consortium defines a blended course as 30%-70% of course content online.

UST subscribes to Quality Matters, which is a stan-dards-based program for online course design. These stan-dards are a common-sense approach to making sure your course provides a positive user experience for the students, and the instructional design is sound. There is a checklist at the end of this booklet to assess your “course readiness,” and to help minimize any problems your students may incur as they acclimate to the online material, navigate the course and complete online activities.

On page 2 we illustrate how to incorporate active learning strategies to help you plan your class time more efficiently and to assess where students are in understanding the ma-terial. These learning exercises can be used in any course format. The emphasis is on how your in-class, out-of-class or synchronous meeting time is utilized. Students can complete activities online like watching an instructional video, doing readings or writing and discussion exercises. The in-class time can be used to break up lecture time with activities that get the students to think more critically and problem-solve, to share opinions and ideas, and to reflect upon their learning. The goal is to improve the overall understanding, application and retention of information so that student outcomes can be more effectively met.

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Sample Blended Course

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This blended course (see example below) incorporates active learning strategies into the class meeting time, and students are expected to come ready to participate. Time outside of class must be carefully planned and should align with the allotted hours per credit for the course. The in-class time is spent engaging students so that they can achieve a deeper un-derstanding of the material. You should create a lesson plan for your course since additional work goes into incorporating active learning strategies. Try to pick some strategies that you can use each time with some minor variations to keep things fresh. If you stick to a pattern, you will be see what works and what doesn’t as you progress through the course. Gather in-formal feedback (formative assessment) from students on the pre-class/in-class activities and instruction so you can make adjustments as necessary.

In this example, the active learning strategies used are clickers, pair-share activity, and group discussion. The strategies could differ by class; for example, the pair-share activity could entail responding to a discussion post prior to class with a partner (fewer than 300 words using proper citations) and then discussing select responses in class. You could even assign groups of students to moderate the discussion. The goal of the in-class quiz is to assess how well the students understand the material covered in the course. If students do not know whether the quiz will be graded until it is administered, this will also motivate them to learn and to attend class.

For more resources on active learning techniques. Type these URLS into your browser:• http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/active/strategies/index.html• http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsal• http://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/Eisen-Handout.pdf

Student Class PreparationEstimated Time: 1½ hours

In-Class Activitiesand Assessments

Additional Assessments

• Watch mini-lecture video

• Text book readings

• Journal article or case study

• Online self-quiz

• Assessing key concepts using Clickers (audience response sys-tem) (15 minutes)

• Pair-share activity – react to a question and prepare a written response with partner and then discuss with class. (20 min)

• Mini-lecture – respond to ques-tions, and clarify confusion or misunderstandings as demon-strated using the Clickers and the Pair-Share activity. (15 min)

• Group Discussion on the journal article or case. (25 min)

• Quiz (these could be graded/un-graded) (10 min)

• Midterm Exam

• Group Project

• Final Exam

• Informal feedback from students assessing their thoughts/opinions on course activities, instruction, time spent outside of class. This will help instructor plan and make adjustments where neces-sary.

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Mapping Your Objectives

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Start planning your course by articulating broad goals and then turning those into your course objectives. Make sure there is symmetry between the IDEA objectives and your course objectives (if these are different), and then work on determining the learning outcomes that are needed for each module or unit in your online course. Then work “backwards” to develop feedback and assessments in your course as this will help you determine what learning activities are needed. There should be alignment between activities, assessments and outcomes, so that all of the elements in your course work together.

Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy is helpful in understanding whether the objectives you have are appropriate to the level of learning taking place in your class. Below is the taxonomy mapped to IDEA objectives. Lower-level courses typically focus on developing more fundamental skills such as remembering and understanding concepts, whereas upper-level courses in a program will focus more on analysis, evaluation or creation of new concepts, products or ideas. On the next page are verbs corresponding to the levels in the taxonomy, which you can use to write both your course objectives and module outcomes.

1. Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends).2. Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories.3. Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving,

and decisions).4. Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by

professionals in the field most closely related to this course.5. Acquiring skills in working with others as a member of a team.6. Developing creative capacities (writing, inventing, designing, performing in

art, music, drama, etc.).7. Gaining a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual/cultural

activity (music, science, literature, etc.).8. Developing skill in expressing oneself orally or in writing.9. Learning how to find and use resources for answering questions or solving

problems.10. Developing a clearer understanding of, and commitment to, personal

values.11. Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of

view.12. Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking

answers.

Bloom’s Taxonomy and IDEA Objectives

Creating

Evaluating

Analyzing

Applying

Understanding

Remembering

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10, 11

10, 11

3, 8, 9

2, 7

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Bloom’s Taxonomy IDEA Objectives

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Learning Outcomes

(Per Module or Unit)

ActivitiesAssignmentsAssessments

IDEA/CourseObjectives

Remembering Understanding Applyingarrange

define

describe

draw

duplicate

identify

label

list

locate

match

memorize

name

order

outline

quote

recognize

relate

recall

repeat

reproduce

select

state

change

classify

compare

confirm

defend

discuss

distinguish

explain

express

extend

generalize

identify

illustrate

indicate

infer

match

paraphrase

predict

relate

restate

review

summarize

apply

articulate

calculate

change

complete

compute

construct

demonstrate

develop

discover

experiment

illustrate

interpret

modify

operate

practice

predict

produce

simulate

solve

use

Writing Your Objectives+

DefinitionStudent memorizes and recalls in-formation and facts, usually in the manner in which they were presented. Primarily “information gathering” tasks are used by the student.

Instructional Strategieslecture, visuals, video, audio, examples,illustrations, analogies

DefinitionStudent is able to explain meaning of information or demonstrate a greater degree of comphrension. Both “infor-mation gathering” and “making use of knowledge” tasks are used by the student.

Instructional Strategiesquestions, discussion, review, test, reports, presentations, writing

DefinitionStudent selects what he or she has learned and applies it to a situation or to solving a problem. “Making use of knowledge” tasks are used by the student.

Instructional Strategiesexercises, practice, demonstrations, projects, sketches, simulations

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Analyzing Evaluating Creatinganalyze

compare

categorize

conclude

contrast

debate

differentiate

diagram

examine

infer

inspect

interpret

manipulate

modify

plan

research

select

solve

survey

test

write

arrange

assemble

categorize

collect

create

criticize

critique

develop

explain

generate

hypothesize

judge

justify

invent

measure

persuade

recommend

relate

summarize

synthesize

weigh

compose

construct

design

explain

evaluate

estimate

facilitate

formulate

generate

imagine

invent

make

manage

originate

prepare

produce

propose

rate

summarize

support

value

DefinitionStudent examines an object, concept, theory, etc. methodologically to understand the whole and its pieces. “Taking apart” tasks are used by the student.

Instructional Strategiesproblems, exercises, case studies, crit-ical incidents, discussion, questions, test

DefinitionStudent critically reviews, critiques or performs an assessment. Student may weigh different options, make a judg-ment or a recommendation. “Judging the outcome” tasks are used.

Instructional Strategiesprojects, problems, case studies, cre-ative exercises, develop plans, con-structs, simulations

DefinitionStudent formulates a new product or idea or proposes a new way or new view on something.

Instructional Strategiescase studies, projects, exercises, cri-tiques, simulations, appraisals

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+Charting Your Course

Use this chart to help plan the online component of your course. There should be a direct alignment between each of the areas listed in the chart below (objectives, outcomes, activities and assessments).

Week Course Objectives Learning Module Outcomes (what students should be able to do)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

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Learning Module Activities (readings, videos, blog entries, discussion board, online group activities, etc.)

Assignments/Assessments(how the outcomes will be measured)

Estimated amount of time students should spend per module: hours

Part 1: Online Learning Modules

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+Charting Your Course

Use this chart to help plan the face-to-face meeting times for your course. There are many different ways you can structure your course time. Use in-class activities to help motivate and engage students. Then gauge where the students are in their understanding of the material based on the quality of participation and through various assessment techniques.

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Class Course Objectives In-Class Learning Outcomes (what students should be able to do)

Teaching/Lecture

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Learning Activities (include time per activity) Assessments (how objectives will be measured)

• How will you assess that the students read the material/came prepared to class?

• What topics will you dive deeper into during class?• How will you engage the students in higher ordered

thinking?

• How will the students apply what they have learned? • What topics/areas will need additional attention?

(post-mortem)

Part 2: In-Class Meetings

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Designing for Accessibility

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Make sure your in-class and online course content is accessible to those with disabilities so you are not scrambling at the last minute should the need arise to make accommodations. Because this can seem like a daunting task, take it step-by-step and start with one course. Focus first on course content that typically doesn’t change each term and use the guidelines we’ve put together. From there, move on to other content. Before you know it, you will be done, and you can move on to another course.

The content that faculty should make sure is accessible includes:

• Documents that are uploaded to your online course, as well as classroom handouts or printouts • Audio or video files used in class or online• Images, applets, embedded media or plug-ins used in your online course• Headers and hyperlinks in online content

DocumentsDocuments uploaded to an online course system should be checked for accessibility. Make classroom handouts accessi-ble and upload them into your course since students with visual impairments may rely on technology to help them read. Below are some step-by-step tutorials to get you started. Type the following URLs into your Web browser.

Learn how to make your Word documents accessible:• http://webaim.org/techniques/word/

Learn how to make your Powerpoint documents accessible:• http://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/

Learn how to make your PDF documents accessible:• http://webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/

You can also refer to the accessibility resources available on Center for Faculty Development site: • http://www.stthomas.edu/fdc/teaching/accessibility/

Audio and Video Audio and video files are commonly used to teach lessons both online and in the classroom. These files require a transcript or closed captioning even if they are used in a face-to-face classroom environment. Before doing any recording, write a transcript of everything you want to say so that the transcript can double as the script. In your online course, the script should be linked near the audio or video piece.

If you are using third-party audio or video files, or even files that are more than just a couple of minutes long, it may be beneficial to use closed captioning. Captioning is available through our video hosting service, Ensemble. Please contact

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your department Academic Technology Consultant (ATC) for more information.

Image, Applet, Embedded Media, or Plug-inScreenreaders read Alt Text, which is a brief text description that can accommodate pictures, charts, tables, graphs and other media forms that are displayed in web sites. You can see Alt Text by mousing over an image, as shown below. It’s important to include Alt Text in images and other media forms that you upload into your Blackboard course. As an alternative, you can write a description on the page and include it with the rest of your content.

To add an image to your Blackboard course with Alt Text:1. Click the Image icon in the Blackboard text editor.

2. In the pop-up window (shown below), attach your image file by browsingyour course, or by browsing your computer.

3. Add a title in the Title field, and add an additional or extended descriptionin the Image Description field. You can skip the Title field and just add an Image Description. Without the Title, the Alt Text tag won’t display but the screenreader will still pick up the description.

4. Click the Insert button (not shown below).

Headers and HyperlinksWrite online content in simple paragraphs using headers and bullets or numbering to break up the content so that it is easy to read and scan. Including properly formatted headers is particulary important to those using screenreaders, because they can jump around the page using them to locate what they are looking for. To tag your headers, use the formatting menu in the Blackboard text editor. Three header sizes are available. Simply highlight the word or words that you would like make into headers, and then select the header style from the format menu.

If adding hyperlinks into your content, use contextual words instead of words like “click here” and instead of using full URLs. This is a best practice to help all students and is partic-ularly important so those who use a screenreader are better able to navigate when proper context is provided.

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Course Readiness Checklist

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Use this checklist to set-up your online course and to verify that it meets the standards for a quality course. This checklist is based on Quality Matters Rubric Standards 2014 edition.

COURSE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW YES NOA welcome email is provided to students with information on how to access and get started in the course. (Recommended for fully online courses.)There is a Getting Started page that contains course orientation information and any initial tasks that need to be completed.Instructor office hours and contact information are provided.

The instructor has introduced himself or herself or provided a bio.

Students are asked to introduce themselves in the course (i.e., by posting in the discussion board).The minimum technical skills necessary for the class are stated.

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT YES NOCourse objectives are clearly stated.

The course is structured or chunked out into learning units, topics or modules.

Learning objectives for each unit, topic or module are clearly stated.

The information in each unit is organized in a way that students know what needs to be done and in what order, if necessary.A syllabus is available and easy to locate.

A course calendar or schedule is available and easy to locate.

Directions are clear on how to complete assignments. Due dates and times are provided with respect to those living in different time zones.All resources and materials have been properly cited in the course.

Required and optional materials are delineated.

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COURSE TECHNOLOGY YES NOInformation on required technology and software for the class is provided.

Tutorials on how to use any technologies that are required for the course are provided (Adobe Connect, Blackboard, VoiceThread, etc.).Instructions on how to obtain required technologies are provided.

Students are provided with a link to the UST browser check to verify that their browser is com-patible with Blackboard. (http://www.stthomas.edu/browsercheck)Course documents and files use formats compatible across computer platform. If a specific browser is required to access a file, it is stated.Which of the following tools will you be using in your course? (Circle all that apply)

Assignments Audio recordings/Podcasts

Blogs Discussion BoardExams JournalPolling QuizzesVideos WikisOther:

Please list any other required software that students will be required to use or buy (like Adobe Connect, Mathematica, Clickers, VoiceThread, etc.)

ASSESSMENT & MEASUREMENT YES NOEach learning unit objective is measureable and linked to an assessment.

The tools and media in each learning unit support the learning objectives.

Assessment techniques are sequenced ranging from simpler assessment techniques to more complex, and different types of assessment are used. All techniques used are appropriate to the work being assessed. Students are able to measure their own progress (practice/draft writing assignments, self-practice quizzes, peer reviews).Students are provided with descriptive criteria as to how their work and participation will be graded (rubrics are recommended).Faculty are able to ascertain student progress in the course through informal and formal feed-back back methods. For example, using a weekly poll asking students about their confidence level in material and any issues they’ve incurred, etc.

LEARNER INTERACTION & ENGAGEMENT YES NOExpectations for proper communication, including “netiquette” are stated.

Faculty response time to email and feedback on assignments are stated. (a 24 hour response time to email is recommended).Students are asked to collaborate or interact with peers during course activities.

There is a balance of student-instructor, student-content and student-student activities.

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STUDENT SUPPORT YES NOLinks to course and institutional policies are provided.

Links to academic and student support services are provided.

A link or contact information for IRT is provided.

ACCESSIBILITY YES NOInstructions for how to obtain accommodation are provided in the course.

Audio recordings have a transcript.

Videos have either a transcript or use closed captioning.

Documents have been checked for accessibility (Word, PDF, Powerpoint).

Heading tags are used to break up pages making them easy to scan by eye and with a screen reader. (Heading tags are available in Blackboard text editors).The course pages are easy to read, without distractions and without hard to read fonts or colors (i.e., try not to use bright colors as many of these are hard to read). Alt text is used with every image, applet, embedded media, or plug-in. The alt text describes the content conveyed by the element, without being too verbose.Any complex graphs or charts are accompanied by a long description.

Links are current and not broken. Contextual words are used instead of words like “Click here” or full URLs.An ebook version has been made available to students in addition to a hard-copy version. This provides students the option of purchasing their preferred format. (Suggested).

SYNCHRONOUS MEETINGS YES NOWill you conduct any synchronous meetings using a meeting technology?

Select the technology that you will use:

Adobe Connect Microsoft LyncWebEx Other:

Have you requested an Adobe Connect account?

Do you need training on this technology? (Contact your Academic Technology Consultant)

Do students know what will be covered in each meeting and how to prepare for it?

Do you know when the best time is for your class to meet online? You may have students in different time zones (if fully online course) or with scheduling issues.Have you included the synchronous meeting days/times in your Course Calendar/Schedule?

Have you included the meeting URL in your course?

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References1. Academic Technology Committee. Online Best Practices Checklist: Validation of Preparedness to Teach Online.

Palomar College. Retreived from site, August 2014. http://www2.palomar.edu/poet/BestPracticesCheck-listSP12.pdf.

2. Action Words for Bloom’s Taxonomy. Center for University Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University of West Florida. Http://uwf.edu/cutla/SLO/ActionWords.pdf. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Develop-ment Center, 2014.

3. Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Valdosta State University. Valdosta, GA: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Development Center, 2014.

4. Eison, Jim PhD. Using Active Learning Instructional Strategies to Create Excitement and to Enhance Learning. University of South Florida. Tampa, FL: http://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/Eisen-Handout.pdf.

5. eLearning Guild Research: Reconsidering Bloom’s Taxonomy (Old AND New). Learning Solutions Magazine. eLearning Guild. Retrieved from site, August 2014. http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1105/elearning-guild-research-reconsidering-blooms-taxonomy-old-and-new.

6. Fink, L. Dee. Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Print. pp. 70-71.

7. Higher Education Rubric, Fifth Edition, 2014 Standards with Points. Quality Matters. Maryland Online. https://www.qualitymatters.org/rubric. Retrieved from site July, 2014.

8. Jacqueline E. McLaughlin, PhD, MS, Mary T. Roth, PharmD, MHS, Dylan M. Glatt, Nastaran Gharkho-lonarehe, PharmD, Christopher A. Davidson, ME, LaToya M. Griffin, PhD, Denise A. Esserman, PhD, and Russell J. Mumper, PhD. The Flipped Classroom: A Course Redesign to Foster Learning and Engagement in a Health Professions School. Academic Medicine, Vol. 89, No. 2 / February 2014. http://echo360.com/re-search-result/university-north-carolina-chapel-hill.

9. Quality Matters Rubric Workbook for Higher Education 2011-2013 Edition. Quality Matters. 2011 Maryland Online, Inc.

10. Task Oriented Question Construction Wheel Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. St. Edward’s University. Austin, Texas: http://www.stedwards.edu/cte/resources/bwheel.htm. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Develop-ment Center, 2014.

11. 38 Question Starters Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Curriculnet. Retrieved from site, August 2014. http://www.curriculet.com/blog/38-question-starters-based-blooms-taxonomy/.

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