leocontent.acu.edu.au€¦ · web viewknowledge of how ms word works. identifying current...

TEACHING ONLINE‘Designing and developing your online course’ portfolio

DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Introduction to this portfolio

Introduction to the ‘Designing and developing your online course’ portfolioWelcome to the ‘Designing and developing your online course’ portfolio. This document accompanies the course entitled ‘Designing and developing your online course’ in the Teaching Online programme.

What is the portfolio?

This portfolio is intended to supplement and enhance your learning as you progress through this Teaching Online course in the following ways:

The portfolio draws together all of the documents and supplementary materials available to download throughout the main course, so that they are easily accessible from a single location.

Throughout the main course, you will be invited to undertake various reflective and supplementary activities (called ‘Portfolio activities’). These are accompanied by the portfolio icon, above. The portfolio provides a space for you to record your thoughts for each of these activities. You may like to return to these notes and extend or refine them as you progress through the programme.

Your portfolio should continue to prove an invaluable tool once you have completed the course, with summary sheets, templates, and your own notes and reflections providing a useful reference manual for your online teaching.

2 | Page © Epigeum Ltd, 2014

DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Introduction to this portfolio

Your portfolio: How to use this document

How do I use my portfolio?

Save a copy of this document on your computer. Keep the portfolio open as you work through this Teaching Online course.Each time you undertake a ‘Portfolio activity’, or are asked to keep a note of the results of an in-course activity, you will find a corresponding page in this document for you to complete. (See ‘How do I navigate my portfolio?’ below for more details.)Refer to, or complete, each portfolio document as instructed in the corresponding section of the main course.

How do I navigate my portfolio?

To navigate your portfolio easily, ensure that you have the ‘Document Map’ or ‘Navigation Pane’ feature in Microsoft Word enabled. To do this, go to ‘View’ and tick ‘Document Map’.The titles in the ‘Document Map’ (to the left of your screen) correspond with the course screen titles to enable you to easily locate the desired document. The course and unit are also displayed at the top of each portfolio document for ease of use.Click on a document name to jump to that section of the portfolio. Where a section in the main course has more than one portfolio document associated with it, the documents are numbered in brackets in order of appearance in the corresponding section of the main course.


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Introduction

Learning design for instructors: Key conceptsThe experience of a new instructional designerSee below for an engaging Q&A with Jason Carter, a new instructional designer from Purdue University, as he talks about the excitement and challenges of developing an online course for the first time. Do any of his experiences sound familiar?

What are the main challenges of designing and developing an online course for the first time?

As a new instructional designer, I found that some of the main challenges I encountered when assisting with the development of an online course included really listening to the client. In other words, filtering all of the talk down to the key points that will aid the course design.

I have also found it rather challenging to strike a balance between what the instructor is willing to do with regards to the integration of pedagogy and technology and what the instructor can do with the integration of pedagogy and technology. I quickly found that even early adopters are hesitant to try new teaching strategies or technology tools; they simply want their classroom content online.

How can you overcome these challenges?

In both cases above, I think our ID [Instructional Design] team has done a nice job of demonstrating the technology tools available for the instructor (showcasing ease of use, range of functionality, etc.), providing research-based evidence that supports our ID recommendations, and making sure we always communicate to the instructor that we are collaborators – that they ultimately have control of their course (giving a sense of ownership).

What is the most exciting aspect of designing and developing a course for the first time?

Hands down, you get to be creative! That’s the beauty of instructional design, you can design for 100 different courses all teaching the same content and come up with 100 different, unique designs to accommodate for individual variables such as instructor experience, LMS constraints and learner needs


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Introduction

Unit 1 reviewEssential pointsDevelop your answers to the activity in this section, thinking about your own online course.

You may wish to record your thoughts in the table below.

Estimated duration: 15 minutes

Learning points Your thoughts

Think about who the learners on your course are and what they will contribute.

Consider what resources are available to you (e.g. colleagues, designers, sample courses).

What are the key features of a successful online course?

What factors does the learning design approach prompt you to consider as you are making decisions about your online course?

What is learning design and what does it mean to you?


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Things to consider before you start designing your course

The key principles of quality online coursesSeven principlesWork through each of the seven principles below, recording how and to what extent you incorporate each one in your current online course (or note how you will incorporate each one in a future course).


COURSE TITLE:

Encourage student-teacher contact

Encourage cooperation among students

Encourage active learning

Give prompt feedback

Emphasise time on task

Communicate high expectations

Respect diverse ways of learning

Source: Adapted from Chickering & Gamson (1987). Used with permission from the American Association For Higher Education & Accreditation (AAHEA).


http://www.aahea.org/aahea/

DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Things to consider before you start designing your course

Thinking about academic integrityScript a policyAfter locating the relevant policies related to academic integrity in your institution, use the space below to script a statement that talks about acceptable actions specific to your courses, to be included in course resources and/or syllabi.


Academic integrity policy


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Creating your course

Using the learning design activitiesOverview of learning design activities (LDAs)As you progress through this unit, you will complete a total of six learning design activities (LDAs).

What do the LDAs involve?

LDA 1: Thinking about the context of your courseThis is the needs assessment phase of planning your modules. Look at the big picture and consider the learning environment and goals for your teaching.

LDA 2: Thinking about your learnersUse this activity to think about your learners. What are their needs? What do they already know about the content? How can you help them reach the learning goals? Are there unique characteristics to consider in your planning?

LDA 3: Thinking about tasks This is a detailed look at the steps learners will need to complete in order to achieve the learning goals. It can be time-consuming to consider every task and the related steps, but this will help you look at your modules from the learners’ perspective.

LDA 4: Planning the content/learning activitiesNow that you have established learning objectives (intended learning outcomes) and knowledge of learners’ needs, and have taken a look at the steps required to reach learning goals, this activity helps with planning the structure, pacing, and content for the modules.

LDA 5: Assessment and evaluationHow will you know if learners have reached your learning goals? Use this activity to develop strategies for assessing changes in learners’ knowledge, skills, etc.

LDA 6: Learning environment: Media selectionNow that the bones of your modules are in place, it is time to determine the physical media you will use to deliver the content. Examples would be video, websites, documents, blogs, journals, discussions, etc. Of course, you may already have some of these media in mind before you begin formally planning the course.



Thinking about the context of your course (1)Completed sample LDA 1: Thinking about the context of your course

Why is the course required?A needs assessment is carried out to determine if there is a necessity for a new course or new learning materials to be developed. For example, it may be that there is a problem with the current course or that there is something new that students need to learn.

Write briefly about the need for the new course or unit to be developed You need to determine if there is an existing version of the course you are designing. If so, what is the perceived purpose for this revision, new version or entirely new course? Is there a new audience coming into play? Is there a need for flexibility and distance? Is online education one possibility or are there others, such as blended learning?

‘Multimedia in Agricultural Communication’ would be a new course for undergraduate students majoring in agriculture communication at Purdue University. The two professors who oversee the programme want to expand and update their current course offerings and outline a need for a course addressing the multimedia demands and skills required in order for today’s agricultural communications professional to be successful. The professors would like the course to be flexible, adaptable, and possibly online for counterpart programmes, such as that at The Ohio State University, to implement into their programmes.

What is the context of the course? Next, consider the external factors influencing your course design (for example, professional standards, accreditation, disciplinary requirements, geographical and cultural factors).

Describe your online course/unit.

In today’s communications industry, the lines are blurring between reporters, photographers, editors, print, digital, and video. Along with the growth of multimedia tools such as smartphones and iPads, professional communicators are now expected not only to write a report, but also to take photos, shoot video, and use social media to communicate the new information. ‘Multimedia in Agricultural Communication’ would be an undergraduate course designed to prepare agriculture communications students for using multimedia tools and social media to meet the demands of today’s communication trends.

How does the context relate to the larger environment?

The ‘Multimedia in Agricultural Communication’ course is offered within the Agricultural Communication programme at Purdue University.

What is the course purpose or course aim? Provide a broad description of the purpose of the course in terms of what learners will take away from the experience.


To develop a hybrid course that introduces learners to multimedia concepts and usage in agricultural communication. Undergraduate students obtaining a degree in agriculture communication need to be aware of, and gain experience with, today’s multimedia communication. It is important for students in the course not only to learn communication theories and tactics for using new multimedia and social media tools, but also to have experience putting these principles in to practice through hands-on experience developing multimedia communications projects, trends and tools.

Learning environment analysis

The learning environment includes both physical and pedagogical characteristics. The goal of learning environment analysis is to describe where the course/unit will be used, how it will be used, and how it will be sustained in its use.

For our purposes we will also need to know if the larger environment in which the course sits will be fully online or blended.

The two main aspects of an environmental analysis are the learning environment and the support environment. The learning environment refers to the classroom, office, home or laboratory where the learning and teaching occurs. The support environment refers to the factors outside the 'classroom' (class, office, laboratory, etc.) that support the successful completion of the course. For example, having a reserved computer lab available to students every other week for drop-in help sessions, and the need for that computer lab to have the proper software.

Consider the following questions and give responses both for the learning environment and the support environment (sample answers have been provided for the first question). Please note, you do not have to answer each one.

Learning environment Support environment

Where will the course be used (all possible sites; in class, in lieu of F2F class)?

The teacher and students will meet face-to-face every other week. F2F classes will consist of discussions of readings, guest speakers, and technology/tool demos. Weeks that are online will also include discussions of readings. Online weeks will also serve as time for students to check out multimedia tools such as iPads, cameras, etc. to work on their multimedia projects.

A student group will be created on the LMS/VLE and also on Facebook (or other social media site). Within the group page/thread, students will be able to post queries and suggestions – and will be able to get help and support from their peers.

What will the lifespan of the course be? How long will the course be used until it is changed or withdrawn?

Note: based on above response this may change from a blended to a fully online course in alignment with needs of students/instructor.

Note: based on above response this should be revisited annually given development of new collaboration technology. Is Facebook still the preferred social media for students?

When will the course be used by learners (morning/evening,

It is anticipated that the online portion of the course could occur, or rather be utilised by students at any time of the day within a given

It is anticipated that Facebook or other social media environment or support environment will be utilised by students at any time of the day


semester)? semester. At the end of the semester the course will be 'closed' to students.

within a given semester and revisited after the course closes. In some cases the students may continue on with this portion of the course long beyond the course end date.

What are the purposes of course use (teaching, job requirement/enhancement, and reference)?

The purpose is twofold: enhancing necessary job skills and references for future coursework.

n/a

What are patterns of course use (irregular/infrequent/ scheduled)?

The course will be piloted in the first semester it is offered and then scheduled for each autumn semester.

n/a

Do learners need particular training to be able to use the environment effectively?

Students are anticipated to be new to the online environment and therefore will need training and/or tutorials available to them. We plan to incorporate several tasks to allow students to practice the necessary skills.

This will be a student-driven support environment. We do not anticipate the need for training in the use of Facebook.

Who will disseminate the course via delivery? (Are you working with the teacher or a coordinator who will not be teaching, etc.?)

It is anticipated that a departmental coordinator will oversee several sections of the course with each section being taught by a different teacher.

While the Facebook support environment will be established by either the coordinator or a teacher, only one Facebook group will be created for all sections.



Thinking about the context of your course (2)LDA 1 template: Thinking about the context of your course

Why is the course required?A needs assessment is carried out to determine if there is a necessity for a new course or new learning materials to be developed. For example, it may be that there is a problem with the current course or that there is something new that students need to learn.

Write briefly about the need for the new course or unit to be developed You need to determine if there is an existing version of the course you are designing. If so, what is the perceived purpose for this revision, new version or entirely new course? Is there a new audience coming into play? Is there a need for flexibility and distance? Is online education one possibility or are there others, such as blended learning?

What is the context of the course? Next, consider the external factors influencing your course design (for example, professional standards, accreditation, disciplinary requirements, geographical and cultural factors).

Describe your online course/unit (e.g. a Statistics 101 course, a corporate training course on security).

How does the context relate to the larger environment (e.g. the Introduction to Italian course is offered within the Department of Language Studies in the College of Liberal Arts)?


What is the course purpose or course aim? Provide a broad description of the purpose of the course in terms of what learners will take away from the experience.

Learning environment analysis

The learning environment includes both physical and pedagogical characteristics. The goal of learning environment analysis is to describe where the course/unit will be used, how it will be used, and how it will be sustained in its use.

For our purposes we will also need to know if the larger environment in which the course sits will be fully online or blended.

The two main aspects of an environmental analysis are the learning environment and the support environment. The learning environment refers to the classroom, office, home or laboratory where the learning and teaching occurs. The support environment refers to the factors outside the 'classroom' (class, office, laboratory, etc.) that support the successful completion of the course. For example, having a reserved computer lab available to students every other week for drop-in help sessions, and the need for that computer lab to have the proper software.

Consider the following questions and give responses both for the learning environment and the support environment (you do not have to answer each one).

Learning environment Support environment

Where will the course be used (all possible sites; in class, in lieu of F2F class)?

What will the lifespan of the course be? How long will the course be used until it is changed or withdrawn?

When will the course be used by learners (morning/evening, semester)?

What are the purposes of course use (teaching, job requirement/enhancement, and reference)?


What are patterns of course use (irregular/infrequent/ scheduled)?

Do learners need particular training to be able to use the environment effectively?

Who will disseminate the course via delivery? (Are you working with the teacher or a coordinator who will not be teaching, etc.?)



Getting to know your learners (1)Completed sample LDA 2: Thinking about your learners

This LDA is designed to give you hands-on practice with learner analysis. Complete the activity with your course in mind. If you know an area is not relevant, mark it 'N/A'. If you don't know the information, yet it is necessary, list out how you would obtain the information (surveys, discussions, interviews, etc.). Some information may not be available to you until the course starts; this is not uncommon. However, you can at least consider and/or retrieve some of the more basic information prior to planning.

RememberUse the lists that follow (developed by Smith and Ragan, 2005) as a guide for things to consider about your learners, keeping in mind that not all of the areas listed may be important to the design of your course!


Learner demographic information: Get to know their backgrounds

Learner demographic information

Ages20-24 years old (typically). Undergraduate students in their 3rd or 4th year of the Purdue University agricultural communications programme.

Racial/ethnic backgroundMostly Caucasian male and female students from the Midwest with a small percentage of international students from other countries coming to the US to learn more about agricultural issues.

Socio-economic background Most students come from rural, middle-class, agricultural families.

Level of computer/internet experience

These students are considered to be part of the tech-savvy ‘iGeneration’ and have a high-level of experience in this area, including experience with mobile technologies.

Previous online course experience

There are currently no other online courses in Purdue’s agriculture communications programme. However, some of the students have had experience taking some of their core classes and electives online, but not all of the students. Therefore, their prior experience in this area is mixed.

Access to technology, high speed internet

The majority of the students live on campus or in apartments with internet access. Most of them also own smartphones.

Learner cognitive characteristics: How the learners process information

Learner cognitive characteristics

Developmental level (school, university, professional, etc.) University

Language development level (e.g. IELTS – International English Language Testing System)

IELTS 6.0

Reading level (ESOL – English as a second or other language) ESOL Level 2

General learning strategies

At this time, this is not known. Once the course begins, a brief discussion (about how students will go about interacting with an online course) will provide an understanding of some of the types of learning strategies students will use.

Specific prior knowledge (e.g. content, courses, academic background, etc.)

Learners have some prior knowledge of the agricultural and communications industry, as prerequisites will be required. Students have knowledge of interviewing agriculture sources, experience in writing scientific information in a conversational format, and an understanding of agricultural communication careers.


Learner attitudes and interests: Why they are taking the modules (is this a required course, is it an elective, will it help with employability)?

Learner attitudes and interests

InterestsAgriculture, communications, public relations, reporting, writing, communicating agriculture concepts and news to farmers and general audiences.

Motivation to learn (in general, and for this specific content)

Required undergraduate course in the agriculture communications programme; improve writing, interviewing, and reporting skills; agriculture backgrounds; obtain experience developing multimedia communications projects; to obtain a career in agriculture communications after graduation.

Attitude towards learning

This is not specifically known about students who will take the course. At the same time, most undergraduate students in the relatively small programme are eager to learn about the industry and develop skills for future employment.

Interest in subject matter

Whilst this is also not specifically known about the students who will take the course, most agriculture communications students are enthusiastic about the subject matter due to the majority of them coming from agriculture backgrounds and being interested in future agriculture practices, etc.

Learner interaction characteristics: Social aspects of online learning

Learner interaction characteristics

Relationships to peers (working in a cohort, peers unknown, etc.)

Typically, 50 students are enrolled in Purdue’s agriculture communications undergraduate programme at the same time. Students in this course would be peers and probably have taken several courses together already.

Feelings toward working in online groups

The majority of students in this programme are interested in taking online courses and using a variety of tools and interactivity to develop assignments/projects. Their exact feelings about online groups are unknown at this time, but this information could be collected in pre-course surveys or discussions.

Tendencies towards cooperation or competition (based on background info known, cultural proclivities, etc.)

Within teams, the students collaborate well. Within a competition, the students can be aggressive, since several of them are used to competing for rewards on projects within 4-H, FFA, horse judging competitions, etc.

Source: adapted from: P. Smith & T. Ragan. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons Inc. Reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.



Getting to know your learners (2)LDA 2 template: Thinking about your learners

This LDA is designed to give you hands-on practice with learner analysis. Complete the activity with your course in mind. If you know an area is not relevant, mark it 'N/A’. If you don't know the information, yet it is necessary, list out how you would obtain the information (surveys, discussions, interviews, etc.). Some information may not be available to you until the course starts; this is not uncommon. However, you can at least consider and/or retrieve some of the more basic information prior to planning.

RememberUse the lists that follow (developed by Smith and Ragan, 2005) as a guide for things to consider about your learners, keeping in mind that not all of the areas listed may be important to the design of your course!


Learner demographic information: Get to know their backgrounds

Learner demographic information

Ages

Racial/ethnic background

Socio-economic background

Level of computer/internet experience

Previous online course experience

Access to technology, high speed internet

Learner cognitive characteristics: How the learners process information

Learner cognitive characteristics

Developmental level (school, university, professional, etc.)Language development level (e.g. IELTS – International English Language Testing System)Reading level (ESOL – English as a second or other language)

General learning strategies

Specific prior knowledge (e.g. content, courses, academic background, etc.)

Learner attitudes and interests: Why they are taking the modules (is this a required course, is it an elective, will it help with employability)?

Learner attitudes and interests

Interests

Motivation to learn (in general, and for this specific content)

Attitude toward learning


Interest in subject matter

Learner interaction characteristics: Social aspects of online learning

Learner interaction characteristics

Relationships to peers (working in a cohort, peers unknown, etc.)Feelings toward working in online groupsTendencies toward cooperation or competition (based on background, information known, cultural proclivities, etc.)

Source: adapted from: P. Smith & T. Ragan. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons Inc. Reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.



Task analysis, learning outcomes and the importance of constructive alignment (1)Completed sample LDA 3: Thinking about tasks

Important note: As you begin work on this LDA, you may find that your overall learning objective/outcome is more on the course level – and needs to be broken down into modules. By identifying the level of your goal or outcomes, you will know where to start with the LDA (e.g. part one: course; part two: unit; or part three: lesson), and will be able to focus your analysis on the particular module or sub section you will be creating.


Step 1. What are the major topics to be covered in your course?

Whatever learning design approach you are taking, you will still need to understand the content yourself and the major topics you are considering covering from the curriculum. This will also help you refine your learning objectives in Step 2.

Major topics to be covered:

Blog modelsVisual supports using iPadsAudio and image editing

Step 2. Use your major topic categories to help you develop your learning objectives

The focus here is on what the learners will be able to do upon completion of the course. What learners do should be observable to them, so they know what and if they have learned. Learning objectives can be at the lesson level, course level, units, chapters, etc.

For example, in a full semester course you might expect to have approximately one learning objective per week.

When writing learning objectives (Mager, 1962; 1975), be sure to include these elements:

A description of the action that will demonstrate learningA description of the conditions of demonstration of the action.

Words of advice: Don't have too many learning objectives/outcomes and don't combine learning objectives (e.g. 'identify and analyse')!

Major topic Learning objectives

Topic 1: Blog modelsStudents will be able to effectively develop an agriculture blog news story.

Topic 2: Visual supports using iPadsStudents will be able to take still photos with a digital camera to visually support blog news stories.

Topic 3: Audio and image editing

Students will be able to successfully upload and incorporate digital still images into blog news stories.


Think about how you can describe your major topics in ways that might have greater appeal or meaning to your learners. The language you use can help to place the learner rather than the content at the centre of the course. The selection and order of your topics is also an important part of the overall story or narrative that runs throughout the course.

Step 3. Identification of learning tasks.

This is where you identify what tasks are to be learned by breaking down the learning objectives/outcomes. Later you will identify how the task will be learned (learning activities).

Be sure to include all pre-requisite skills needed in order to achieve the learning objectives. The purpose of this process is to identify the requirements that make up the higher order learning goal. For each task/step identified in the LDA, ask: 'What must the learner know or be able to do to achieve this task/step?' Do this for all tasks/steps until you know everything the learner must know to achieve the learning objective.

Tip: This is when you are really beginning to focus on how learners will learn. From this point forward, you will identify sequences of learning tasks, related assessments and teaching strategies.

Guiding questions/steps for completing this analysis:

What must the learner know or be able to do to complete each step in the process?

Is there any specific content knowledge that the learner must possess to execute each step?

Is there any specific attitude or characteristic that the learner must possess to execute each step?

Are there any physical abilities or psychomotor skills that a learner must possess to execute the steps in

reaching the goal? (This may only be applicable if your goal is primarily a psychomotor goal.)

One way to proceed is to ask, ‘What mistake might students make if they were learning this particular skill?’

Often the answer to this question is the key to identifying the appropriate subordinate skills for the skill in

question. The kinds of misunderstandings that students might have will indicate the understandings, also

known as skills, which they must have.

Words of advice: Plan on no more than 3–5 tasks (and thus learning objectives). And remember, this is an iterative process; there is always room for refinement. This is a worksheet, not a recipe that has to be followed for every course.

Add your tasks and pre-requisite skills to each of your major topics and learning objectives:

Major topic 1: Blog models

Learning objectives/outcomes Students will be able to effectively develop an agriculture blog news story.

Tasks for each learning objective/outcome Write an agriculture news story

Pre-requisite skills for each task Knowledge of how MS Word works


Identifying current agriculture news topicsUse prior news-writing knowledge and skills to write story

Major topic 2: Visual supports using iPads

Learning objectives/outcomesStudents will be able to take still photos with a digital camera to visually support blog news stories.

Tasks for each learning objective/outcome

View photo blog examplesView iPad camera demonstrationPractice taking photosIdentify photo opportunitiesSchedule photo shootExecute photo shoot

Pre-requisite skills for each task

Access to course iPads for checking outFamiliarity with iPad camerasAbility to compose photoUse photos to support blog story message

Major topic 3: Audio interviewing

Learning objectives/outcomes

Students will be able to use audio recording techniques and effectively use a digital audio recording device to capture interviews.


Contact source for an interviewSet up time to interview sourceDevelop interview questions and post them to Blackboard discussionConduct interview and record audio to iPad


Access to course iPads for interview recordingUnderstanding of interviewing and storytelling processes from previous courses



Task analysis, learning outcomes and the importance of constructive alignment (2)LDA 3 template: Thinking about tasksImportant note: As you begin work on this LDA, you may find that your overall learning objective/outcome is more on the course level – and needs to be broken down into modules. By identifying the level of your goal or outcomes, you will know where to start with the LDA (e.g. part one: course; part two: unit; or part three: lesson), and will be able to focus your analysis on the particular module or sub section you will be creating.


Step 1. What are the major topics to be covered in your course?

Whatever learning design approach you are taking, you will still need to understand the content yourself and the major topics you are considering covering from the curriculum. This will also help you refine your learning objectives in Step 2.

Major topics to be covered:

Step 2. Use your major topic categories to help you develop your learning objectives.

The focus here is on what the learners will be able to do upon completion of the course. What learners do should be observable to them, so they know what and if they have learned. Learning objectives can be at the lesson level, course level, units, chapters, etc.

For example, in a full semester course you might expect to have approximately one learning objective per week.

When writing learning objectives (Mager, 1962; 1975), be sure to include these elements:

A description of the action that will demonstrate learningA description of the conditions of demonstration of the action.

Words of advice: Don't have too many learning objectives/outcomes and don't combine learning objectives (e.g. 'identify and analyse')!

Major topic Learning objectives

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

Think about how you can describe your major topics in ways that might have greater appeal or meaning to your learners. The language you use can help to place the learner rather than the content at the centre of the course. The selection and order of your topics is also an important part of the overall story or narrative that runs throughout the course.


Step 3. Identification of learning tasks

This is where you identify what tasks are to be learned by decomposing the learning objectives. Later you will identify how the task will be learned (learning activities).

Be sure to include all pre-requisite skills needed in order to achieve the learning objectives. The purpose of this process is to identify the cognitions that make up the higher order learning goal. For each task/step identified in the LDA, ask: 'What must the learner know or be able to do to achieve this task/step?' Do this for all tasks/steps until you know everything the learner must know to achieve the learning objective.

Tip: This is when you are really beginning to focus on how learners will learn. From this point forward, you will identify sequences of learning tasks, related assessments and teaching strategies.

Guiding questions/steps for completing this analysis:

What must the learner know or be able to do to complete each step in the process?

Is there any specific content knowledge that the learner must possess to execute each step?

Is there any specific attitude or characteristic that the learner must possess to execute each step?

Are there any physical abilities or psychomotor skills that a learner must possess to execute the steps in reaching the goal? (This may only be applicable if your goal is primarily a psychomotor goal.)

One way to proceed is to ask, ‘What mistake might students make if they were learning this particular skill?’ Often the answer to this question is the key to identifying the appropriate subordinate skills for the skill in question. The kinds of misunderstandings that students might have will indicate the understandings, also known as skills, which they must have.

Words of advice: Plan on no more than 3–5 tasks (and thus learning objectives). And remember, this is an iterative process; there is always room for refinement. This is a worksheet, not a recipe that has to be followed for every course.

Add your tasks and pre-requisite skills to each of your major topics and learning objectives:

Major topic 1




Major topic 2





Major topic 3


Tasks for each learning objective/outcomePre-requisite skills for each task



Planning the content and the learning activities (1)Using learning activitiesRevisiting a course you have previously taught (or taken), reflect on one learning activity that was a success, and on one that didn’t work quite as well. Work your way through the questions below, recording your thoughts as you go.


1. An excellent learning activity Think of a particular learning activity (e.g. specific assignment) that worked really well. This can be from an online or face-to-face course.

Question Your thoughts

What was the learning activity?

What type of teaching strategy did the activity exemplify?

Why did it work really well?

What level of learning was the focus of the activity? (Think of Bloom’s levels)

Do you think the activity worked really well because of the level of learning?

Or, did it work really well because of the content


that was being learned?

2. A learning activity that could have been improvedThink of a particular learning activity that didn’t work very well. This can be from an online or face-to-face course.

Question Your thoughts

What was the learning activity?

What type of teaching strategy did the learning activity exemplify?

What went wrong in your opinion?

What level of learning was the focus of the activity? (Think of Bloom’s levels)

Do you think the activity didn’t work well because of the level of learning?

Or, did the learning activity not work because of the content that was being learned?

Or, were the teaching strategy and learning activity mismatched (e.g. would it have worked if there had been greater direction and leadership)?


Or, some other reason?



Planning the content and the learning activities (2)Completed sample LDA 4: Planning the content/learning activities

When developing your online course it is important to be able to communicate specifics related to each lesson and/or activity. This LDA is designed to give you practice in providing details related to lesson(s).

Working through the activity below, use three of the learning objectives/outcomes you sketched out in LDA 3, and devise teaching strategies and potential learning activities for each one.

LDA 4 is a continuation of LDA 3, so please refer to the learning objectives and tasks you sketched out there and insert here as appropriate.


Learning objectives Teaching strategies Potentiallearning activities

Other notes – as needed(resources, materials, time)

Learning Objective 1:

Students will be able to effectively develop an agriculture blog news story.

Gain attention:Teacher will have students conduct an online search for current agriculture news topics and current topics at their institution specifically.

Information and examples:Students will review information and examples they find from their individual online searches for current topics.

Internet access.

Explain purpose/preview:Module introduction will explain purpose is to develop an enhanced agriculture blog news entry containing photos.

Attention:Students’ attention will be held in conducting an interview and writing a rough story draft.

Interest/motivation:Students will be motivated to learn current news practices, as they will be searching and applying for agricultural communications jobs upon graduation.

Practice:Students will share their story rough drafts with the teacher and peers.

Remotivate/close:Reinforce importance of keeping up with current agriculture news topics and importance of developing strong writing skills.

Feedback:The teacher will review the story draft and provide feedback, as well as facilitating a peer-to-peer review.

Transfer:Students will conduct interviews and write rough story drafts.

Feedback/remediation:Teacher will provide story feedback based on rubric.





Students will be able to take still photos with a digital camera to visually support blog news stories.

Gain attention:In-class demonstration of how to edit and upload photos to blogs.Online materials on how to edit and upload photos to blogs.

Information and examples:In-class demonstration and online materials.

Internet access.

Explain purpose/preview:Module introduction will explain purpose is to develop an enhanced agriculture blog news entry containing photos.

Attention:Students’ attention will be held with demonstration.Students’ attention will be held in editing and uploading photos.


Learning strategies:Students will check out iPads, take planned photos to support blog news stories, and upload photos to their blog entries.

Remotivate/close:Teacher will remind students of importance of developing multimedia skills and encourage them to keep practising taking photos and to think visually about stories.

Practice:Students will select, edit, and upload photos to their blog news stories.

Transfer:Students will use knowledge from in-class demonstration and online materials to edit and upload their own photos.Feedback:Teacher and peers will evaluate blogs with photos.Final blogs will be posted to online discussion for everyone to review and discuss.






Gain attention:Play and link to online sample podcasts associated with agricultural public relations and news stories.

Information and examples:Online examples of agriculture news podcasts.Textbook chapter on podcasting.

Feedback/remediation:Teacher will assist students struggling to record audio and encourage students who have completed the task to move on to setting up interview.

Explain purpose/preview:Discuss need to develop podcasting skills, since multimedia skills are becoming more necessary in agricultural communication careers.

Attention:In-class, hands-on demonstration of recording audio with a digital recording device.


Practice:Students will practise recording audio during the in-class presentation or on their own.

Remotivate/close:Teacher will remind students that podcasting is a growing area for online agriculture communications.

Feedback:Teacher will provide in-class feedback and suggestions during in-class, hands-on trials.Transfer:Students will interview one another and record the audio for practice.Students will make plans for interviewing someone about an agriculture news topic and post interview plans in discussion thread.Summarise and review:Teacher will review the assignment




with students to conduct and record audio interviews during demonstration and via BB announcement.



Planning the content and the learning activities (3)LDA 4 template: Planning the content/learning activities

When developing your online course it is important to be able to communicate specifics related to each lesson and/or activity. This LDA is designed to give you practice in providing details related to lesson(s). Working through the activity below, use three of the learning objectives/outcomes you sketched out in LDA 3, and devise teaching strategies and potential learning activities for each one.

LDA 4 is a continuation of LDA 3, so please refer to the learning objectives and tasks you sketched out there and insert here as appropriate.



Assessment and evaluation approaches and methods for the online environment (1)Completed sample LDA 5: Assessment and evaluationThis LDA is designed to give you hands-on practice with the creation of a valid, reliable and efficient assessment tool for your unit or lesson. As with the previous LDAs, complete the activity with your course in mind.

To begin with we need to identify the purpose of the assessment. You may find these questions useful in guiding your thinking:

First, can you clearly identify the type of learning that you are assessing?Can you clearly identify the outcome of assessment? That is, what information will the assessment provide? (e.g. assessment will provide a measure of learner understanding of the design process).How will the outcome of the assessment inform future design, development, or teaching?

Outline the types of assessment your unit or lesson requires in the box below:

Module #1: The purpose of the assessment is to determine if the learner can successfully incorporate digital photos into an agricultural news blog.

Module #2: The purpose of the assessment is to determine if the learner can successfully record, edit, and upload digital audio files/podcast to an agricultural news blog.

Next, we can list the kinds of assessment that are necessary (e.g. entry-level skills, pre-teaching, during teaching, and post-teaching) and when they should occur in the teaching strategy.

Again, there are questions that will be useful to guide your thinking:

What are the different types of assessment that you intend to use in your teaching?What type and level of learning is each assessment meant to measure?What is the purpose of each assessment section?What information does the assessment provide in informing further design, development, or teaching?



Module #1:Entry-level skills – to assess learner’s current news writing and technology skills.During teaching – peer review to asses learner’s project developmentAfter teaching – to assess learner’s completed project.

Module #2:Entry-level skills – to assess learner’s current interviewing and technology skills.During teaching – peer review to assess learner’s project development.After teaching – to assess learner’s completed project.

Having established the purpose and type of assessment you require for your unit or lesson, complete the following Assessment Item Specification chart (designed by Smith and Ragan, 2005), working through the assessment criteria for three learning objectives. Complete one row per learning objective.

Assessment Item Specification

Objectives Assessment Form Sample Item Question Characteristics

Response Characteristics Criteria

Learning Objective 1

Students will be able to effectively develop an agriculture blog news story.

Peer-reviews and teacher observations based on a scoring rubric; individual student reflections.

Rubric with category for blog structure including scoring for statements such as, ‘blog is well-organised and easy to use’ or ‘blog has formatting mistakes and is difficult to follow.’

Rubric will score categories on a four point scale:0 = unacceptable1 = marginal2 = good3 = outstanding

Peers and teacher will circle rubric statement they believe best reflects the qualities of each learner’s project.

Blog structure will be critiqued based on a rubric of 0-3; blogs scoring 2+ will demonstrate mastery.



Students will be able to take still photos with a digital camera to visually support blog news stories.


Rubric with category for photo quality including scoring for statements such as ‘photos are composed and well-lit’ or ‘photos are blurry and too dark.’



Photos will be critiqued based on a rubric of 0-3; photos scoring 2+ will demonstrate mastery.




Rubric with category for news interview including scoring for statements such as ‘interview sound bites are informative and interesting’ or ‘interview sound bites do not add to the story.’



Interviews will be critiqued based on a rubric of 0-3; news stories scoring 2+ will demonstrate mastery.

Finally, let's plan for the formative evaluation of your teaching. Using a lesson you have given before, or one you plan to use in the future, complete the Formative Evaluation Planning table below.

As you work through the table, consider unanticipated outcomes, unanticipated occurrences (e.g. the technology didn't work for a particular activity), and student perceptions such as learning and satisfaction. Think about your evaluation plan as if you were planning to produce your learning module for others to consume (e.g. other teachers, other universities).

Formative Evaluation Planning Worksheet

Learning objective: Students will develop a blog with digital photos


Who will do the ongoing

evaluation?What is being evaluated? When should the evaluation occur?

How will the evaluation be conducted (i.e. the tools you will

use).

Experts

AgComm Professors(Dr. Tucker and Dr. Borron)

Learners’ agricultural news writing blog incorporating digital photos.

During development and after completion.During: through checking in with students and discussion threadsAfter: scoring rubric.

Learners: one-on-one

Fellow classmate’s rough draft agricultural news writing blog incorporating digital photos.

During development.Using a scoring rubric to evaluate rough draft and provide suggestions for improvement.

Learners: small group

Process of developing and final project. During development and after completion.Reflection papers on development process and final project outcomes.

Learners: field test

Assessment Item Specification source: P. Smith & T. Ragan. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons Inc. Reproduced with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.



Assessment and evaluation approaches and methods for the online environment (2)LDA 5 template: Assessment and evaluationThis LDA is designed to give you hands-on practice with the creation of a valid, reliable and efficient assessment tool for your unit or lesson. As with the previous LDAs, complete the activity with your course in mind.

To begin with we need to identify the purpose of the assessment. You may find these questions useful in guiding your thinking:

First, can you clearly identify the type of learning that you are assessing?Can you clearly identify the outcome of assessment? That is, what information will the assessment provide? (e.g. assessment will provide a measure of learner understanding of the design process).How will the outcome of the assessment inform future design, development, or teaching?


Next, we can list the kinds of assessment that are necessary (e.g. entry-level skills, pre-teaching, during teaching, and post-teaching) and when they should occur in the teaching strategy.

Again, there are questions that will be useful to guide your thinking:

What are the different types of assessment that you intend to use in your teaching?What type and level of learning is each assessment meant to measure?What is the purpose of each assessment section?


What information does the assessment provide in informing further design, development, or teaching?


Having established the purpose and type of assessment you require for your unit or lesson, complete the following ‘Assessment Item Specification’ chart, working through the assessment criteria for three learning objectives. Complete one row per learning objective.

Assessment Item Specification

Objectives Assessment Form Sample Item Question Characteristics

Response Characteristics Criteria





Finally, let's plan for the formative evaluation of your teaching. Using a lesson you have given before, or one you plan to use in the future, complete the Formative Evaluation Planning table below.

As you work through the table, consider unanticipated outcomes, unanticipated occurrences (e.g. the technology didn't work for a particular activity), and student perceptions such as learning and satisfaction. Think about your evaluation plan as if you were planning to produce your learning module for others to consume (e.g. other teachers, other universities).

Formative Evaluation Planning Worksheet

Learning objective:

Who will do the ongoing evaluation?

What is being evaluated? When should the evaluation occur?How will the evaluation be

conducted (i.e. the tools you will use).

ExpertsLearners: one-on-oneLearners: small groupLearners: field test



Learning environment: Media selectionCompleted sample LDA 6: Learning environment: Media selectionUse the media analysis tables in this LDA to help in the selection of media in your online course. Under each of the three learning objectives, we've added in different events of teaching or places within your lesson where you may want to consider various media choices (e.g. simulation, websites, lecture, a whiteboard, a film, a graphic, an audio recording, audio-based PowerPoint, a particular software, survey or quiz software). The 'Teaching strategies' column ties in to the learning activity you completed in LDA 4.

You do not need to fill in a medium for each choice, but it will help you better plan what you will need in the end, which in turn will help you consider the amount of time needed to prepare the various media.

(Note: this sample has been completed for two lesson objectives)


Media analysis worksheet

Learning objectives/teaching event Teaching strategies Media choice Rationale for media choice

Learning objective/teaching event 1: Students will develop a blog with digital photos

To gain attention/interest

Students will view current newspaper blog examples; teacher will have students conduct an online search for current agriculture news topics and current topics at their institution specifically; in-class demonstration on using photo equipment, editing, and uploading photos.

http://agwired.com/http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/aganswers/index2.asphttp://www.agweb.com/

Current websites featuring real-world agriculture news stories and blog entries using photos.

Information and examples

Current news blog examples provided will include successful and unsuccessful examples; students will read chapter about news blogs from textbook for insight into purpose of news blogs.

Online textbook – Journalism 2.0, How to Survive and Thrivehttp://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/2/

Along with examples of real-world blogs – ask students to read Chapters 5 and 6 about blogs and web reporting. This textbook is free and current with new information about writing for online formats.

Summarise and review

Students will share plans for news stories and shooting and incorporating photos; classmates and teachers will be able to share and ask questions about blog plans.

Blackboard discussion board.Discussions provide a way for students to interact during an online week, share blog plans, and give and solicit feedback.

Assess performance

Teacher and peers will evaluate blogs with photos based on provided rubrics;final blogs will be posted to online discussion for everyone to review and discuss.

Blackboard course information with folder for rubric, space for uploading assignment, and assignment feedback to students.

Secure, approved academic environment for downloading the rubric, submitting, and marking assignments.

Feedback/remediation

Peer and teacher feedback about news stories/writing and photo qualities and incorporation into stories.

Blackboard assignments space and announcements.

Secure, approved space for providing assignment feedback and overall announcement to class on overall successes and challenges with the final projects.


http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/2/


http://www.agweb.com/

http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/aganswers/index2.asp


http://agwired.com/



Learning objective/teaching event 2: Students will develop a blog with an audio podcast

To gain attention/interest

Play and link to online sample podcasts associated with agricultural public relations and news stories.

http://www.agweb.com/agday/http://www.farmerfeeds.com/cgi-bin/farmerfeeds.cgihttps://ag.purdue.edu/agcomm/Pages/NewsPodcasts.aspxhttp://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/aganswers/index2.asp

Current websites featuring real-world agriculture news stories and blog entries using podcasts; easily accessible and free.

Information and examples

The in-class demonstration will provide examples of audio-editing techniques;the textbook and online tutorials and examples will also provide strategies for editing audio.

Online textbook – Journalism 2.0, How to Survive and Thrivehttp://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/2/

Read Chapter 7 of textbook.

Summarise and review

Students will share plans for news stories and recording, editing, and incorporating audio; classmates and teachers will be able to share and ask questions about plans.

Blackboard discussion board. Discussions provide a way for students to interact during an online week, share blog plans, and give and solicit feedback.

Assess performance

Peer-to-peer and teacher review of audio podcasts based on a provided rubric.

Blackboard course information with folder for rubric, space for uploading assignment and assignment feedback to students.

Secure, approved academic environment for downloading the rubric, submitting, and marking assignments.

Feedback/remediation

Teacher will be able to provide feedback and guidance for interviews and audio technical questions via online discussion threads with students.

Peer and teacher feedback of audio podcasts via a provided rubric.

Blackboard assignments space and announcements.

Secure, approved space for providing assignment feedback and overall announcement to class on overall successes and challenges with the final projects.






https://ag.purdue.edu/agcomm/Pages/NewsPodcasts.aspx

https://ag.purdue.edu/agcomm/Pages/NewsPodcasts.aspx

http://www.farmerfeeds.com/cgi-bin/farmerfeeds.cgi

http://www.farmerfeeds.com/cgi-bin/farmerfeeds.cgi

http://www.agweb.com/agday/


Learning environment: Media selection LDA 6 template: Learning environment: Media selectionUse the media analysis tables in this LDA to help in the selection of media in your online course. Under each of the three learning objectives, we've added in different events of teaching or places within your lesson where you may want to consider various media choices (e.g. simulation, websites, lecture, a whiteboard, a film, a graphic, an audio recording, audio-based PowerPoint, a particular software, survey or quiz software). The 'Teaching strategies' column ties in to the learning activity you completed in LDA 4.

You do not need to fill in a medium for each choice, but it will help you better plan what you will need in the end, which in turn will help you consider the amount of time needed to prepare the various media.



Learning objective/teaching event 1:

To gain attention/interestInformation and examplesSummarise and reviewAssess performanceFeedback/remediationOther 1Other 2


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Improving your online course designs

Common pitfalls and some tips for successTips and advice

Is the course ready to begin?Plan to have your course ready at least one month in advance. Simonson (et al, 2012) suggest you consider beginning your work on the course 3-5 months in advance.

Have you prioritised the learning outcomes?Remember that the learning outcome should be the focus of learning activities, not the tools used to implement the activities (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004, p. 17).

Is there a variety of learning activities?Diversifying course learning activities keeps learners engaged at multiple levels and can also speak to the strengths and diversity of your students.

Are any elements of the course too long?Video- or audio-based lectures should be chunked in short segments (15 minutes maximum). Embed activities if your lecture is longer to keep learners engaged, or break up longer lectures.

Have you set learners enough time to develop peer-to-peer activities? Allow adequate time in your course schedule for the development of online discussions; a minimum of one week for each discussion is recommended (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004, p. 19). For group work or activities you should also consider the first week for students engaged in these activities as an ‘organisational’ week.

Is all content relevant to learners’ needs?Ensure the content is relevant to the course; otherwise you won’t have the engagement of your learners. You can teach them abstract concepts but use examples that are meaningful to them.

Have you made it clear how learners should work through the course and how much time they should allow?

Clear directions should be provided for what learners need to do at every stage of the course (Simonson et al, 2012, p. 176); similarly, ensure the activities and media are realistic in terms of the credit value of the course.

Is the course well-paced?Make sure the course goes at the right speed. For instance, break the course into weekly chunks with larger assignments staggered.

Can you regularly check-in with students and personalise their learning experience?Provide a space for a ‘Weekly Overview’ (if your course is set up by weeks), to include highlights (text, audio or video) of the weekly readings. Additionally, use this as a place to personalise the courses, with facts or slides about you or your institution.

Is your course consistent?Make sure the chunks of your course (weeks, modules, units, etc.) all have a similar layout.

When can learners access you?Establish a communication framework. Let learners know when you will be in the course to check for updates and questions, how long it will take you to respond to emails, and when you will not be available. Also, establish an ‘Ask the teacher’ or ‘Ask a peer’ discussion thread to make it easier to monitor and pass the information on to the whole class simultaneously.


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Closing

Course summary (1)Essential pointsHere is a brief summary of some of the key points from this course, to stick on your wall or keep to hand for easy reference.

Why we need a plan for designing and developing an online courseRecall the features of a successful course and the features of an unsuccessful course. These should have demonstrated the need for a systematic plan when designing and developing your course.

Learning design is a methodology for enabling teachers/designers to make more informed decisions on how they go about designing learning activities and interventions, which is pedagogically informed and makes effective use of appropriate resources and technologies (Conole, 2013, p. 7).

Getting ready to design your course: things to consider before you startRemember the ‘Seven principles of good practice for undergraduate education’, which were then discussed in the context of the online environment (Chickering and Gamson, 1987):

Student-teacher contact

Cooperation among students

Active learning

Prompt feedback

Time on task

High expectations

Respecting diverse ways of learning.

Consider if your course is ‘typical’ and consider using a learning design model to help get you started sketching out your course plan, syllabus and schedule.

Be familiar with the policies at your institution as they relate to online learning, and be sure your learners are aware of them too: academic integrity, intellectual property, and copyright. Accessibility and inclusive design should also be considered from the beginning.

Designing and developing your course

Remember the activities we looked at for each of the LDAs in Unit 3. Keep a copy of the worksheets and the completed sample worksheets for future reference.

LDA 1: Thinking about the context of your courseThis is the needs assessment phase of planning your modules. Look at the big picture and consider the learning environment and goals for your teaching.

LDA 2: Thinking about your learners


Use this activity to think about your learners. What are their needs? What do they already know about the content? How can you help them reach the learning goals? Are there unique characteristics to consider in your planning?

LDA 3: Thinking about tasks This is a detailed look at the steps learners will need to complete in order to achieve the learning goals. It can be time-consuming to consider every task and the related steps, but this will help you look at your modules from the learners’ perspective.

LDA 4: Planning the content/learning activitiesNow that you have established learning objectives (intended learning outcomes) and knowledge of learners’ needs, and have taken a look at the steps required to reach learning goals, this activity helps with planning the structure, pacing, and content for the modules.

LDA 5: Assessment and evaluationHow will you know if learners have reached your learning goals? Use this activity to develop strategies for assessing changes in learners’ knowledge, skills, etc.

LDA 6: Learning environment: Media selection

Now that the bones of your modules are in place, it is time to determine the physical media you will use to deliver the content. Examples would be video, websites, documents, blogs, journals, discussions, etc. Of course, you may already have some of these media in mind before you begin formally planning the course.

Focusing on strategies and learning activities: Diversifying

Remember that variety is the spice of life, and online education. Our students need to be engaged, and in most cases that includes a diversity of activities so that the learning activities don’t become rote or focus too much on a single level of learning. Consider Bloom’s Taxonomy as a way to gauge your activities: do you incorporate the appropriate levels? For your discussion questions consider the variety of question prompt styles and incorporate several. But don’t play around with activities just ‘for the sake of it’.

Look to available resources including Open Educational Resources.

Be aware of the common pitfalls we looked at in Unit 4. Be consistent in your course design and, above all, provide clarity – both within expectations and directions.


DESIGNING AND DEVELOPING YOUR ONLINE COURSE: Closing

Course summary (2)Mini personal statementWrite a short personal statement in the space below, outlining three or more key points you have learned from this course and three immediate changes or plans you intend to implement as a result.



leocontent.acu.edu.au€¦ · web viewknowledge of how ms word works. identifying current...

Documents