Best Practices for Online Course Design Delivery and

Best Practices for Online Course Design, Delivery, and Review Stephanie K. Ferguson, Ph. D Dean, Distance Learning & Professional Studies New Mexico Junior College

Session Outcomes q Articulate best practices in quality online course design and delivery q Identify when and how best practices in online course design are implemented q Develop a plan to review online courses to determine parity between face-to-face and online content, quality, and rigor Leadership in Higher Education Conference 2

Introductions • Please write your first name on the table tent at your seat • Individual introductions Leadership in Higher Education Conference 3

Why is online course design, delivery, and review important? Leadership in Higher Education Conference 4

The Online Student Problems Faced by New Online Students What Makes a Successful Online Learner? Adaptability struggle Persistence Technical issues Effective time management Computer literacy Effective communication skills Time management Basic technical skills Self-motivation Motivation and Independence Leadership in Higher Education Conference (Kumar, 2015) 5

The Online Instructor Dimensions Roles Pedagogical Course designer; Profession-inspirer; Feedback-giver; Interactionfacilitator Managerial Conference manager; Organizer and planner Social Rapport builder Technical coordinator; Media designer; Technology integrator (Liu, et al. , 2005) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 6

Instructor Presence Leadership in Higher Education Conference 7

What is Instructional design is the Design? systematic process of translating general principles of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials and learning. Leadership in Higher Education Conference 8

Course Design Cycle Leadership in Higher Education Conference (Center for Teaching Excellence, 2107) 9

Backward Design (Wiggins & Mc. Tighe, 1998) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 10

Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2011) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 11

• • • Outcomes Alignment (Mapping) Identify course-specific learning outcomes Identify assessment methods Identify learning experiences Identify alignment with program outcomes/goals Identify alignment with institutional outcomes/goals Leadership in Higher Education Conference 12

• • • 5 Principles of Curriculum Design Challenge students to higher level learning Use active forms of learning Give frequent and immediate feedback Use a structured sequence Have a fair system for assessing and grading Leadership in Higher Education Conference (Caruana, 2015; Meyers & Nulty, 2009) 13

Course Design Plan Leadership in Higher Education Conference 14

Learning Management Systems (1)Blackboard – GREEN (2)Canvas – RED (3)Sakai, Moodle, or open-source platform – YELLOW (4)Angel, D 2 L, or proprietary platform - ORANGE Leadership in Higher Education Conference 15

Online Course Delivery • • • Leadership in Higher Education Conference Detailed syllabus Course content Opportunities for interaction Opportunities for feedback Assessment Accessibility 16

Course Syllabus Course title and identification Attendance policy Instructor contact information Grading policy Course description Academic honesty statement Course outcomes Academic support/ADA statement Required texts and materials Other policies as needed Recommended texts and readings Course plan Class format or outline Disclaimer/Grievance procedure Assignments and expectations Leadership in Higher Education Conference 17

Course Content • Small manageable units or modules • Well-organized and easy to navigate Leadership in Higher Education Conference 18

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The SAMR Model Leadership in Higher Education Conference 21

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Opportunities • Students interactingfor with course content Interaction • Students interacting with one another • Students interacting with the instructor Leadership in Higher Education Conference 23

Interaction with Course Content • Assigned readings • Concept maps • Graphics, diagrams, presentations, animations • Case studies • Videos, screencasts, narrated presentations, podcasts • Reflections and selfassessments • Online discussions Leadership in Higher Education Conference 24

Interaction with One Another • • • Icebreakers/Introduction discussions Online discussions/Debates Collaborative activities/Peer review Course cafes Group projects Leadership in Higher Education Conference 25

Interaction with the Instructor • • • Direct communication Submitting assignments Asking questions and receiving answers Announcements page LMS email or inbox tool Leadership in Higher Education Conference 26

Active Learning Online (Trego, 2016) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 27

The Absorb-Do-Connect Framework Connect Absorb Do (Horton, 2102) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 28

Opportunities for Feedback • • Leadership in Higher Education Conference Timely Consistent Specific Respectful 29

Assessment Diagnostic Leadership in Higher Education Conference Formative Summative Pre-tests Student feedback or observation Quizzes/Tests Self-assessments Homework Term papers Discussion board responses Reflection journals Projects Interviews Checks of understanding Portfolios Interest inventories Informal presentations Formal presentations or performances 30

Rubrics • Analytic • Holistic • Single-Point (Gonzalez, 2014) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 31

Accessibility • • Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust (W 3 C, 2016) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 32

Common Obstacles & Obstacle Solutions Solution No description (alt-text) provided for embedded image Include a description for every informative image Missing or poorly used headings In Word documents and PDF files use heading style labels Scanned documents incompatible with Convert PDFs directly from Word assistive technologies documents Poorly labeled links Label hyperlinks to describe where the link leads Color used to convey information Use symbols or explanatory text Leadership in Higher Education Conference 33

Accessibility Examples (Dimac, 2015) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 34

Online Course Review What is the purpose of online course review? Leadership in Higher Education Conference 35

Why Review Online Courses? • Teaching is teaching regardless of delivery medium • Ensure parity between online and face-toface • Formative reviews enhance teaching • Meet accreditation standards (Tobin, Mandernach, & Taylor, 2015) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 36

Who determines online course quality? Leadership in Higher Education Conference 37

Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Learning • Online learning is appropriate to the institution’s mission and purposes • The development, sustaining, and expansion of online learning is integrating into the planning and evaluation processes • Online learning is included in the governance system • Curricula is coherent, cohesive, and comparable in academic rigor • Effectiveness of online courses are evaluated • Faculty are appropriately qualified and supported • Online students have access to academic support services • Sufficient resources are provided to support online learning • The integrity of its online offerings are assured (HLC, 2009) Leadership in Higher Education Conference 38

Background Leadership in Higher Education Conference 39

What should the process of reviewing courses look like? Leadership in Higher Education Conference 40

Questions? ? ? Review your index card. Leadership in Higher Education Conference 41

Thank you for your active engagement during our workshop. My contact information is on the business card in your packet. Feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions you may have. I am happy to share this Power. Point presentation with you if you provide me with your email address. Leadership in Higher Education Conference 42