Enrich Your Online Course Complete a Course Review

Enrich Your Online Course: Complete a Course Review Center for Information Technology in Education Northwest Missouri State University

Center for Information Technology in Education • Faculty instructional technology support center • Established in 1998 with state mission enhancement funds • Initiatives include – assisting faculty in the development of online, web-augmented courses, and instructional technology materials – researching emerging technologies – sharing endeavors with other institutions in the state of Missouri^

Faculty technology support services • Instructional design services • Assistance with – interactive instructional technology concepts – course management tools – development of online and web-augmented courses – development of CD-ROM based learning materials • Provide faculty instructional technology training • Selection and support of CITE Fellowships^

Faculty instructional technology resources • Faculty technology lab located in the CITE complex – variety of hardware and software – course management software • Professional instructional technology staff • Notebook computer provided and funded by CITE for every faculty member^

Curriculum Design Specialist • Overall Focus: Assist faculty, using appropriate training techniques, in the evaluation and integration of emerging and innovative instructional technologies in teaching practices and the curriculum. • Encourage faculty to integrate instructional technology where appropriate. ^

Faculty instructional technology training • Faculty who are awarded funding complete campus-based and online training • Training tailored to meet needs of individual faculty member – group training sessions – one-on-one sessions – modeling and mentoring • Process includes becoming leader of instructional technology design team^ Training

Northwest Online • Online courses and degree programs – Hosted by e. College at http: //www. Northwest. Online. org – 30 fully developed online courses – 2 degree completion programs (2 + 2) • Bachelor of Science in Business Management • Bachelor of Science in Accounting • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is scheduled to begin development Fall 2001^ Northwest Online

Northwest Online • Web-augmented courses – instructional technology integration – hosted by Northwest through Blackboard courseware – 2/3 of the faculty incorporate Blackboard – 582 campus-based courses are web-enhanced^ Blackboard

Course Structure Benchmarks • Before starting an online program, students are advised about the program to determine – if they possess the self-motivation and commitment to learn at a distance – if they have access to the minimal technology required by the course design. • Students are provided with supplemental course information – outlines course objectives, concepts, and ideas, and learning outcomes^ “Quality on the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-based Distance Education” Prepared by: The Institute for Higher Education Policy

Course Structure Benchmarks • Students have access to sufficient library resources – virtual library accessible through the WWW • Faculty and students agree upon expectations regarding times for student assignment completion and faculty response. ^ “Quality on the Line: Benchmarks for Success in Internet-based Distance Education” Prepared by: The Institute for Higher Education Policy

Five Easy Steps to Course Review • Faculty consent • Extensive review of syllabus and course site • Share information with faculty – office visit – course re-design recommendations • Implement re-design efforts • Implement and re-evaluate^

Extensive Course Site Review • Three major areas of review – pre-course development activities and information – course and instructional design techniques – course support^

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Content and course materials – publisher support materials and resources • course cartridges and companion web site access – copyright permissions and citations • Complete course description – course title, description, and number – additional software and/or hardware needs • should be listed in course description – link to course syllabus^ Publisher Info

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Extensive syllabus – list required text and ordering information – supporting course information – scoring guides including grading review dates – course schedule of deadlines – online communication etiquette – online expectations and policies^ Online Policies

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Adaptive learning style analysis and course orientation for students – online learning techniques – time management strategies – learning styles surveys – computer skills surveys – sample course that provides demonstration of courseware^

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Learning Styles Inventory – VARK is a short, simple web-based inventory designed to help faculty choose teaching strategies that meet their students' needs. – The acronym VARK stands for the Visual-Aural-Read/write-Kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning. – http: //www. active-learning-site. com/vark. htm^ Neil Fleming, Lincoln University, Canterbury, NZ www. lincoln. ac. nz

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Computer Skills Survey – Assesses for minimal set of computer skills – Information sent to instructor – Provide student with alternative training to improve upon areas of deficiencies^ Computer Survey

Pre-Course Development Activities and Information • Course Orientation – Online learning techniques – Course and learner expectations – Demonstration course^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of instructional technology techniques – provide learning outcomes – determine instructional approach • • linear--series of lessons exploratory--map or flowchart case based--realistic scenarios interactive simulation--guided learning – incorporate authentic activities meeting a variety of learning modalities – provide students with a systematic way to navigate the course^ WBT Design Planning Tool, Levick & Rossi

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of instructional technology techniques – divide course into modules of content and authentic learning activities – provide ongoing and variety of assessment of learning for student feedback • assessment should check the learning outcome – provide opportunities for remediation – communicate, communicate^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Build in course management techniques – e-mail management – FAQ section – Instructor availability schedule – Utility documents – Student feedback opportunities • Personalize course to develop community – Course welcome – Post autobiography in threaded discussion – Open chat and/or threaded discussion areas^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of courseware instructional technology tools – Does the instructional technology tool enhance the learning of content? • • e-mail announcements threaded discussions digital notebooks file sharing feature chat and whiteboard feature audio and video integration external resources^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of instructional technology techniques – student interaction • student-to-student • student-to-instructor • feedback opportunities for progress in content and learning • feedback for course and instructor evaluation ^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of instructional technology techniques – Appropriate and concentrated effort to communication with students • e-mail etiquette and feedback guidelines – reply within a published time period • integration of announcements feature • incorporation of threaded discussion • virtually grading assignments^

Course and Instructional Design Techniques • Appropriate incorporation of design and visual environment – apply web design principles • sensory factors • conceptual factors • reactive factors – provide substance through content • pizzazz through course design techniques to make the course interesting^

Course Support • Information about helpdesk – provide e-mail address and phone number for helpdesk – provide access to online helpdesk information^

Course Support • Establish contact with student via e-mail • Provide technical requirements information and access to a browser test • Provide an orientation e-mail • Provide information and access to online tutoring or mentors • Provide access to a student services site^

Course Review Recommendations • Provide faculty with a printout of recommendations for redesign and improvement – Continual improvement process – Centrally housed content and materials • Course becomes a plethora of information, resources, and activities – provides enriched course site for the online learner to succeed^

Course Examples • • Narrated presentation Narrated, annotated presentation Interactive instructional concept CD-ROM materials^

Darla Runyon, MS Ed. Assistant Director Curriculum Design Specialist Center for Information Technology in Education Northwest Missouri State University drunyon@mail. nwmissouri. edu http: //cite. nwmissouri. edu: 2000/cite/presentations