How to Design an Effective Online Course
How to Design an Online Course. 2. Start with an outline of the material. With online courses, it will be more difficult to control the flow of information as students can chose how ... 3. Determine learning objectives. Decide what you want students to get out of the course as a whole and out of ...
A few ways to reflect upon course designs is through student feedback and by keeping a design journal of things that come up during a semester. Finally, there are course design rubrics, such as from Quality Matters, which can assess course design according to research-based rubrics.
You won’t be creating the perfect online course, at least not the first time you teach it. It takes teaching an online course a few semesters to improve and enhance it. Continue to experiment with new approaches, refining your teaching according to your learning objectives and the feedback of your students.
Set up the course so that you create a community. This includes the use of discussions, blogs, teamwork, and opportunities to share personal narratives and photos. All instructions for the course have to be written in great detail, before the course starts, in language that is simple yet unambiguous. ( Smith et al, 2001)
To design an effective course, you need to:Consider timing and logistics.Recognize who your students are.Identify the situational constraints.Articulate your learning objectives.Identify potential assessments.Identify appropriate instructional strategies.Plan your course content and schedule.
How to create an online course for freeThinkific: Software to create an online course for free. ... Canva: Free and low-cost design tool. ... Beaver Builder: affordable WordPress page builder. ... Camtasia: Cheap software for editing online course videos, with a free trial. ... Vimeo: Free video hosting.More items...•
It can cost anywhere from $200 to $10,000 to create an online course. The main source of expenses is the labor involved, followed by the equipment and software. If you are creating the online course yourself and not paying someone else to do it, this means that other than your time there are very few expenses involved.
5 Tips for Engaging Online Course DesignDevelop Course and Module Learning Goals and Objectives. ... Use Multiple Media for Learning Materials. ... Choose Appropriate Learning Tasks. ... Humanize the Technology. ... Include Multiple Learning Assessments.
The 11 best platforms to create and sell online coursesUdemy for launching your first course.Skillshare for teaching creative skills.Teachable for creating an online school with advanced marketing.Podia for selling digital products and memberships.Thinkific for building a course from scratch.More items...•
Are Online Courses Profitable? Yes, they are. Online courses offer one of the best business models to digital entrepreneurs. The demand is rising and people are more than willing to pay for them, and they are one of the top ways to make money online.
Depending on the duration and detail of the program, it can take anywhere between 25 – 500 hours to formulate an online course. A mini-course with just 4 or 5 videos you could develop it in a couple of days. An in-depth flagship course with numerous modules and assignments could take eight weeks or more to accomplish.
How long does it take to develop 1 hour of eLearning? A average 1-hour interactive elearning course will take 197 hours to develop. But development of a 1-hour elearning course can range between 49 hours for the low end of the range of a “basic” course to 716 hours for the high end of the range of an “advanced” course.
How To Easily Create eLearning CoursesChoose an authoring tool that is right for you. ... Research your eLearning audience and subject matter beforehand. ... Create an eLearning template or use an existing one. ... Choose a cloud-based learning management system. ... Use links to add multimedia and resources.More items...•
Create a more engaging virtual classroomPresent your best (online) self.Use technology to your advantage.Find what inspires your students.Set goals and help students stick to them.Keep it interactive.Break down the lessons and make it digestible.Make your students feel valued.Be patient with your students.
Previous PPIC research has identified five key factors to help ensure student success in online programs:Use a systems approach to course design. ... Provide professional development. ... Set student expectations. ... Create community. ... Take advantage of the online environment.
Plan for interaction! Make sure your course is rich in opportunities for students to engage with the content, with you and with each other. This means creating diverse activities like discussions, group work, case studies and collaborative problem-solving. Also, be sure to select resources that are relevant and present a variety of viewpoints and meet different learning styles. Consider multimedia, periodicals, web resources, etc.
Using the learning objectives you can become more selective in what you include in your course. This selection process is known as alignment. Alignment occurs when the course component (activity, assignment, material, technology and/or assessment) will help the student meet the learning objectives. To get started, build a Conceptual Framework for each module. In this framework outline the learning by identifying the course competencies and learning objectives for the module. Then review the course components (each piece of your module that you identified in the module map process) and see if they fit (align), i.e. contribute to the student achieving the stated learning objective. If a component does not align you need to either change the objective, change the course component or if it is essential to keep this non-aligned component, make sure that it is clearly identified as supplemental.
In Maricopa there are “course level” competencies that are designed and written by faculty at the district level through the Instructional Council for each discipline . Course competencies are what is required to be covered and taught in every course. For course design and mapping, especially online, a faculty member designs activities, assessments, lectures, etc. to teach those competencies….along the way students will learn incrementally – those are unit or module level learning objectives. These help students understand what they will be learning, how all the activities and assignments help them learn, and then in the end see where they have been.
Tip: Well designed C.A.T.s include a planning, implementing and responding phase.
Organization is key to any project. Gather all the resources from previous courses you have taught, content and instructional materials you have researched or picked-up from colleagues, etc.. Put them in a format/file and store in a way you can easily access (computer, online or USB Drive). This includes your syllabi, notes, textbook, lectures, hand-outs, quizzes, exams, assignments/papers/projects, online resources, journal articles, and any other pertinent resources. Ask your department or colleagues for resources specific to your subject area. Sample syllabi, lessons and even course templates may be available to get you started. Taking the time to organize up front will save you lots of time later, so don’t skip this critical part of the process.
According to a 10 year study conducted by the Online Learning Consortium, 6.7 million students have taken at least one online course and roughly thirty-two percent of all higher-education students now take at least one online course during their educational career. And these numbers continue to rise.
We all love our course content! As a result, it is tempting to throw everything into your course in an effort to spark that same love in the heart of your students. But how do students know what is important and essential to their learning? How do we help them focus?
Most course creators get stuck here because there is so much information available. You’ve already got a lot of it in your head or on the computer. This step is an art, and it’s probably going to take the longest. Not only do you have to decide what to put in the course, but you’ve got to know what to leave out.
Sure, you can try and sell a course and make some cash. Anyone can do that. However, do you actually care about your students or your craft? If so, you’ll need to do a bit of work. You’ll need to be better. Learning how to design an effective online course is vital if you want to be the best educator you can be.
The course design can play a huge role in usability and student success. One strategy for engaging learners is through the integration of microlearning, which is a trend in online learning. Microlearning involves presenting content through mediated micro levels so students are exposed to small learning units on short-term assignments. Microlearning is based on H.A. Simon’s 1974 research that outlines the effectiveness of creating chunks of learning experiences that the short-term memory can retain. This approach translates into online course development through the use of learning modules.
An effective way to develop learning modules is by planning backwards. Instructors can look at all the content they want to cover, and then identify thematic chunks of information. The thematic chunks become units or learning modules that are a short-term approach to long-term planning. Within the learning modules, instructors provide tasks, assignments and supplemental resources, and tools to enhance content mastery.
There are several strategies that instructors can use to practice reflective strategies in order to improve the learning environment for students. Successful instructional course design needs a performance evaluation process that has flexible guidelines.
To assist students, instructors can provide a chart that outlines sections of the assignment, so students can select a specific area for contribution. The group will collectively examine each member’s submission to create a final product. Students can use emerging technology tools such as wikis, blogs and podcasts to further collaborate.
No matter the method of engagement, it is imperative that instructors reinforce learning with every section and continue to foster interaction . According to research, students feel a heightened level of engagement when they receive regular updates about current and upcoming content. Any attempt to increase social presence creates a simulative environment of a real-world experience for students.
Instructors also can use inquiry-based learning (IBL), which requires students to investigate questions they have concerning the content. One strategy that online instructors can implement to establish IBL is through the implementation of Know, Want to Know, and Learned (KWL) charts.
Sending announcements through the Learning Management System (LMS) about due dates or highlights of upcoming assignments is another effective strategy. Instructors also can send video recordings of themselves giving brief announcements, which reduces the sense of isolation because it simulates face-to-face instruction. The video communication provides students with the opportunity to learn their instructor’s mannerisms and increases overall course satisfaction for students.
The topic for your online course should be either a subject that you’re already knowledgeable about or are willing to invest in learning thoroughly. Either way, you need to be passionate about the subject.
Now is the time to develop the curriculum for your online course. On a piece of paper, write down a list of the different lessons you plan on teaching online. Within each lesson, break it down to the main topics you want to cover. Go in a logical order and try to make your ideas evolve naturally from one to the other , to ensure a smooth and frictionless learning process.
Having competition means that people find the topic relevant and helpful for them. It’s also a good idea to create content that can comfortably fit into an existing, tried-and-tested space.
If you already have professional experience with your course topic, it’s likely that you’ve put together content about it in the past. Have you ever written a blog post or created a webinar about the subject? Maybe you host a podcast or run a YouTube channel for your business in which you’ve discussed similar themes? If so, go back to these materials. Repurposing existing content into your online course will help get you started and save a lot of valuable time.
Ask a group of friends, as well as your existing audience, what they think of the subject you had in mind. Test it out by sharing polls or online forms for your audience to fill out. You can make a short tutorial first, and monitor its performance. Then, follow up on the tutorial on social media or via email marketing campaigns, asking your audience if this type of material is something they’re interested in seeing more of.
In order to test your idea, use a landing page builder to create a page for your upcoming online course. Although you haven’t created the course just yet, you already know what it’s going to be about. Include a concise description of the course explaining what people can expect to learn and add eye-catching imagery to further reflect the concept. Check out these fully customizable landing page templates to use as a starting point.
Competitor prices: Start by doing a quick audit to determine the average course price on your topic. While the prices can fluctuate depending on how much of an expert the course instructor is, try to get a sense of what the going market rate is for reference.
The Online Course Design Guide was produced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Office of Educational Innovation and Technology (MIT-OEIT), in collaboration with the New Media Consortium (NMC), to support instructional designers, educators, and facilitators in the development and implementation of online courses.
The purpose of the Online Course Design Guide is to provide education professionals with the support needed to develop and deliver an effective online course using forward-thinking practices. This guide takes a process approach to online course development, from the pre-design cycle all the way through the evaluation phase of the course, regardless of size, and is organized in concrete sections so that educators can pick and choose the areas they wish to investigate further.
Part of the appeal of online courses is the flexibility; learners are able to engage in the material from wherever they are , generally during the times that are most convenient for them. Online courses have also become an attractive option for students who hold full-time jobs or have families, as well as for professionals who want to acquire new skills for the workplace.
Solid instructional design and facilitation is the basis of an effective course, whether online or face-to-face. As online learning is receiving an increasing amount of interest from learners, education institutions are developing more and more online courses to both replace and supplement existing courses. As such, the design of these online experiences has become paramount; in order to provide effective and high quality learning experiences, they must encompass rich media, interactive features, clearly defined objectives and outcomes, and polished content, along with fostering a robust community of engaged learners.
Content development for online courses is more time-consuming because in the absence of face-to-face interaction, there is a greater need for creating rich media that stimulates virtual interaction.
To provide support through this guide for educators building online courses, a panel of online learning experts was convened to share research and insight. A result of their discussions was a list of assumptions about online learning vs. face-to-face learning which offers a foundation for thinking about and interpreting this guide.
Online course design is rooted in the same solid principles of face-to-face teaching, but requires additional considerations. 1 Set out goals for the course: At the end of the course, I want my students to be able to... 2 Set skills goals such as working in groups, developing quantitative skills, or improve writing skills 3 Choose content to achieve overarching goals 4 Develop a course plan
Set up the course so that you create a community. This includes the use of discussions, blogs, teamwork, and opportunities to share personal narratives and photos.
USGS Online Lecture Collection This database is a compilation of selected videotaped lectures made at the USGS. All of these lectures are suitable for viewing by the general public and upper level students (grades 8 through university). The videos are in MP4 format and are typically 60-90 minutes long. Also see USGS YouTube Channel, containing a variety of videos from the USGS.
Traditional lecturing is replaced by a variety of multimedia communication tools. The default mode of communicating course content, the lecture, is generally absent or minimal in an online course. Think of this as liberating rather than constraining, as there are many means to deliver content.
Set skills goals such as working in groups, developing quantitative skills, or improve writing skills
Teaching College Courses Online vs Face-to-Face by Glenn Gordon Smith, David L. Ferguson, and Aldegonda Caris , from the April 1 2001 issue of THE Journal.
Written instructions can be supplemented with video instructions and backed up by quick assessments like a syllabus quiz.
Other ideas to consider in your course design include: an events calendar page, social media sharing buttons, and any other material design inspiration you’ve gathered from the web.
Course Content Area – this is the section where you’ll add your text, videos, and images for your online courses. If set alongside a course menu sidebar (as in the example below), this course area will take up approximately 2/3 – 3/4 of the page width.
This must be done manually, by editing each page, switching to the Divi Builder, and clicking on the “Load from Library” option.
The Template design should also consider content organization, and whether a user will be able to focus on the course material presented to them. Finally, the Template design for your learning management system should also ensure progress tools (like progress tracking bars or checklists) are prominently displayed on the page, so that they can successfully help to motivate course students.
Footer Area – this is usually a site-wide region and includes your copyright information and links to important pages.
The Main Navigation Menu – this is usually located prominently at the top of the website, giving users quick access to the main pages.
It’s a fairly straightforward process that allows you to create your own look and feel for your online course without having to mess with a lot of custom code.
Online course design requires a wide range of skills and tools and managing both the design and the technical aspects of the course.
One way to do this is to make sure courses are “universally designed.”. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is built on the idea that all learning experiences should be purposefully constructed to be “barrier free” and accessible by providing multiple and flexible methods of the following elements:
A mix of media (text, video, audio, graphics) is typically more effective than using only one type because the variety can help keep students more engaged. 3. Choose Appropriate Learning Tasks. It is important to think through what students will do in your online course.
After years – even decades – of teaching onsite, many instructors are able to teach a traditional, classroom-based course without having laid out the entire course in advance. This approach doesn’t work well in the online classroom, however, as online course delivery requires more fully developing the course ahead of time. Thus, when teaching online, the process of course design is essential. Online course design requires a wide range of skills and tools and managing both the design and the technical aspects of the course.
Most of us are familiar with the idea of developing course goals and objectives; after all, we usually have to include course level goals and objectives in every syllabus we create. But not all of us are as familiar with developing goals for specific learning modules. When we teach online, developing, and then displaying more targeted micro-goals ...