what makes a good online course research

What Makes A Good Online Course

• Play to your strengths. If your strength is that you are a dynamic lecturer, then plan full-body videos with multiple...
• Take Advantage of LSA Resources. Both LSA and UofM as a whole have teams whose expertise is in how to craft effective...
• Communicate Clearly. Communicating expectations clearly to students is a vital part of an online...

Full Answer

What makes an online course successful?

A good learning environment may be a great attribute to the success of an online course. It is not only about creating a positive class atmosphere for students to feel engaged and motivated. An ideal course setting should encourage the instructor-learner connection and present a sense of support and communication.

What makes a good learning environment for online courses?

It is not only about creating a positive class atmosphere for students to feel engaged and motivated. An ideal course setting should encourage the instructor-learner connection and present a sense of support and communication. This article will give you some basics ideas on what makes a good learning environment for online courses.

What makes a good online course instructor?

Instructors need to create a safe environment where students are accepted and supported. The higher learners feel comfortable and engaged in online courses, the better they could perform.

What makes the best online classes?

Sense of Community. The best online classes are created with community in mind. Students are welcomed into the course and feel free to interact with the instructor and their peers in a friendly atmosphere.

What are the qualities of a good online course?

A good online course is engaging and challenging. It invites students to participate, motivates them to contribute and captures their interest and attention. It capitalizes on the joy of learning and challenges students to enhance their skills, abilities and knowledge. A good online course is cognitively challenging.

What are the 5 tips to be successful in online learning?

5 Tips to Succeed in Online LearningDevelop a Schedule. Commit to making your online coursework part of your weekly routine. ... Set Specific Goals. Create daily goals and set reminders for yourself to complete tasks within specific windows of time.Get Connected. ... Create a Designated Study Space. ... Stay healthy.

How can I make an online course more effective?

Tips for Taking Online ClassesTreat an online course like a “real” course. ... Hold yourself accountable. ... Practice time management. ... Create a regular study space and stay organized. ... Eliminate distractions. ... Figure Out How You Learn Best. ... Actively participate. ... Leverage your network.

What makes online classes more interesting or attractive?

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.

What can you offer students to help them complete their lessons?

As students are moving through your course material, you can offer tips and tricks that help them complete their lessons and assignments. These can be especially useful for courses of an intimidating subject or courses that are content heavy.

Why is it important to pace your content?

You want to pace your content so that your students are neither overloaded nor stagnant when learning. Pacing is subjective though, so it’s important to get your student’s feedback on what pace is comfortable with them. Two of the more popular content pacing methods are drip scheduling and self-pacing.

Why is it important to have students interact?

Having students interact encourages them to learn from one another and gives them a chance to articulate course content in their own words. Talking to other students can also motivate them to complete their lessons and coursework.

How to foster student discussion?

You can foster student discussion by simply implementing a commenting system. Students and instructors can comment their thoughts and others can like and even reply. You can also create a messageboard where students and instructors can quote and reference previous comments.

Why are goals important?

Goals provide direction and give students something to work towards. Oftentimes, goals are used to unlock new course content. Goals also help reinforce the material a student has just learned.

Should content be laid out in an optimal manner?

Every part of your content should be laid out in an optimal manner. Students should not be overwhelmed by content, and your content layout should not distract their focus from learning. Here are some things to consider when laying out your content:

What makes an online course good?

A good online course is engaging and challenging. It invites students to participate, motivates them to contribute and captures their interest and attention. It capitalizes on the joy of learning and challenges students to enhance their skills, abilities and knowledge. A good online course is cognitively challenging.

Why is online learning important?

A good online course promotes student agency. It gives students autonomy to enable opportunities for relevant and meaningful learning. Such a course redistributes power - to the extent that is possible - in the classroom. Again, this may take many forms in the online classroom.

What does "online course" mean?

It means audiovisual materials that don’t stereotype, shame or degrade people. It may mean that open educational resources are prioritized over expensive textbooks. A good online course is interactive. Courses are much more than placeholders for students to access information.

What are the problems with media comparison studies?

The problems with media comparison studies — that is, those that compare outcomes between one medium, such as face-to-face, to another medium, such as online — are such that many researchers advocate against them. How can students who enrol in online courses in the fall know they are receiving a good educational ...

What is an econometrics class?

In an econometrics class, they might examine relationships between different variables, explain the meaning of their findings and then be asked to apply those methods in novel situations. A good online course is effective.

What is accounting course?

In an accounting course, students could analyze the financial statements of a company they’re interested in rather than one selected by the instructor. Such flexibility not only accommodates students’ backgrounds and interests, it provides space for students to make the course their own.

What is creative writing class?

In a creative writing class, students may write a short story, receive feedback, revise it and then write a different story. In a computer programming class, they may write a block of code, test it and then use it in a larger program that they wrote.

What are the best videos to include in an online course?

Here are seven videos to include in any online course: 1. Intro video. 2. Course navigation video. 3. New week, topic, or unit video. 4.

Is low regional unemployment good?

Young, dual-enrolled demographic. Low regional unemployment is a good thing overall; however, in this region, it can present a challenge for community colleges. As the price of oil goes up, enrollment tends to go down since there are plentiful, high-paying jobs in the oil fields.

How to spark communication in a community?

The final way to spark communication in a community is to do Q&A calls. This is just where you basically might do a YouTube live and have something like a Chatwing setup, and you get people to jump in and ask questions.

What is the third tip in a course?

Okay, so number three, the third tip here is to have a place where people can communicate, and more importantly, create a community within your course. I think the community is one of the reasons people stay in your course.

Why is it important to research online?

Prospective students have many online learning options to compare; therefore, it can be helpful to research what the schools you' re considering do to develop their online programs and support online students.

What are the qualities of an effective online course?

Most quality standards for online courses consist of similar components. Standards include learning objectives, course activities, and student and teacher interaction . Student perceptions of online class quality are key to designing an effective course. Those looking to enroll in online programs should ...

What are the best ways to improve student satisfaction online?

Communication and interaction are critical to student satisfaction in an online environment and can happen in many ways. Active learning strategies, such as simulations, case studies, concept mapping, and problem-solving, encourage engagement and understanding of the subject matter.

What can you expect to learn in an online course?

What can you expect to learn in an online course? Objectives are usually listed in several places, including the class syllabus, and state what you should know or be able to do as a result of successfully completing the course. Learning objectives are typically developed for both individual courses and full programs.

What is the biggest concern for students considering online learning over campus-based programs?

Even before the pandemic, BestColleges' online education trends study found that the "quality of instruction and academic support" was the biggest concern for students considering online learning over campus-based programs. According to BestColleges data, the “quality of instruction and academic support ” is the biggest concern for students ...

Why do programs need continuous review and revision?

Good programs have plans for continuous review and revision to make sure all aspects of its courses are up to date, from technology and interactions to materials and assessments. These reviews and revisions should include feedback from faculty and students alike.

What is curated content?

A curated collection of materials and activities — sometimes called "course content" — supports your path to learning. This collection can vary widely from class to class and usually depends on the course's level and subject matter. The materials and activities in an online science lab course, for example, will differ greatly from those in a literature course.

What is an effective online course?

Effective online courses are well designed so that teaching and learning is organized in the most effective and engaging manner possible. In an online learning situation, the student’s learning experience is almost entirely mediated through some form of technology; therefore, the design of the teaching and learning experience is especially critical.

Why is a mix of media more effective than reliance on one type of media?

A mix of media is more effective than the reliance on one type of media because it satisfies the many types of learning preferences that one person may embody or that a class embodies. Particularly in print- and web-based professional development courses which are primarily text heavy, the use of still and moving visual media can help learners who are poor readers better understand content.

What is the purpose of learning interaction?

Learner interaction with an object or person in a way that allows learners to improve their knowledge and skills in a particular domain. Multiple communications between learners around an object of study, a tool, or an experience. Learner control and program adaptation based on learner input.

What is adult learning?

Research on adult learning demonstrates that adult learners share common characteristics and beliefs that can be integrated into any learning experience. Adult learners: Need to be treated with respect and recognition and their professional experiences integrated into workshops and discussions.

What is flexible course design?

Flexibly designed courses favor “ill structured” activities over well-structured ones; interactivity over passivity; inductive over deductive instruction; and activity over text and lecture. Such course design supports both the individual and group’s learning and promotes applied approaches to learning.

What is the purpose of content, activities, and experiences?

They should be highly interactive and allow for a range of levels of learning, learner entry points, and experiences. Information should be “chunked” and moves sequentially from simple to complex; concrete to abstract and general to specific, in clear, concise text.

Is online education a distance learning?

One of the most common misconceptions in online education is that face-to-face curriculum can be transferred wholesale to a distance education format. Rather, online courses must be designed “flexibly” and specifically for an online medium. Flexible design proposes that content be organized in flexible formats, used in a variety of activities and accessible through a variety of technologies to allow for customized learning experiences. Some of its key components are:

Why is an introduction video important?

The intro not only explains the prospects and objectives of the course but also enhances the connection between lecturers and learners. A warm welcoming video represents the personality of the instructor much better than a few bullet points. It makes them more relatable and creates a friendly and positive atmosphere.

What does "elearning" mean in education?

Conclusion. Students have new access to education with eLearning, which means full control of what, when and how they study a particular subject. However, this causes the severe lack of instructor and peer connection, which may result in isolation and demotivation.

Why do students ask questions?

Questions are crucial to online learning. There are various reasons why students ask questions: 1 Their interest in the topic 2 Motivation to learn deeper 3 Difficulties in understanding a particular detail

Is gamification easy to do?

On the other hand, gamified eLearning sounds like a complicated concept. However, it is not difficult to make online learning interactive. A lot of LMS stepped up their games by providing easy interactions for educators. For example, Storyline allows instructional designers to build their courses with drag-and-drop games. These simple games are a nice addition, they encourage students to participate actively in the program.