“Designing Quality Online Courses: More Work Than You Think”

Presentation Website

Crystal Rust
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
San Diego Miramar College

Brief Description:
Since I have been taking courses through UCSD in their Certificate in Teaching Online Program, several things have been a common thread through each of my courses. Each course starts out with how important it is to write clear student learning objectives using Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide. These objectives should be stated inside a well written detailed syllabus, as well as, in the different learning modules that divide up the course material. Syllabi should also contain clear grading criteria. Instructors should also include grading rubrics if not in their syllabus, the rubrics should accompany each assignment given or within the different learning modules’ section.

The design of the course must be easy to navigate and be consistent. I have broken my courses up into exam modules. Each module contains: lecture materials, assignments, discussion boards and exams. I have set each exam module up in the same manner, so that my students become accustomed to the course design. This way, the student can easily navigate the course content.

A well-designed online course is not just a face to face course stuck on the Internet. Online courses take time, planning and advantage of the Internet and technology. I have my students doing web searches on topics and sharing them with each other in the discussion boards. I have them working out and researching real world applications of the techniques they are studying. I use concept mapping and power point presentations as assessment tools. With so much available on the Internet and technology, addressing different learning styles is more achievable in online classes than in traditional classrooms.

Lastly, online courses should never be recycled over without improvements or new developments. Courses and instructors should continually evolve. An online instructor should evolve from being the knowledge expert to a knowledge facilitator.

What three specific things will attendees learn from your session?

• Quality Online courses start with well-defined student learning objectives included in a well written detailed syllabus.
• Quality online courses are easy to navigate with a consistent format.
• Quality online courses take advantage of the endless possibilities of the Internet to engage students, address different learning styles, and write innovative assessment tools. The course and instructor should continue to evolve and change.