Avoiding Shovelware

Innovative Strategies toward Improving Online Course Quality Instructional Designer, Susan J. Clark, PhD Designing for Quality

What is Quality?

Factors Affecting Course Quality Course design QM REVIEWS THIS Course delivery (i.e. teaching, faculty performance, online facilitation) Course content Course management system Institutional infrastructure Faculty training and readiness Student engagement and readiness

Course design QM REVIEWS THIS

Course delivery (i.e. teaching, faculty performance, online facilitation)

Course content

Course management system

Institutional infrastructure

Faculty training and readiness

Student engagement and readiness

Definition Instructional Design is --a planning process for the development of instructional specifications using learning theory and best practices to ensure the quality of instructional materials and activities to meet learning needs.

Instructional Design is

--a planning process for the development of instructional specifications using learning theory and best practices to ensure the quality of instructional materials and activities to meet learning needs.

Biggest factor in design quality

Typical Time Allotment Activity Time Meet with the Instructional Designer to plan the design of the course or project and to discuss training needs. 2 hrs Develop course objectives, syllabus, and introduction 5 hrs Locate and obtain permission to use resources 5 hrs Plan media production 1 hr Develop content 8 hrs Create Course Shell 1 hr Assemble and organize content into CMS 4 hrs Test course 2 hrs Revise as needed. 2 hrs Additional Activities 0 Total 30 hrs

Strategies Ways to promote quality in online courses : Dispel eLearning myths. Determine faculty-developer needs. Promote application of quality standards. Emphasize alignment, engagement, and accessibility. Support online facilitation.

Ways to promote quality in online courses :

Dispel eLearning myths.

Determine faculty-developer needs.

Promote application of quality standards.

Emphasize alignment, engagement, and accessibility.

Support online facilitation.

Dispel Myths Myth 4: eLearning is quick and easy How is developing eLearning while delivering eLearning like the video clip ?

How is developing eLearning while delivering eLearning like the video clip ?

Determine Needs Training Quality Matters (BYOC, IYOC, etc.) CMS use Applications & Tools Pedagogical Objective writing Syllabus construction Test construction, etc.

Training

Quality Matters (BYOC, IYOC, etc.)

CMS use

Applications & Tools

Pedagogical

Objective writing

Syllabus construction

Test construction, etc.

Apply Standards (QM) Alignment Engagement Accessibility

Alignment

Engagement

Accessibility

How do you design for alignment?

Alignment Exercise Write one objective. List an interaction and activity. List the corresponding resources, materials, and technology or media to be used. List one way the objective can be assessed

Write one objective.

List an interaction and activity.

List the corresponding resources, materials, and technology or media to be used.

List one way the objective can be assessed

Alignment Worksheet Example http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dggvhhw6_80g6n54chk Learning Objectives Learning Activities Assessment Materials Media Where are students going? What will the students do to get there? How will you know when they get there? What will help the students get there?

Design for Learner Engagement

How can we plan for learner engagement? “ Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ---Benjamin Franklin

“ Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

---Benjamin Franklin

SmartPen™ Example

Pencast example of John Sweet’s learning object http://tinyurl.com/JSlearningobject1

example of John Sweet’s learning object

http://tinyurl.com/JSlearningobject1

Design for Accessibility (Universal Usability) Universal Design is the "design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design" (Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University). Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) is the application of this construct to college teaching.

Readability Example

Rules of Thumb

Use contrast.

Use Chunking Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxx xxxxxx

xxx xxxxxx

xxx xxxxxx xxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Use a clean font style. This is plain text.

Use a scalable font size. Use scalable font size. Use scalable font size. Use scalable font size. Use scalable font size.

Use scalable font size.

Use scalable font size.

Use scalable font size.

Use scalable font size.

Make your links look like links. Online Biology Book Vischeck shows you how your website looks to people with color blindness. YouTube video on Web Site Accessibility.

Online Biology Book

Vischeck shows you how your website looks to people with color blindness.

YouTube video on Web Site Accessibility.

Use white space.

Use alt tags. <img src=&quot;filename.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Alternative description goes here&quot; >

No-no’s

Facilitate Online Instruction Managerial Tasks Pedagogical Tasks Social Tasks Technical Tasks http://www.humboldt.edu/~aof/AssessingOnlineFacilitationInstrument.pdf

Managerial Tasks

Pedagogical Tasks

Social Tasks

Technical Tasks

Innovative Strategies toward Improving Online Course Quality Learning Technologies Facilitator Beth Hale Reviewing for Course Readiness

Chemeketa’s New Course Development Process Step 1: Initial Consultation Meeting Scheduled with the faculty Tech Hub contact to discuss the development phase, Quality Matters rubric, an overview of the eLearn system, course design, online teaching methods, Tech Hub training and support options, and to schedule future review dates.

Step 1: Initial Consultation Meeting

Scheduled with the faculty Tech Hub contact to discuss the development phase, Quality Matters rubric, an overview of the eLearn system, course design, online teaching methods, Tech Hub training and support options, and to schedule future review dates.

Chemeketa’s New Course Development Process Step 2: Media Consultation Meeting Consultation with the media specialist as needed for multimedia projects such as video, audio, Adobe Presenter, PowerPoint , Web 2.0 tools, and other methods of incorporating media into online courses.

Step 2: Media Consultation Meeting

Consultation with the media specialist as needed for multimedia projects such as video, audio, Adobe Presenter, PowerPoint , Web 2.0 tools, and other methods of incorporating media into online courses.

Chemeketa’s New Course Development Process Step 3: New Online Instructor Training Recommended for all new online instructors, and required for faculty receiving curriculum development funding. The eLearn Institute is our comprehensive new instructor training course, and is offered winter and summer terms. Individualized training may be arranged with the Tech Hub.

Step 3: New Online Instructor Training

Recommended for all new online instructors, and required for faculty receiving curriculum development funding. The eLearn Institute is our comprehensive new instructor training course, and is offered winter and summer terms. Individualized training may be arranged with the Tech Hub.

Chemeketa’s New Course Development Process Step 4: Final Course Readiness Review Course is reviewed before the term begins with the Course Readiness Review checklist . A final consultation meeting for faculty and their tech hub contact to discuss the final review and other start-of-term information.

Step 4: Final Course Readiness Review

Course is reviewed before the term begins with the Course Readiness Review checklist . A final consultation meeting for faculty and their tech hub contact to discuss the final review and other start-of-term information.

SECTION #1 :: COURSE ORIENTATION & DESIGN The overall design of the course, navigational information, as well as course, instructor and student information are made transparent to the student at the beginning of the course Criteria Y / N Comments

SECTION #2 :: COMMUNICATION The effective design of instructor-learner interaction, meaningful learner cooperation, and learner-content interaction is essential to learner motivation, intellectual commitment and personal development. Criteria Y / N Comments

SECTION #3 :: ASSESSMENT Assessment strategies use established ways to measure effective learning, assess learner progress by reference to stated learning objectives, and are designed as essential to the learning process. Criteria Y / N Comments

SECTION #4 :: CONTENT PRESENTATION Instructional materials are designed to be sufficiently comprehensive to achieve announced objectives and learning outcomes and are prepared by qualified persons competent in their fields (Materials, other than standard textbooks produced by recognized publishers, are prepared by the instructor or distance educators skilled in preparing materials for distance learning.) Criteria Y / N Comments

Innovative Strategies toward Improving Online Course Quality Instructional Computing Facilitator Greg Kaminski PCC- The Journey

Portland Community College 90,000 students Roughly 22,000 FTE 4 main campuses 15 - 20% of college enrollment online 400 - 450 course sections / term 25 - 30 new or revised courses / term 2 designers – initial process 4 Instructional Technology Specialists to assist

90,000 students

Roughly 22,000 FTE

4 main campuses

15 - 20% of college enrollment online

400 - 450 course sections / term

25 - 30 new or revised courses / term

2 designers – initial process

4 Instructional Technology Specialists to assist

Addressing Course Quality Issues New instructor training (online + f2f) “ Online Faculty Mentor” program Best Practices sharing sessions More interactive technology to address different learning styles

New instructor training (online + f2f)

“ Online Faculty Mentor” program

Best Practices sharing sessions

More interactive technology to address different learning styles

Course Quality Assessment Prior to 2005: course design checklist Sp 2005: Simplified version of Quality Matters Designer recommends / Dean approves Winter 2007: Quality Matters at “70% level”

Prior to 2005: course design checklist

Sp 2005: Simplified version of Quality Matters

Designer recommends / Dean approves

Winter 2007: Quality Matters at “70% level”

Results of Review Process Improved course quality, with issues: Huge time commitment for 2 people Difficult to hire a 3rd Large number of old courses never reviewed Limited SME scope

Improved course quality, with issues:

Huge time commitment for 2 people

Difficult to hire a 3rd

Large number of old courses never reviewed

Limited SME scope

Online Faculty Mentor Inspired by “Online Faculty Lead” approach at Front Range Community College, CO 14 online lead faculty cover the disciplines Assist with getting faculty trained, course assignments, course reviews, student advising, development of standards

Inspired by “Online Faculty Lead” approach at Front Range Community College, CO

14 online lead faculty cover the disciplines

Assist with getting faculty trained, course assignments, course reviews, student advising, development of standards

PCC Online Faculty Mentor Pilot “ Online mentor” vs. “Online lead” FT / PT Implied power 6 mentors: cover many disciplines (not enough yet) Responsibilities: Mentor new faculty in related disciplines Course shell selection (takeover course) Course reviews Input on training process Assist with development of standards Compensation: Hourly project rate

“ Online mentor” vs. “Online lead”

FT / PT

Implied power

6 mentors: cover many disciplines (not enough yet)

Responsibilities:

Mentor new faculty in related disciplines

Course shell selection (takeover course)

Course reviews

Input on training process

Assist with development of standards

Compensation: Hourly project rate

Results Promising so far: Saving time SME appeal Issues: They don’t always have time Time for follow-up mentoring Many “old” course shells to get to know Getting quick access to shells FT / PT

Promising so far:

Saving time

SME appeal

Issues:

They don’t always have time

Time for follow-up mentoring

Many “old” course shells to get to know

Getting quick access to shells

FT / PT

On the Horizon More in-depth mentoring during 1 st term Ways to insure quality of “old” courses Movement toward “core course shells” created by unified team of instructors (with input of the mentor) Process for looking at “delivery” of course in addition to design ( Observation tool ) likely dept. chair instead of mentor

More in-depth mentoring during 1 st term

Ways to insure quality of “old” courses

Movement toward “core course shells” created by unified team of instructors (with input of the mentor)

Process for looking at “delivery” of course in addition to design ( Observation tool ) likely dept. chair instead of mentor

Best Practices Sharing Sessions Virtual sessions for instructors to share Elluminate (recorded) Themes Promoting interaction & community Group projects Retention Time management Assessment methods Publisher resources Graphics & multimedia use

Virtual sessions for instructors to share

Elluminate (recorded)

Themes

Promoting interaction & community

Group projects

Retention

Time management

Assessment methods

Publisher resources

Graphics & multimedia use

Avoiding shovelware Direct use of PowerPoint designed for classroom lectures (ineffective online) Add voice through Camtasia Trained by Instructional Support Specialists Time consuming process, but worthwhile for subject that doesn’t change often, e.g. Art History Elluminate for synchronous interaction Wimba Voice Tools for voice introductions, discussions

Direct use of PowerPoint designed for classroom lectures (ineffective online)

Add voice through Camtasia

Trained by Instructional Support Specialists

Time consuming process, but worthwhile for subject that doesn’t change often, e.g. Art History

Elluminate for synchronous interaction

Wimba Voice Tools for voice introductions, discussions

Questions

Have Fun!

Slideshow URL