From onsite to online learning contexts

From Onsite to Online
Learning Contexts:
Pedagogical and Practical Insights
into Online Course Design

Dr. Anandi Nagarajan
GSE, Rutgers University
November 27, 2012

Background
• Teaching
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Psychology of Learning
Problem-based Learning
Program Evaluation
Developmental Educational Psychology

• Research focus
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Use of video-cases as a learning context
Computer-supported collaborative learning
PBL online and facilitation in e-learning contexts
Cost-effectiveness and evaluation of online learning environments (Mellon
foundation grant)
▫ Leaning in a simulated laboratory

• Current Interests

▫ Developing pedagogically effective and practically efficient online courses
▫ Incorporating and facilitating collaborative dialogue and in both hybrid and
online courses by creating a cognitive, social and teaching presence in an
online course.
▫ Exploring and evaluating multiple options to bring some synchronous video
chat features to my current online courses.

QUALITY ONtheLINE
• The Institute for Higher Education Policy reviewed
existing benchmarks for distance education in 2000
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Institutional support
Course development
Teaching/learning
Course structure
Student support
Faculty support
Evaluation and Assessment

• Surveys, debates, and research has since brought
new ideas and instructional design models to the
forefront

Going the Distance
Online Education in the United States, 2011
Babson Survey Research Group

Recent Survey Research (2011)
based on responses from 2500 universities and colleges

• Over 6.1 million students were taking at least one online course
during the fall 2010 term; an increase of 560,000 students over the
number reported the previous year.
• The 10% growth rate for online enrollments far exceeds the less than
1% growth of the overall higher education student population.
• 31% of all higher education students now take at least one course
online.
• In the first report of this series in 2003, 57%of academic leaders
rated the learning outcomes in online education as the same or
superior to those in face-to-face. That number is now 67%, a small
but noteworthy increase.
• 1/3rd of all academic leaders continue to believe that the learning
outcomes for online education are inferior to those of face-to-face
instruction.

Challenges facing online learning
• SRI International reported:

▫ Found that blended learning conditions resulted in slightly higher outcome measures
than face to face. Differences between purely online versus face-to-face could not be
computed due to few number of studies.
▫ So basically, the face-to-face component in a hybrid course may add an advantage
and one has to consider how to incorporate that into a purely online course.
▫ Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning
studies, 2010

• Issues with accreditation of online courses and programs
▫ Chronicle of Higher Education

• Competition from MOOCs (massive open online courses) that are offered free

▫ National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (IIT, India), OpenCourseware
(MIT), Coursera, Khan Academy …

• Clearly a need exists to look into improved online course design models that
address:

▫ instructional quality, appropriate level of content, efficient & contextappropriate pedagogical/communication methods, and effective assessment
procedures

Some questions we need to address
• How do we design online courses that enhance student
learning, are efficient, and cost-effective?
• What are some best practices for planning,
implementing, and evaluating an online course?
• What are some ways to incorporate both synchronous
and asynchronous modes of communication?
• What are effective means of formative and summative
assessment and feedback?

Plan for today’s talk
• My personal journey from onsite to online
• Exemplary online course design models and
rubrics for evaluation
• A look at my e-courses
• Considerations for the online masters program
at Rutgers
• Quality, Sustainability & Cost-effectiveness

From on-site to online

Virginia Commonwealth University
Center for Teaching Excellence, 2009

On-Site to Hybrid to Online
• Mostly intuition versus following a model design
• Experience with socio-constructivist methods and online
learning
▫ PBL
▫ CSCL
• A direct-mapping approach with some tweaking where
appropriate
• Areas for consideration
▫ Course structure and content
▫ Course materials
▫ Instructional methods
▫ Time commitment
▫ Group work and collaboration contexts
▫ Assessment and feedback

On-site to Online
• Some relatively easy transitions
▫ Course structure, reading assignments, lecture slides,
individual case analysis and assignments

• Some challenges faced
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Collaborative discussion on readings
Problem-based learning scenarios
Individual versus group accountability online
Assessment of participation and engagement
Feedback practices – frequency, content, and depth
Written versus verbal medium

* important to note these as potential issues faced by new instructors

Insights
• Transition is more than a cut and paste approach
• Requires additional sets of skills
• Needs advanced planning and time allocation for the
different tasks
▫ Deciding course structure and content,
▫ Providing additional resources and modes of
communication as needed,
▫ Initiating, sustaining and facilitating discussion,
▫ Providing feedback on all aspects of participation and
assignments, and
▫ Learning technical skills needed to support the
instructional goals and affordances of e-college.
TPCK

TPCK:
Essential skills for a successful online course
Technical skills on
developing tools and
course content in an
online context

Ideas and techniques
on how to teach the
content

A combination of
content, pedagogical,
and technological
knowledge and skills

Knowledge about
the subject/domain

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A new
framework for teacher knowledge . Teachers College Record 108 (6), 1017-1054.

Some Examples:
•Idaho State University
•Northern Illinois University
•Oklahoma State University
•Pace University
•University of Central Florida

ADDIE model of instructional design
Analyze
Design
Develop
Implement
Pre-planning;
Design your course Develop course
Begin teaching
thinking about the on paper
materials &
course
assemble the course
•Audience
•Goal
•Objectives
•Identify content
•Identify delivery
and environment.
•Instructional
strategies
•Assessment
strategies
•Formative
evaluation
•Constraints

•Name the learning
units of Instruction
•Identify content and
strategies for an
individual unit of
instruction
•Write instructions
for the learning unit
•Name the menu
items for a learning
module
•Consider different
assessments

•Based on design
phase
•Build content,
assignments,
assessments
•Build course
structure
•Upload content

•Overview of
course
•Expectations
•Initiate
instruction
•Interaction
•Ask for
feedback early
on (formative
evaluation)

Evaluate
Look at the course
outcomes with a
critical eye
•Did the students
achieve expected
learning
outcomes?
•What have you
learned?
•How can you
make the course
better?

Important to align ANALYZE and EVALUATE aspects with the
department and school goals

Self-evaluation
• Some Exemplary Online Course Design
Models and Resources
California State University, Chico
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Illinois, Illinois Online Network
University of Southern Mississippi, Learning
Enhancement Center
 Quality Matters, Maryland Online
 Michigan State University
 Stanford Research Institute
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Rubric for Online Learning
• Developed by California State University
• 6 parameters
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Learner Support & Resources
Online Organization & Design
Instructional Design & Delivery
Assessment & Evaluation of Student
Innovative Teaching with Technology
Faculty Use of Student Feedback

Learner Support & Resources
Baseline
A.Course contains limited
information for online learner
support and links to campus
resources.

Effective
A.Course contains some
information for online learner
support and links to campus
resources.

Exemplary
A.Course contains extensive
information about being an
online learner and links to
campus resources.

B.Course provides limited
course-specific resources,
limited contact information for
instructor, department and/or
program.

B.Course provides some
some contact information for
instructor, department and
program.

B.Course provides a variety of
contact information for
instructor, department and
program.

C.Course offers access to a
limited number of resources
supporting course content.

C.Course offers access to
some resources supporting
course content.

C.Course offers access to a
wide range of resources
supporting course content.

Online Organization & Design

Baseline
A.Much of the course is under
construction, with some key
components identified such as
the syllabus.

Effective
A.Course is organized and
navigable. Students can
understand the components
and structure of the course.

Exemplary
A.Course is well-organized and
easy to navigate. Students can
understand all components and
structure of the course.

B.Course syllabus is unclear
about what is expected of
students.

B.Course syllabus identifies
and delineates the role the
online environment will play in
the course.

B.Course syllabus identifies and
clearly delineates the role the
online environment will play in
the total course.

C.Aesthetic design does not
present and communicate
course information clearly.

C.Aesthetic design presents
and communicates course
information clearly.

C.Aesthetic design presents and
communicates course
information clearly .

D.Web pages are inconsistent D.Most web pages are visually D.All web pages are visually and
both visually and functionally. and functionally consistent.
functionally consistent .
E.Accessibility issues are not E.Accessibility issues are
addressed.
briefly addressed.

E.Accessibility issues are
addressed throughout

Instructional Design & Delivery
Baseline
Effective
A.Course offers limited opportunity A.Course offers some
for interaction and communication opportunities for interaction &
S-S, S-I, S-C.
communication S-S, S-I, S-C.

Exemplary
A.Course offers ample opportunities for
interaction and communication S-S, S-I,
S-C.

B.Course goals are not clearly
B.Course goals are defined but
defined and do not align to learning may not align to learning
objectives.
objectives.

B.Course goals are clearly defined and
aligned to learning objectives.

C.Learning objectives are vague or
incomplete and learning activities
are absent or unclear.

C.Learning objectives are identified and
learning activities are clearly integrated.

D.Course provides few visual,
textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory
activities to enhance student
learning.
E.Course provides limited or no
activities to help students develop
critical thinking and/or problem
solving skills

C.Learning objectives are
identified and learning activities
are implied.

D.Course provides multiple visual,
D.Course provides some visual,
textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory
textual, kinesthetic and/or auditory activities to enhance student learning.
activities to enhance student
learning.
E.Course provides multiple activities
that help students develop critical
E.Course provides some activities thinking and /or problem-solving skills.
to help students develop critical
thinking and/ or problem-solving
skills.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning
Baseline
A.Course has limited activities
to assess student readiness for
course content and mode of
delivery.

Effective
A.Course has some activities to
assess student readiness for
course content and mode of
delivery.

Exemplary
A.Course has multiple timely and
appropriate activities to assess
student readiness for course
content and mode of delivery.

B.Learning objectives,
instructional and assessment
activities are not aligned.

instructional and assessment instructional and assessment
activities are somewhat aligned. activities are closely aligned.

C.Assessment strategies are
C.Ongoing strategies are used C.Ongoing multiple assessment
used to measure content
to measure content knowledge, strategies are used to measure
knowledge, attitudes and skills. attitudes and skills.
knowledge, attitudes and skills.

D.Feedback about own
performance is infrequent and
sporadic.

D.Feedback about performance D.Regular feedback about
is provided.
student performance is provided
in a timely manner.
E.Students' self-assessments
E.Students' self-assessments and peer feedback opportunities E.Students' self-assessments
and/peer feedback opportunities exist.
and peer feedback opportunities
are limited or do not exist.
exist throughout the course.

Innovative Teaching with Technology
Baseline
Effective
A.Course uses limited
A.Course uses some
technology tools to facilitate technology tools to
communication and learning. facilitate communication and
learning.

Exemplary
A.Course uses a variety of
technology tools to appropriately
facilitate communication and
learning.

B.New teaching methods are B.New teaching methods are
applied to enhance student applied to innovatively
learning.
enhance student learning.

B.New teaching methods are
applied and innovatively enhance
learning, and engage students.

C.Multimedia elements
and/or learning objects are
limited or non-existent.

C.Multimedia elements and/or
learning objects are used and
are relevant to student
learning.

C.A variety of multimedia elements
and/or learning objects are used
and are relevant to student
learning throughout the course.

D.Course uses Internet
access and engages
students in the learning
process.

D.Course optimizes Internet
access and effectively
engages students in the
learning process.

D.Course optimizes Internet
access and effectively engages
students in the learning process in
a variety of ways throughout the
course.

Faculty Use of Student Feedback
Baseline
A.Instructor offers limited
opportunity for students to
give feedback to faculty on
course content.

Effective
A.Instructor offers some
opportunities for students to
give feedback on course
content.

Exemplary
A.Instructor offers multiple
give feedback on course
content.

B.Instructor offers limited
opportunity for students to
give feedback on ease of
online technology in course.

B.Instructor offers some
give feedback on ease of
online technology in course.

B.Instructor offers multiple
give feedback on ease of online
technology in course.

C.Instructor uses student
feedback at the end of the
semester to help plan
instruction and assessment of
student learning for the next
semester.

C.Instructor requests and uses C.Instructor uses formal and
student feedback a couple
informal student feedback on an
times during the semester to ongoing basis to help plan
help plan instruction and
instruction and assessment of
assessment of student learning student learning throughout the
for the rest of the semester.
semester.

Needs assessment and self-evaluation
• Other Exemplary Online Course Design Models
 University of Illinois, Illinois Online Network
 University of Southern Mississippi, Learning
Enhancement Center
 Quality Matters, Maryland Online
 Michigan State University

• Other Resources
 Virginia Commonwealth University
 Stanford Research Institute

A closer look at my teaching
• Learning Contexts
▫ Face-to-face, Web-supported, Hybrid or blended,
Completely online

• Learning Portals
▫ Ecollege @ Rutgers
 Psychology of Learning

▫ Sakai @ Rutgers
 Problem-based Learning
 Program Evaluation (Fall’07, Fall’08)
 Psychology of Learning

▫ Blackboard @ Rider
 Developmental Educational Psychology
 Learning & Memory

E-college sample course 1- Spring 2010

Review the ecourse Spring 2010
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Whole-class discussion
Small-group case analysis
Reflections
Artifact analysis
PBL online
Individual versus group products
Doc-Sharing

Self-evaluation
Psychology of Learning – Spring 2010: 1 face to face meeting
What worked
• Communication with students via
email, phone, weekly reflections and
online discussion (private and wholeclass)
• Small-group and whole-class
interaction on asynchronous
discussion board
• Synchronous chat was attempted
• Facilitation of weekly discussions
shared among instructor and
students
• Multiple, frequent assessments
• Individual and group accountability

What needed change
• Course structured in themes was confusing
▫ Changed it to weekly modules
• Students were not natural facilitators
▫ Needed scaffolding and training on
asking effective questions
• Synchronous chat was not manageable
▫ Selectively picked fewer tools
• Redundant assignments were eliminated
• Too many written assignments
▫ Impacted contribution to the discussion
• Sample papers were uploaded to clarify
expectations
• Downloadable resources were added to
DocSharing.

E-college sample course 2- Spring 2011

Self-evaluation
Psychology of Learning – Spring 2011: Completely online
What worked

• Weekly modules improved course structure and student
understanding.
• Gradual access to course content made it manageable for students
• Orientation to facilitation and scaffolded training on asking effective
questions was helpful.
• Sample papers made expectations clear.
• Time management in facilitating online discussion and grading
• Bi-weekly email check with each student and a phone call as needed
added the personal interaction component.
• Personalizing assignments based on student background and
professional interest  increased engagement & motivation.

Continued efforts
Need to:

▫ Provide a visual model for the tasks and discussion cycle
during the week
▫ Evaluate level of participation and engagement
▫ Improve facilitation skills in students
▫ Incorporate some synchronous video chat – either
individually or small-group efficiently and effectively
▫ Combine textbook readings and journal articles
▫ Continue to locate resources and case studies that apply to
the diverse range of students in my courses
 Counseling, nursing, special education, dance

▫ Include some testing option that can assess conceptual
knowledge gained.
▫ (All my current assignments are open-ended and application-oriented)

Technological Resources
• OIRT Faculty training
▫ Workshops, seminars and one-on-one help

• Online tools
▫ http://oirt.rutgers.edu/instruc/tools/
▫ Elluminate documents for ecollege support
▫ http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OnlineTools/i
ndex.html

• 24/7 helpdesk and resource person at the
Department of Continuing Education, GSE

Online masters program
• Motivation to enroll in the program
▫ Convenience of online courses
▫ Access not constrained by geographical location
▫ Adds qualifications/degree for work-related promotions
and pay-raises especially amongst teachers
▫ Acts as a stepping stone towards the doctoral program

Considerations for the
Online Master’s Program at the GSE
• Recruitment

▫ Who are we looking to recruit?
▫ How do we go about doing it?
▫ What makes the online program appealing as opposed to all the MOOCs
that are available for free?

• Job prospects on completion
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Advancement in current placement
Increased teaching qualification
Entry-level research positions at ETS, Mathematica…
Preparation for doctoral work
Others?? Need to actively identify potential job prospects.

• Course offerings as listed in the LCD-Online brochure
▫ Are all courses being offered online?
▫ Frequency?

Important to consider these issues in developing the program

Other Critical Elements
• Learning, Instruction, & Design
▫ Quality of Course Design
▫ Consistency across Courses
▫ Faculty and Student Resources

• Bigger Picture
▫ Accreditation of Online Masters Program
▫ Sustainability
▫ Cost-effectiveness

Considerations for the
Online Master’s Program at the GSE
• Quality of Course Design
▫ Need for closer look at current practices
▫ Compare current practices with best practices and exemplary design
models

▫ Develop guidelines and a rubric for online course design to share with
instructors to ensure quality as accreditation of the online program is
essential to make it sustainable.
▫ Let the learning objectives lead the technology use rather than the
other way around
 For this to happen, we need to define department and program objectives
clearly and have instructors design and align their courses accordingly

Learning, Instruction & Design
• Online Course Design & Implementation Issues
▫ ADDIE: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate
▫ Align all courses to a common set of benchmarks/guidelines
▫ Certain degree of consistency across courses in terms of:
 Structure and organization
 Collaboration/communication practices,
 Optimal use of available tools,
 Frequent and pertinent feedback ,
 Rubrics/Sample work to set clear expectations,
 Multiple assessments

Learning, Instruction & Design
• Instructor Resources
▫ Benchmarks or rubrics that can serve as guide to course design
AND as an evaluation tool
▫ Instructor collaboration and idea sharing with respect to online
courses
 Teaching online can be an isolated experience and it is critical that we
provide a community/forum for idea generation, synergy, motivation,
and creativity

▫ Monthly or bi-weekly (virtual) meetings to share
ideas/issues/resources. Similar to a teachers’ forum.
▫ A course development day before the semester begins
▫ Customized faculty training workshops that address course
design issues – already available

Bigger picture
• Quality and Accreditation
▫ The Middle States Commission on Higher Education have
developed Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance
Education (Online Learning)
▫ Critical to examine our current course offerings against these
guidelines and develop rubrics aligned to these guidelines
▫ Research and review the courses and programs offered at other
universities

• Sustainability
▫ Start-up costs to develop courses (effort, time, technical and
cognitive resources)
▫ Number of students per course per semester
▫ Optimal and efficient use of technological tools, activities, &
assessments to keep it sustainable and manageable

• Cost-effectiveness

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