1. Designing an Exemplary
Course Series

2. 22
Workshop Objective
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
– Identify the elements of learner support from the
Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Rubric.

3. 3
How Do You Support Diverse Learners?

4. 44
Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
Exemplary Course Program

5. 5
Exemplary Course Program Rubric
Course Design
Interaction and
Collaboration
Assessment
Learner Support

6. 6
Learner Support
Orientation to Course and LMS
Supportive Software (Plug-ins)
Instructor Role and Information
Course/Institutional Policies and Support
Technical Accessibility Issues
Accommodations for Disabilities
Feedback

7. 77
ECP Winner 2012 Course TourExemplary Course Tour

8. 88
Supporting Diverse Learners
1. Orientation to Course and LMS
– Clearly labeled tutorial materials that explain how to
navigate LMS and course
– Tutorials are found easily and facilitate easy return to
other areas of the course
– Tutorial materials support multiple learning modalities
 Audio, visual, and text-based

9. 99
Supporting Diverse Learners
2. Supportive Software
– Clear explanation of optional or required software
including additional costs found within the course
– Software required to use course materials is listed
where it can be captured and installed
– Links are located within the course where learners will
use the materials

10. 1010
Supporting Diverse Learners
3. Instructor Role and Information
– Contact information for the instructor is easy to find
and includes multiple forms of communication
– Expected response time for email is included
– Instructor role within the course is explained (for
example, whether he/she will manage tech questions)
– Instructor’s methods of collecting and returning work
are clearly explained

11. 1111
Supporting Diverse Learners
4. Course/Institutional Policies and Support
– Links to institutional policies, materials, and forms for
learner success are clearly labeled and easy to find
– Links allow easy navigation from the course to the
information and back
– Policies regarding decorum, behavior, and netiquette
are easy to find and written clearly to avoid confusion
– Links to institutional services such as the library or
writing center are clearly labeled and easy to find

12. 1212
Supporting Diverse Learners
5. Technical Accessibility Issues
– Course materials use standard formats to ensure
accessibility
– If specific software is required to which learners may
not have access, alternative file types are provided
– Large files are identified to help learners consider
download times; alternative (smaller) files are
provided where appropriate
– Videos are streamed whenever possible and graphics
are optimized for web delivery

13. 1313
Supporting Diverse Learners
6. Accommodations for Disabilities
– Supportive mechanisms allow learners with
disabilities to participate fully in the online community
– Design and delivery of the content integrate
alternative resources or enable assistive processes
– Links to institutional policies, contacts, and
procedures for supporting learners with disabilities are
included and easy to find
– Design factors such as color, text size, manipulations,
audio, video controls, and all tags reflect universal
accessibility considerations

14. 1414
Supporting Diverse Learners
7. Feedback
– Learners have an opportunity to give feedback to the
instructor regarding course design and course content
both during course delivery and after course
completion
– Feedback mechanisms allow students to participate
anonymously in course evaluation

15. 1515
Learner Support Tips
– Use a “Start here” or “Orientation” menu section to put
all learner support materials
– Create a welcome letter, as well as posting contact
information
– Include guidelines for decorum, behavior, and
netiquette in the “Orientation” area as well as the first
discussion forum
– Create a survey to get formative feedback from the
students

16. 1616
Designing an Exemplary Course
https://open.coursesites.com
– Presentation Video
– Course Tours
– Scholarly Readings
– Hands-On Activities

17. 17
Learner Support
Orientation to Course and LMS
Supportive Software (Plug-ins)
Instructor Role and Information
Course/Institutional Policies and Support
Technical Accessibility Issues
Accommodations for Disabilities
Feedback

18. 1818
Questions?
Thank
You!