This document compares the key characteristics of emergency remote learning, MOOCs, webinars, and high-quality online courses. Emergency remote learning typically has little personalization, interaction, or completion rates due to time pressures on teachers. MOOCs and webinars also generally lack personalization, interaction, and teacher support. In contrast, high-quality online courses provide high levels of personalization, interaction, asynchronous and synchronous sessions, qualified teaching, learning analytics and other supports to promote student success.

1. Tokuhama-Espinosa
Feb 2021
www.thelearningsciences.com 1
Differences between Emergency Remote Learning and High Quality Online Courses
Course options Emergency
Remote
Learning
MOOC Webinar Great Online
Course
Characteristics
of online
courses
1 Level of
personalization
Depends on the
teacher
No
personalization
No
personalization
High level of
personalized
follow-up and
differentiation
2 Synchronous
sessions (video
conferencing) or
asynchronous
(individual works)
Sometimes
Asynchronous Synchronous Asynchronous
AND
Synchronous
3 Active participation Depends on the
teacher
No No Yes
4 Completion rates Low if no
accompaniment
Low Low medium High
Design 5 Mastery Learning,
which permits
differentiated
instruction for each
learner
No
No No Yes
6 Instructional Design
using evidence-based
practice in the
learning sciences
Usually No
(depends on the
teacher’s
professional
development)
No No Yes
7 Guided orientation
to the learning
platform
Usually No
(depends on the
teacher’s
professional
development)
No No Yes
8 User-friendly design
which intuits user
needs, is easy to
navigate, and
aesthetically pleasing
Usually No
(depends on the
institution)
Yes Yes Yes
9
Level of interaction
and follow-up
Usually low
due to time
pressure
(depends on the
teacher)
Normally little
or no contact
with teacher
Interaction via
chat
Continual
personalized
contact
10 Qualified teachers
who are experts in
their fields with both
academic knowledge
and experience in
personalized learning
Depends on the
institution
Often no
visible teacher
Usually limited
to being run by
a tech person,
teaching
assistant or
other person
who monitors
the chat.
Two or more
teachers and
one technical
assistant who
guarantee
immediate
response to
learners

2. Tokuhama-Espinosa
Feb 2021
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11 Distributed learning
which permits a
long-term change in
attitudes, not only the
acquisition of
knowledge and skills
Usually No due
to time
pressure
No time
regulation
Normally meet
1-2 hours.
Eight to 16
week courses
12 Calendar Depends on the
institution
Self-regulated Single
scheduled
meeting
Complete
scheduling of
synchronous
and
asynchronous
learning
activities
Tools 13 Flipping which
improves the quality
of interactions during
synchronous meeting
time and deepens
learning for content
and application
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No No Yes
14 Bundles or mini-
libraries which have
a variety of materials,
permitting distinct
entry points for
learning about course
topics and
differentiated
homework.
No due to time
pressure
No Partial resource
list often
available
Yes
15 On-going discussion
boards to create an
efficient and close-
knit learning
community
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No No Yes
16 On-going discussion
boards to help
individual and
personal reflection to
motivate students in
their own
application, use, and
evaluation of the
topics learned in
class based and
introduced by peers.
Usually no due
to time
pressure
Open
discussion
board without
teacher
monitoring
Sometimes pre-
or post-
encounter
discussion
boards; no
feedback
Monitored
discussion
boards with
formative and
personalized
feedback
17 Quizzes that can be
taken multiple times
to reinforce
vocabulary and
concept learning and
to stimulate memory
Usually no due
to time
pressure
Yes, but often
only allowed to
take once
Yes, but often
only allowed to
take once
Yes, can be
taken an
infinite number
of times
18 Reflection 3-2-1- to
permit time to self-
evaluate learning
goals, stimulate new
research and make
concrete changes in
personal and
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No No Yes

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Feb 2021
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professional learning
goals
19 Elaborated rubrics
to transparently
disaggregate learning
goals
Usually no due
to time
pressure
Yes, with basic
criteria
No, not
normally
included
Yes, with
detailed
descriptors
20 Hyperlinks to the
live video
conferencing room
via the LMS to
facilitate on-time
student access
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No Yes, via email Yes
21 E-mails within LMS
to facilitate constant
communication
Depends on the
institution
Yes Yes Yes
22 Announcements
section on LMS to
opportunely inform
about special dates
and events
Depends on the
institution
Yes Yes, via email Yes
23 Calendar to help
student planning
and offer reminders
of due dates
Depends on the
institution
Yes Yes Yes
Diagnosis,
Evaluation, and
Feedback
24 PPP (Product,
Process, Progress)
rubrics to motivate
learners by seeing
progress and process
grade along with
final product grade
Usually no due
to time
pressure
With basic
criteria
No, not
normally
included
Yes, with
detailed
descriptors
25 Formative feedback
to guide pointed
feedback to learners
Depends on the
teacher
Basic No, not
normally
included
Very specific
and
personalized
26 Re-write policy that
permits learners to
resubmit assignments
for a better grade
after learning from
the feedback. Those
who can learn from
their errors should be
given the chance to
do so.
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No No Yes
27 E-portfolios which
permit long-term
artifact
documentation and
which can measure a
learners progress
over time
Depends on the
institution
No No Yes
28 Gradebook visible
24/7, which permits
learners to check on
Usually no due
to time
pressure
Yes Yes Yes

4. Tokuhama-Espinosa
Feb 2021
www.thelearningsciences.com 4
their quantitative
progress at any time
Communication 29 Live (synchronous)
class in
videoconferencing
(Zoom) room to
reinforce
communication and
collaboration, debate,
discussion and
deeper learning
among participants
Depends on the
institution
No Yes, but little or
no facilitation
of dialogue
Yes
30 Small group work
(breakout rooms in
Zoom) which
permits greater
interaction among
learners and the
exchange of multiple
perspectives
Usually no
(depends on the
teacher’s
professional
development)
No No Yes
31 Chat in video
conferencing room
with immediate
response to queries
by assistants to
ensure attention stays
focused on the
learning
Usually no
(depends on the
teacher’s
professional
development)
No No Yes
32 Recording with
transcript of
dialogue and chat
from live class
synchronous class to
permit students the
chance to review if
any element was
missed or due to
absenteeism
Usually no
(depends on the
teacher’s
professional
development)
No Sometimes or
some parts
Yes
33 Office hours for
content clarifications
or personal inquires
Usually no due
to time
pressure
No No Yes
34 Team availability to
resolve academic or
technical difficulties
within a maximum of
24-hour wait
Usually no,
(depends on the
institution)
Yes Yes Yes
35 E-mails for constant
communication
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
Yes Yes Yes
36 Announcements
section on LMS to
opportunely inform
about special dates
and events
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
Yes Yes, via email Yes

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Feb 2021
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Learning
Analytics
37 Platform analytics
to assess page use,
frequency of quiz
attempts, access to
resources, and other
data to assess course
functionality
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
No No Yes
38 Group learning
analytics which
highlight areas of
concern for the entire
class
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
No No Yes
39 Individual learning
analytics which
includes quantitative
and qualitative data
alerts to problem
areas
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
No No Yes
40 Global learning
analysis to exhaust
possible sources of
lower group learning
and
recommendations for
improvement
Depends on the
LMS, teacher
prep and
institutional
policy
No No Yes