This document provides guidance on essential elements for effective online teaching, including course organization, backwards design based on Bloom's Taxonomy, presenting content through recorded lectures, and building a community among learners. It recommends organizing the course into logical modules with consistent structure; designing learning outcomes, content, and assessments based on higher-order cognitive levels; recording short, focused lecture videos; and facilitating interaction between instructor and students as well as among peers to reduce isolation and dropout rates.

1. Online Teaching Essentials
Kenneth Silvestri
Instructional Designer
Center for Faculty Excellence
Montana State University

2. OVERVIEW
(1.) Course Organization
(2.) Bloom’s Taxonomy and
Backwards Course Design
(3.) Presenting Content with
Recorded Lectures
(4.) Building a Community of
Learners

3. STUDENT
PEERS
INSTRUCTOR
CONTENT
ENGAGEMENT INTERACTION
POINTS

4. COURSE ORGANIZATION
(Student-to-Content)
MODULE 1 (Dates)
OVERVIEW
RECORDED LECTURES
READINGS
DISCUSSION
QUIZ
ASSIGNMENT/DROPBOX
• BE CONSISTENT
• ESTABLISH A PATTERN OF
LEARNING
• KEEP EVERYTHING TOGETHER
• BE EXPLICIT
• KEEP YOUR STUDENTS
INFORMED OF CHANGES
* SUMMARY

5. BLOOM’S TAXONOMY AND BACKWARDS COURSE DESIGN
(Student-to-Content)
DEEPER
LEARNING
Higher-Order Thinking
Lower-Order Thinking
SURFACE
LEARNING

6. Critical thinking is believed present when
students perform in the higher-ordered
thinking levels of Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy,
such as in the Analysis, Synthesis, and
Evaluation levels (Bers, 2005; Duron et al.,
2006). A critical thinking focus is evident in
the Analysis level when the functionality of
parts is explored, in the Synthesis level when
the parts are placed together to form an
original whole, and in the Evaluation level
when the whole is valued and judged (Duron
et al., 2006).
“In an engaged learning environment, the majority of learning outcomes should fall into the application,
analysis, synthesis, or evaluation levels of thinking as described in Bloom’s Taxonomy (Conrad &
Donaldson, 2011)"

7. LEARNING
OUTCOMES AND
BLOOM’S
TAXONOMY
Adapted from Ball State University Assessment Workbook 1992

8. DEVELOPING LEARNING OUTCOMES
(Student-to-Content)
(1.) Ask yourself: What are the most important things a student should
know, be able to do, or value after completing your course?
(2.) Select an action verb that corresponds to the specific knowledge, skills,
or disposition that students will demonstrate.
(3.) Articulate the specific knowledge, skill, or disposition you would like
students to be able to demonstrate – i.e. apply Labeling Theory to a mental
health case study (Psychology)
(4.) Align your content, assignments, discussions, and assessments with the
learning outcomes.

9. BACKWARDS COURSE DESIGN
(Student-to-Content)
STUDENT
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
CONTENT
ASSIGNMENTS
DISCUSSION
FORUMS
QUIZZES/EXAMS
TECHNOLOGY

10. COMMON MISTAKES
• Using vague terms that are
difficult to measure
• Writing learning outcomes
that describe inputs like
assignments and lectures
• Writing learning outcomes
that target only the bottom
of Bloom’s Taxonomy
“Understand,” “Know,” “Appreciate,” “Be
aware of”
Students will read essays by
significant philosophers of the 19th
Century….....

11. EXAMPLES
On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
Knowledge and Comprehension: Describe the underlying principles governing gene transmission and
expression (Health Sciences)
Application: Apply models of learning to the design of a teaching program (Education)
Analysis: Compare Hofstede’s approach to culture with that of the GLOBE study. (Management)
Synthesis: Create criteria to assess Homeland Security implementation of immigration law. (Law/Political
Science)
Evaluation: Assess the suitability of a range of painting techniques for a specific environment. (Fine Art)

12. BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: BEYOND LEARNING OUTCOMES
(Student-to-Content)
ONLINE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
“Using the information from chapters 7 & 8
on emotional intelligence, give your own
example that illustrates at least three of the
author’s main concepts. You may use a
personal experience or you may create an
example. Then, assess at least two of your
classmate’s examples in terms of how well
they did or did not illustrate the concept.”
(APPLICATION/EVALUATION) ASSIGNMENTS
“Plan a six-month calendar of
activities to present to your
supervisor, including a variety of
activities intended to help
resident’s memory.” (SYNTHESIS)
EXAM QUESTIONS
(ANALYSIS/APPLICATION)

13. DEEPER LEARNING
Problem-Solving,
Simulations, Role Playing,
Case Studies, Jigsaw, and
Open-Ended Discussions
Higher-Order Thinking
Lower-Order Thinking
SURFACE LEARNING
Quizzes, Exams, and
Closed-Ended
Discussions
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: BEYOND LEARNING OUTCOMES
(Student-to-Content)

14. SCREENCASTING/RECORDED LECTURES
(Student-to-Content)
“I do appreciate that the instructor
took the time to create
presentation videos which
highlighted the instruction content
for the module. He really took time
to give the students all the
resources they would need to be
successful.” – CCJ 314 Student
Source: Khan Academy
(Microeconomics)

15. SCREENCASTING/RECORDED LECTURES (Student-
to-Content)
Strategies for chunking recorded mini-
lectures:
 1- 5-10 minute recordings
 2- Centered around 1 or 2 related concepts
 3- Specific, Descriptive titles
 4- Include time
 5- Include closed-captioning and transcripts
for accessibility
Example #1: Expressing Risk
Quotients (5:38)
Example #2: Probabilistic Risk
Assessment - Part I (9:21)
Example #3: Probabilistic Risk
Assessment – Part II (7:44)

16. BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS
(Student-to-Instructor, Student-to-Peer)
Online
Courses
Face-
to-Face
Courses
DROPOUT RATES
Between 15% to 50%
higher (Bambara, et al.,
2009)
REASONS
- Lack of instructor presence
and active participation
(Harris, 2013)
- Feelings of isolation (Joyce
& Brown, 2009)
vs

17. ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING INSTRUCTOR PRESENCE
(Student-to-Instructor)
Strategies for instructor
presence:
(1.) Welcome Message
(2.) Introductions/BIO with picture
(3.) Contact policy and virtual office hours
(4.) Course tour video
(5.) Weekly summary wrap-ups
(6.) Timely, personalized, and “frequent” feedback
(7.) Presence in the discussions
(8.) Course contracts
Image Source: iStockphoto.com

18. STUDENT-TO-STUDENT INTERACTION
(Student-to-Peer)
Strategies for facilitating student-to-
student interaction:
(1.) Common or free space: cyber café or online
lounge
(2.) Group work (collaborative learning)
(3.) Peer evaluations
(4.) Establishing netiquette: norms and rules for
participation and interactions
(5.) Video presentations
(6.) Peer instruction
Image Source: iStockphoto.com

19. QUESTIONS