The document outlines strategies for designing online courses focused on effective and engaging learning experiences, emphasizing diverse activities beyond traditional discussion boards. It includes examples of creative introductions for students, digital storytelling, and incorporating real-world data into course discussions. Additionally, it suggests co-designing with students and creating open educational resources to enhance learning outcomes.

1. SET Presents @ RRU- March 2018
Strategies for Designing Online Courses
George Veletsianos, PhD
Professor
Canada Research Chair
School of Education & Technology

2. Goals
share some of the work being done in SET,
explore various activities beyond the Moodle
discussion board,
and learn from one another.

3. A very quick overview of the
MA in Learning & Technology
What is it?
Who is it for?
Design: Openness, Networked learning, Digital
mindset
Moodle +
Wordpress +
Social media (e.g., #RRUMALAT) +
RSS

4. In designing learning experiences, what
are your goals?
e3 – effective, efficient, engaging
learning
Others?

5. In designing learning experiences, what
are your goals?
e3 – effective, efficient, engaging
learning
Others?
• “Good”
• Transformative

6. What are some of your favorite course
activities? Why?

7. Foundations

8. Organized and Sequenced
– Deadline calendar
– Establishing a rhythm: Standardized
sequence à familiarity
– Check-ins (e.g., 1-1 phone/skype chat)
– Discussion flow (post by? Respond by?)
– Clear expectations

9. Organized and Sequenced:
Course example

10. Organized and Sequenced:
Assessment across MALAT

11. Using a diverse array of
activities…
– Discussions
– Drawings
– Videos
– Digital stories
– Contemporary debates in your field
– Concept mapping
– Professional communities - socialization
– Case studies
– Solving problems

12. What are some ways that you ask students
to introduce themselves?

13. • Superhero Students
You are to create a drawing of yourself to share with
the rest of the class. Your drawing should portray you as
a superhero and include your superhero name
Use your creativity to create a representation of yourself
so that we learn more about each other.
You can use pen/pencils/crayons and paper, or a
graphics program to do this.
– Adapted from Dunlap & Lowenthal:
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/CUOnline/FacultyResources/additionalResources/
Handbook/cuonlinehandbook2011/Documents/chapter10.pdf
What are some ways that you ask students
to introduce themselves?

14. • Mine looks like
this.
• Why?

15. • Music videos
Locate a music video on youtube.com that
describes you and post it below, along with a
message for the rest of the class explaining
why this music video describes you.
Caution: A lot of music videos contain
language and imagery which may be
offensive. Please review the lyrics & watch the
whole video prior to posting it to ensure that it
is appropriate.
What are some other ways that you ask
students to introduce themselves?

16. • Music videos
What are some other ways that you ask
students to introduce themselves?

17. Stories & digital storytelling
• Instructors telling stories
• Students creating stories
– screencasts, comics,
audio narration tools
Jing

18. Stories & digital storytelling

19. Weekly video updates:
Social presence - Teaching presence

21. Embedding your personality (memes,
online cultures, current affairs)
By Royce Kimmons Introduction to online learning course:
http://courses.doceocenter.org/theoretical_foundations_online_learning

22. Discussions/debates driven by real-
world data - Twitter
https://twitter.com/search-home

23. Discussions/debates driven by real-
world data - Newspapers

24. Discussions/debates driven by real-
world data – Comments

26. Discussions/debates driven by real-
world data – Blogs posts

27. Co-designing with students

28. Co-designing with students

29. Concept Mapping: Keeping up-to-date
and connecting all the pieces

30. Concept Mapping: Keeping up-to-date
and connecting all the pieces

31. Concept Mapping: Keeping up-to-date
and connecting all the pieces

32. Concept Mapping: Keeping up-to-date
and connecting all the pieces

33. Video-related activities
• Content delivery (reusing video) or
examining video artifacts – Youtube,
Vimeo, TED, Amazon, iTunes

34. Video-related activities
• Additional ideas
– Record an elevator speech
– Find, share, and comment
– Identify misconceptions in existing videos
– Film and share roleplays

35. Introduce learners to professional
communities
– Professional listservs e.g., Tomorrow’s
Professor
– Blogging communities
– Social Networking Sites (e.g., LinkedIn
discussion groups, Facebook groups)
– Ask students to attend a virtual
conference and do X (reflect/summarize/
etc)

36. Authoring Open E-books and
Open Textbooks
• Create worthwhile digital artifacts as a
class (&make available to others)
à Replacing disposable assignments with those that add
value to the Word (David Wiley)

37. Authoring Open E-books and
Open Textbooks
• Work with your instructional designer to figure out the
best platform for creating the e-book (Wiki? A
dedicated website? A collection of Google
documents?)

38. Course book clubs
• As a class, select a few books that are of interest
• (allow choice in reading/listening the books to
accommodate student preferences/life)
• Task teams with analyzing and presenting

39. Audio + Video Feedback
• Back to instructor presence and diversity

40. Questions and open discussion

41. Interested in exploring more?
https://tinyurl.com/designSuggestions
http://tec-variety.com/

42. Thank you!
www.veletsianos.com
www.veletsianos.com/publications
@veletsianos on Twitter
veletsianos@gmail.com
These slides: www.slideshare.com/veletsianos