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Preparing a course for online learning opportunities

Introduction

This introduces some essential perspectives and provides some practical guidance when planning a course for online delivery. Whether you are considering putting just a small activity, some supplementary resources for students or a complete course of study online, this guide will assist you in the initial planning stages.

The importance of planning

The initial planning stage is an essential part of the development of high quality and educationally effective online teaching and learning. Crucial aspects of the planning stage include:

Focussing on student learning activity

Perhaps the most important aspect of planning your online teaching and learning involves careful consideration of student learning. The first question you should ask is not “What should I put online?”, but rather “What do I want the students to do online?”. Imagine your students sitting in front of their computer screens, and think about how you would like to engage them in their learning. Are your students going to be passively reading screens of text, or would you like to see them participating in interesting and effective activities?

Key aspects of online teaching and learning

Due to the unique nature of the online teaching and learning environment, there are some key aspects of online teaching and learning that make it quite different from other modes. Below are a few perspective on online teaching and learning that are important to consider when planning your course for online delivery.

Information is not knowledge

Online materials contain information, which must be interpreted by students in some way to form knowledge. The “content” presented to students can be considered as “raw data” and is not sufficient to enable learning. Knowledge is developed by students through a wide variety of learning processes

Less is more

Reading online is difficult for students, and does not promote efficient learning. Students are generally not willing to explore extensive materials and studies have shown that only 30% of online content is read. Accordingly, it is important to avoid putting large amounts of text online. A more effective approach is to scaffold student learning through introduction to key concepts online and engagement with reflective reading activities with off-line materials. Consider using images to enhance understanding.

Engagement Theory

Engagement theory suggests that to achieve effective learning, students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. All student activities involve active cognitive processes such as creating, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, and evaluation. Accordingly, online teaching and learning should be designed to promote these types of learning activities.

The ADRI cycle

The ADRI cycle suggests that there are four basic stages in the continual development of online teaching and learning. While the first three stages are essential elements of planning for online delivery, the planning process should also identify the mechanisms through which the remain two stages are undertaken. The five stages are:

Conclusion

The development of effective online teaching and learning requires a considerable amount of planning. Time spent in the curriculum and instructional design stages is an essential prerequisite to the actual technical development of any online materials or activities.

 

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