If you are new to designing an online course, many of the components are similar to a classroom course. This page can assist you in making sure your course has all the components of a good online course.
Course Design: How is the course planned?
- Course Goals and Objectives: Goals are the five to seven big-picture things you want students to know or be able to do at the end of the course. Objectives are more specific and measurable expressions of your aims for the course. Objectives guide the kinds of assignments and activities in the course. A learning outcome is the expression of how well students met the objectives at the end of the course. In other words, objectives are set before the course is taught to guide the course design; outcomes are assessed once the course is over.
- Assessment Plan: This includes your course activities and assignments and your overall grading scheme for the course.
- Course Content: Content encompasses the materials you provide students to support the course learning activities. This includes readings, diagrams, multimedia presentations, and websites.
- Module or Class Session Level Objectives.
- Class Schedule (Calendar): Include a specific course calendar listing all completion dates for all instructional units, assignments, group projects and tests/exams.
Course Production and Layout: How is the course laid out in Blackboard
- Syllabus: Qualities of a good syllabus are similar in face-to-face and distance education courses in that they provide all of the information required for students to navigate their way through the course. Online course syllabi also account for policies and practices specifically related to distance education, and they might include policies related to discussion, etiquette, online group work, use of wikis, and expectations for student engagement.
- Calendar: Include a specific course calendar listing all completion dates for all instructional units, assignments, group projects and tests/exams. Specify consistent times at which these elements are due. This information may also be included in the syllabus.
- Course Menu: The Blackboard course menu is an important tool that helps to communicate in an organized and efficient manner with your students. The course menu can be modified to create new categories. It is also important to eliminate those sections you do not use. The menu is what directs students to a complete course calendar, assignment guidelines, electronic reserves, discussions, and other common course resources.
- Assignments: Link all assignments to the Grade Book, and establish relevant rubrics for all your assignments. These rubrics facilitate your grading and, when published in advance, provide guidance to students about your expectations.
- Technology: Links to appropriate help resources and polices regarding students’ role in technology trouble shooting will help to eliminate unnecessary questions and frustration (notably, the teacher is not the help desk!).
Course Delivery: How are content and activities communicated with students?
- Pacing: Balancing the combination of interactive learning experiences, readings, written work, lectures and feedback contribute to an overall sense of balance in an online course.
- Feedback on student work: How do you communicate with students on their written work? Group activities? Discussion posts? Other? Do you always provide feedback in the same way or do you use a variety of media (e.g., written comments, e-mails, announcements and podcasts)?
- Media: In distance education courses, it is just as challenging to keep instruction active as it is in a face-to-face class. Thoughtful construction of course-specific media activities engages students and keeps things interesting.
- Technology Support: What problems did the students encounter with the technical aspects of the course?
Student Engagement: How are students engaging with course material and one another?
- Discussions: Discussions provide important opportunities for students to interact with one another; they are one way of encouraging a sense of community and cohesion.
- Student-to-Student Interaction: Group projects provide students with the opportunity to get to know each other and interact in smaller groups, reinforcing classroom learning and providing opportunities to test their knowledge and understanding.
- Other: What other ways might students engage with one another and with you?
