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Quality Online Courses
Quality Online EducationBegins With
Jim Marteney
Distance Education Trainer
Professor EmeritusCommunication Studies
Why Offer Online Courses?
Students Want the classes
Students Need the classes
Students Tell Us
Being busy parent and working full time will not allow me to take traditional classes. I take online classes because of the flexibility and convenience
it provides. — Greta M.Occasionally I travel for work and this is one of those semesters where I'll be gone a week
here and a couple of weeks there. This makes it convenient to get the credit I need.
— Laura O.
I take classes online because I am a breast feeding mom and this is the best way I can care for my daughter and still progress with
my education. — Alejandra H.
Why Offer Online Courses?
I wanted to take this class online because having this option gives me some opportunities I would never of had. One would be to actually graduate. The other
opportunity is that I will be able to participate way more online than face to face. Since I will be
participating more, I will definitely be getting more out of this class than I would have in an
"on ground" class. —- Christina C.
Students Tell Us
Why Offer Online Courses?
Many faculty want teach online
Enjoy the teaching Enjoy the freedom
Why Offer Online Courses?
Online Courses Need to Be of High Quality
Success rates of online courses are generally not as good as face-to-face courses
Often thought of as second rate
Online Courses Need to Be of High Quality
“that is the direction education is going”
Online Courses Need to Be of High Quality
Is success rate of online courses inherent to online courses or because we have created poor, boring, non-engaging online courses?And let them continue to be taught?
Online Courses Need to Be of High Quality
Instead, we need to and can create quality online learning experiences.
Department Chairs In Charge of
Which Online Classes OfferedWho Teaches Which ClassEvaluates the Quality of the Course
Department chairs are not trained in evaluating online
courses
It can be frustrating
Department Chairs In Charge of
Until Today
How Do I Judge the Quality of an Online Course?
How Do I Judge the Quality of an Online Course? Navigation Clear? Expectations Clear? Assessments Aligned with Objectives? Assessments Measure Student Learning? Class Have Variety of Current Materials? Opportunities for Student Participation? Are Learning Materials Accessible? Faculty Actively Participates?
Coaching your instructors towards creating and facilitating a great online learning experience.
Department Chairs Challenge
Your Task
Does the Instructor Make the Course Navigation Clear?
Clear instructions for student to get startedClear instructions on course structure
Does the Student Know What is Expected to Succeed?Are student expectations in class clearly stated?
Expectations for: Participation Discussions Assignments
Does the Student Know What is Expected to Succeed?
Does the Student Know What is Expected to Succeed?
Do Assessments Align With Course Goals and Objectives?
Are learning objectives described in the course?
Are objectives described in the course measurable?
Do the Assessments Really Measure Student Learning?
Course Grading Policy Clearly Stated?
Do Assessments measure the stated goals?
Are there numerous and a variety of assessments?
Are the assessment expectations clearly stated?
Do the Assessments Really Measure Student Learning?
Heidi Andrade
“A document that articulates the
expectations for an assignment by listing the criteria, or what counts, and describing levels of quality from excellent to
poor.”
Do the Assessments Really Measure Student Learning?
Rubric
Do the Assessments Really Measure Student Learning?
Does the Class Have a Variety of Current Materials?
Does the instructional material connect to goals?
Is the course material current?
Is there variety in the course material offered?
Does Instructor Provide Student Opportunities for Class Involvement
Are Expectations for student interaction clearly stated?
Does the instructor state his response times?
Are there multiple opportunities for student involvement?
Is there active learning or are students being passively fed material?
A faculty-centered peer review process for online courses
Introducing
Quality Matters
Looks at Course Design
A set of quality standards for online course design
A faculty-centered peer review process for
online courses
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
Active learning involves learners engaging by ‘doing’ something , such as:
discovering
processing
applying concepts
applying information
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
Active learning entails guiding learners to increasing levels of
responsibility for their own learning
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
“Types of interaction include:”
learner-instructor learner-content learner-learner
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
Activities for learner - instructor interaction might include:
assignment or project submitted for instructor feedback
synchronous or asynchronous discussions
frequently asked questions -FAQ moderated by the instructor
Live Chats
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
Activities for learner - learner interaction might include:
synchronous or asynchronous discussions
group projects
peer review creating or evaluating
General Standard 5 Learning activities provide
opportunities for interaction that support active learning
Activities for learner - content interaction might include:
testing multiple times using test pools
lists in discussions
powerpoint or video projects
computer created activities
Levels of Student Engagement
Authentic Engagement
Student will persist even when task is difficult
High AttentionHigh Commitment
Levels of Student Engagement
Strategic Compliance
Student will persist to obtain extrinsic rewards, like grades
High AttentionLow Commitment
Levels of Student Engagement
Ritual Compliance
Emphasis is to meet minimum requirements
Low AttentionLow Commitment
Levels of Student Engagement
Retreatism
Student is not disruptiveNo AttentionNo Commitment
Student does not participate and learns little
Levels of Student Engagement
Rebellian
Student is disruptive
Diverted AttentionNo Commitment
Student tries to substitute tasks
Student develops negative attitude towards education
Putting It Back Together
Does Instructor Make the Learning Materials Accessible?
Did You Know?
Disability affects 15-20%
of every country's
population
650 million people
worldwide are considered to
have a disability¹
49.7 million people in the
U.S. age 5 and over are
disabled (19%)
7-10 million
Americans are
colorblind
People who benefit from an accessible Online Course:
Blind people who use screen readers
People who cannot hear an audio file (or the audio portion of a video file)
People with seizure disorders whose seizures can be triggered by certain flashing or blinking page elements
People with colorblindness
People with learning disabilities who need to have the text read to them by a screen reader while they read it themselves, in order to be able to understand what's on the page
Does Instructor Make the Learning Materials Accessible?
Pictures – these get alt tags
Videos – these get captions
Audio – these files (such as Podcasts) get transcripts.
Documents & text – use proper headers and label those tables
Links, put the hyperlink on words such as "take quiz" instead of the generic "click here."
Color – don't use color alone to convey information, (Ex: On a test, don't say "Click on the red light for stop and the green light for go." All the choices will look like the same color.)
Does Instructor Make the Learning Materials Accessible?
508 involves:
Don't worry about 'explaining' the visual gag in a silly image.
You're helping a blind or visually-impaired user understand what the picture is all about.
Does Instructor Make Learning Materials Accessible?
Alt. Description Rating
A woman sitting at a desk Poor
A woman sitting at a deskand writing with a pencil Getting There
A woman is at a desk with alarge calculator. She’s writingnote with a humongous pencil that a giant would use.
Yes!
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
“I have disliked online classes in which the instructor is not engaged, who do not timely grade/post grades for assignment, or do not respond to student questions. Classes lead by
Instructors who post and open every test and assignment on the first day
of an online class, with an Announcement that says, "Get it all done by the end of the Semester" (and never check in again with the
students until the end) have not been enjoyable.
Fortunately, those classes have been few and far between, but the memory
lingers.” — Shelli S.
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
California Education Code:Title 5, Section 55204
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
According to the California Education Code:Title 5, Section 55204
In addition to the requirements of section 55002 and any locally established requirements applicable to all courses, district governing boards shall ensure that:
Any portion of a course conducted through distance education includes regular effective contact between instructor and students, through group or individual meetings, orientation and review sessions, supplemental seminar or study sessions, field trips, library workshops, telephone contact, correspondence, voice mail, e-mail, or other activities. Regular effective contact is an academic and professional matter pursuant to sections 53200 et seq.
Any portion of a course provided through distance education is conducted consistent with guidelines issued by the Chancellor pursuant to section 409 of the Procedures and Standing Orders of the Board of Governors.
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Well that’s Easy
Faculty-Initiated Interactions
Begin class with instructor-guided introductions.
Design daily or weekly assignments and projects that promote collaboration among students.
Pose questions in the discussions which encourage critical thinking skills and promote interaction among all course participants.
Participate regularly in discussion activities with students and ensure that discussions remain on topic.
Monitor the activity meter to ensure that students participate fully.
Create a specific forum for questions regarding course assignments.
Ask students for feedback about the course on a regular basis and revise content as needed.
Include means for varied types of interaction in the course design
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Frequent & Timely Interactions
Establish guidelines for frequency of contact
Declare response time for student questions and assignment feedback
Maintain an active presence
Give frequent and substantive feedback throughout the course.
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Clear Expectations for Interactions
Specify course policy in the syllabus regarding frequency and timeliness of all contact initiated by the instructor.
Explain course policy regarding student-initiated contact (where to post questions, assignments, etc.) in the syllabus.
Clarify important dates, such as assignment and assessment deadlines, not only in the beginning but also throughout the course
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Tools for Regular Effective Contact
Course Announcements (e.g., videos, weekly summary, weekly review)Personalized FeedbackDiscussion Boards (e.g., question and answer forums, VoiceThread)Videoconferencing (e.g., Skype, CCC Confer)Collaborative Projects (e.g., group blogs, group discussions, wikis)Instructor-Created ModulesLectures (e.g., recorded, streaming, slides with audio narration)PodcastsWebinarsScreencastsVirtual Office HoursEmailPrivate MessagingChat
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Don't Panic, please. This looks more complicated that it really is. Just don't write your course and abandon your
students. Some instructors have actually done this. Created a course and made it
so automated that they don't have to check in 'til the semester is over. As you
can guess, the students felt totally alone.
Create a course you enjoy and then teach it. It is actually enjoyable and very fulfilling.
What is Effective Faculty Participation?
Thank you
Now Go Forth and Coach
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