Directorate of Human Resources

Successful online courses have…..

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Seven Principles for Good Practice

Chickering, A. & Ehrmann, S. C. (1987) The Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.

originally published in the American Association for HE Bulletin.

http://aahebulletin.com/

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

1. Good Practice Encourages Student-Tutor Contact

• increasing access to staff

• providing additional opportunities for interaction outside class

• opening up complex or difficult issues

• providing clear guidelines for interaction with online students.

Human Resources

Example: explicitness about student-tutor interactions

Human Resources

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

2. Good Practice Encourages Cooperation Among Students

• Well-designed discussion assignments facilitate meaningful cooperation among students.

• From participation to collaboration

• Relevant vs broad groupings

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Example: Task briefs and assessment

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

3. Good Practice Encourages Active Learning

• Learning by doing through simulations

• Conducting investigations using electronic resources

• Presenting student projects online

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Examples: Active learning 2

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Example: Active learning

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

4. Good Practice Gives Prompt Feedback

• Email personal feedback

• Marking tools

• Self- assessment

• Information feedback and acknowledgment feedback.

Human Resources

Examples: prompt feedback

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Examples: prompt feedback 2

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

5. Good Practice Emphasizes Time on Task

• Efficient, effective learning

• Flexibility around busy work and home lives

• Access to important resources

• Online courses need deadlines.

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Example: time on task

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

6. Good Practice Communicates High Expectations

• Challenging tasks

• Clearly articulated and/or negotiated criteria

• Publication on the web

• Praise for quality work communicates high expectations.

Human Resources

Example: High expectations

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

7. Good Practice Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

• Different routes to learning

• Flexibility to accommodate all students

• Bringing diversity out into the open

• Allowing students to choose project topics incorporates diverse views into online courses.

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development

Successful e-learning

• Has a clearly expressed rationale

• Has sound educational course design and engaging activities

• Reflects the aims and objectives of the course

• Provides prompt and regular feedback

• Is well integrated into the course design and linked to assessment