ONTL 7101 INITIAL
BLOG
Barbara J.
Anderson 5-24-15
I am excited about being in ONTL 7101 Designing Online Classes because I
will now be able to apply some of the knowledge that I have gained to be able
to revise an online course that I have been teaching for some time. The two prior courses ONTL 6101 and 6201 have
provided a good foundation from which to practice the design process. There are principles that should guide a good
undergraduate experience whether it is traditional or online. There should be student-instructor
interaction, student-student interaction, learning should be active and
engaging, time should be spent on task, feedback should be timely, there should
be high expectations, and diversity in learning styles and accessibility should
be addressed. Learning experiences
should be varied so that all four learning styles (read-write, visual,
auditory, kinesthetic) will be included.
All course activities/assignments must be accessible for all students or
equivalent alternatives must be provided.
Assessment should reflect knowledge to be included based on learning
objectives. Assessment can include formative
or summative types. Authentic assessment
is probably the most valuable as it mirrors real-life situations. The heart of an online class in particular is
social interaction between instructor and student, students, and during group
work. Asynchronous communication in the
form of discussion threads and synchronous communication in the form of a live
session like Collaborate are important in building a strong sense of community
in the classroom. These social
interactions lead to deeper and higher levels of learning as well as better
retention and greater student success.
I have taught both the traditional and online versions of Survey of
Biology 1100 for nonmajors. When I
prepare for a traditional class I think about how I can structure the class so
that the course objectives can be accomplished.
I match sections of the text to planning lecture material. I choose supplementary readings to expand on
coursework. I choose labs to compliment
lecture material which will help students achieve objectives and to learn the
process of science. Technology can be
interspersed to enhance the course.
Group discussion activities are chosen, developed, and placed in the
course at the appropriate spots. I like
the planning part a lot whether it is for a course that I am teaching for the
first time or one that I am revising because we will be using a new text.
Many of these tasks would be useful in designing for an online class
such as: text choices, lab choices,
readings, and activities to support objectives and constructing a syllabus. On the other hand designing an online course
has some differences from designing a traditional course. In the online class there is much less
lecturing because you move more to the role of a facilitator or “guide on the
side” where you are trying to help students learn more independently. You might need to think of producing podcasts
or audio introductions instead of lectures.
These would require transcripts for accessibility. Social interaction is critical for building
community in online classes and must be included intentionally. Certainly plans and implementation must occur
for icebreakers, asynchronous, and often synchronous communication. Technology in the form of a Learning
Management System (LMS) like Blackboard are an absolutely integral part of the
course because that is how it is delivered to students. The instructor needs to provide tutorials or
skill activities to be sure that students are able to work and function while
using the LMS. In design, great care
must be taken in providing engaging activities and a clear roadmap and
orientation to navigate the course from the beginning.
I am hoping that in this course with just four students that we will
work as a close-knit group who interact well to help each other achieve the
skills needed to design an online course.
I am hoping that I also become comfortable learning the skills for
designing online courses. Since my
project topic is the revision of the nonmajors online Survey of Biology 1100
course, I am hoping to be able to complete a good design for revising the
course so that it is more engaging, active, social, and relevant. I also hope to exit this class being skilled
and confident enough to be able to design either fully online or hybrid classes
in my department as needed as a lead designer or consultant.
