EDTECH 512: Reading Summary # 10

Article 10: Smith, R. M. (2009, October 1). Conquering the content: A step-by-step guide to online course design (pp. 83-91). (Vol. 25). John Wiley & Sons.

In this chapter, Smith examines how to develop a plan so that learners can easily progress through the designed program.  They share some best practices when designing the process of administering an online course.

• Develop a schedule of due dates and stick to it – communicate this up front and don’t change it, so learners can manage their time effectively and fit school work around family life.
• Keep scheduling convenience a priority for your students – don’t schedule synchronous sessions and tests with limited access times for students. 
• Have due dates the same day each week – keep assignments due the same day so students are able to establish a routine with their work/life balance.
• Be consistent about navigation – make each module consistent so students become familiar with where to go for different components of the course.
• Be consistent about where to turn in assignments – Resist the urge to ‘change things up’ to make things interesting.  Students will appreciate that they are not searching around trying to figure out where to submit assignments.
• Be consistent about your availability – let learners know up front the times you are available to answer questions to set expectations
• Prioritize and honor the order in which you will answer messages from students – outline at the beginning of the course the different methods of communication and which ones you will respond to in order.
• Create a ‘coffee shop’ forum for social interactions among students – encourage interaction of non-content related topics
• Communicate an appropriate pace for working through the course – set due dates in advance and allow students to work ahead
• Discussion assignments must give students a specific item on which to comment – Provide a discussion where you might have learners present different views or ideas.
• Design using someone else’s mind – make sure you have someone peer review and look over your course to clear up any areas that may not be clear to a learner.

The ideas presented are valuable to help instructional designers look beyond the content and activities to how a learner is going to progress through the course.  It helps to clarify items and provide a clear roadmap for the course.  Implementing these ideas will make administering the course easier for the instructor and a better learning experience for learners.