Online Course Design
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Course: INSDSG 684 - The Design and Instruction of Online Courses
Assignment Description: This assignment required evaluating a range of tools, techniques, and technologies to design, develop, and implement a three lesson online course using the LMS of my choice.
Competencies
| Theory into Practice | 1.4 Critically assess reliable publications, literature, trends, theories, data, and tools used in the field of instructional design. |
| Design | 3.1 Develop performance outcomes that are measurable, have a specific action, and have specific conditions stated. 3.2 Use evidence-based instructional strategies to maximize learning. 3.3 Design appropriate multimodal instructional delivery, including face-to-face, online, blended, and emerging modes. 3.4 Develop formative and summative learner assessments. 3.5 Draw on a range of instructional design models to craft effective instructional interventions. 3.6 Design effective formal and informal learning solutions. |
| Implement | 5.1 Develop implementation plans, taking into consideration social, organizational, and technical implications. 5.2 Facilitate instruction using multiple delivery modes including face-to-face and distance learning. 5.3 Apply effective practices that encourage learner interaction, engagement, and learning. 5.5 Manage the implementation process. |
| Reflective Practice | 7.2 Act mindfully and advocate on behalf of the learner. |
Introduction
When I decided to return to the university to complete this master's degree, it had been 17 years since I was last a formal student. As I evaluated the different master's programs in Instructional Design, one of the factors I valued most was that it would be a traditional face-to-face program, as I thought it was a more efficient format because of the value I placed on the presence of an instructor. However, my circumstances at the time limited the possibility of being able to participate in an entirely in-person program, so I decided on a fully online program. Little did I know that year (2020), the world as I knew it was about to change radically and that in the coming years, the vast majority of academic institutions in the world would, in one way or another, incorporate the online format.
I included this artefact in my portfolio for many reasons: the way I think about online education today as a result of my journey in the program over the past three years, the value and impact that online education can have on our society, and the fact that the completion of this artefact marked a significant point in the program, where I integrated many of the concepts learned in other courses. The experience of designing an online course allowed me to explore online education beyond my role as a student. It allowed me to put on the hat of a designer and instructor, exploring the implications of learning in an online environment and better understanding what makes it effective.
Reflection
By the time I got to this course, I was halfway through the program, and my view of online education had changed significantly. The flexibility of online education, the access to remote resources, and the interaction with instructors and students from other cultures, ages, and backgrounds, convinced me that online education was not only as effective as face-to-face education but could be better than traditional in-person education. Reaching this point in the program provided me with a great experience to explore online education from another perspective: that of the designer and instructor.
This assignment required designing and developing an online course with at least three lessons. The first step was to choose the topic. At that time, I was looking for a new job, so I chose a familiar topic of interest to me instead of a job-related topic. Thus I chose the topic of running because besides already having some time practicing the sport and having some knowledge of it, I found it challenging to give shape to such a physical task and turn it into an online course. Once I identified the topic, the next step was to choose the Learning Management System (LMS) I would use to create and deliver the course. I evaluated two systems: EdApp and Captivate (1.4). Although both programs offered the tools I needed to create and manage the course, I decided to use EdApp as I found it more intuitive and straightforward.
Before starting the course creation, I had to identify the audience. This task, which I thought was simple, turned out to be much work. My thinking at the time was that in three modules, each of one week's duration, it is pretty varied what could be achieved in terms of running, as it would depend on the initial physical condition of the people participating in the course. So I decided to take the course to a basic level, and along with identifying the audience, I also worked on developing the learning objectives (3.1). Reflecting and reviewing now on the theory of social constructivism and adult learning theory, I could say that the duration and number of modules were not a limitation for the audience of the course. However, on the contrary, it was an opportunity to get creative by designing an authentic learning experience and creating opportunities for collaboration between participants with different goals and physical conditions (3.2).
Once I formulated the learning objectives, the next thing was to design the content of each lesson. Before getting into the design and creation of the content, it was necessary to understand the elements of a successful educational experience: cognitive, social, and teaching presence. According to Stubbs (1976, as cited in Mbati, 2012), "effective learning is known to occur in an environment which allows for the student to be able to assert his individualism and communicate with his peers and instructor as an independent thinker" (p.199). Suddenly I understood why I was now excited about online education. As a student, I had already experienced it in previous courses, the manifestation of cognitive, social, and teaching presences through design practices that include three types of interactive learning exchange: learner to learner, learner to content, and learner to instructor. As stated by Johnson (2017), "together, these three types of interactions provide students with a triangulation of learning through a framework based on social-constructivist learning theory" (p.441). Now, all those activities: posting our thoughts, commenting on our peers, all readings, the assignments where we received feedback from the instructor, and all the zoom meetings took on a new meaning. These were not randomly chosen activities; they are how students are taken through the learning process, and these interactions are achieved.
Once I internalized all these concepts, I could design and create my course content better. I created a design document to define each module and categorize each activity according to the type of interaction, in addition to identifying the assessment methods (3.3, 3.4, 3.5,3.6, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3). Once I had this document ready, I began building the course in the LMS. Creating the content in the LMS (EdApp) was smooth as the system is easy to use and has pre-made templates that can be used as a starting point for content creation. The system allows asynchronous and synchronous collaboration through video conferences and discussion boards (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.4). At that time, I was not as aware of the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities, so I did not have it in mind when creating the course. Therefore, the course may have aspects that limit its accessibility, such as the contrast between backgrounds and the font color, the font size, and the lack of alternative methods such as narration or providing printed material. However, the system does have features to make the course more accessible.
I also created the instructor's guide, the course syllabus, an orientation video, and activity handouts to complement the course. Those documents were accessible to participants through the LMS.
Creating this artefact marked a significant highlight in my journey in the program. After all, I had to integrate knowledge and skills I had learned in other courses, such as:
- Formulating objectives and creating a design document (601).
- Application of learning theories (602)
- Use and incorporation of collaboration tools (605)
- Identify evaluation methods (642)
- Creating an instructor guide and identifying strategies and considerations for online instruction (612)
- Identifying strategies for effective communication (604)
I did not have the opportunity to experience the delivery part of the instruction and fully validate the effectiveness of the design and materials. I wish I could have taught the course and had the whole experience.
Exploring online education through the creation of a course was an enriching experience that marked a before and after in my thinking about online education. My lack of experience and knowledge of online education made me think it was a passive and ineffective process comparable to simply watching a video or reading a text. However, according to Tallent-Runners et al. (2006, as cited in Johnson, 2017), online education has been demonstrated to have learning outcomes equal to those of traditional learning environments. Online education requires a good design that intentionally includes elements that make the learning experience effective and to think through how the technology will be used since it has the same role as the instructor, that of being a facilitator (Huan, 2002).
A well-designed online learning experience provides students with 24/7 access to materials (O'Callaghan et al., 2017, as cited in Johnson, 2017), flexible learning schedules, and accessible accommodations (Henderson et al., 2017, as cited in Johnson, 2107); many learning materials to meet varied individuals needs and preferences such as text, video, audio, and graphic representations (Meyer et al., 2014, as cited in Johnson, 2017), and the technology and tools to develop a collaborative learning environment (Harasim, 2017, as cited in Johnson 2017). Online education has the potential to make learning accessible not only to people with physical disabilities but also to people who, due to transportation or location limitations, cannot travel to an institution or attend lectures in person. "Online education gives students control over their learning experience, allows flexibility in the curriculum for non-traditional students, and gives students greater responsibility." (Michelle, E., 2021, para.4). Online education can be a powerful tool for transformation and justice for society (7.2).
Application
Having the knowledge and skills to create an online course opens the door to working in any organization with the need to expand its learning activities to a remote population, as well as being able to support social causes that make education and knowledge accessible to marginalized groups.
In addition, according to Mbati (2012), this way of conducting instruction is a must today, given the need for continuous skills development that has resulted in a growth in demand for higher education that exceeds the supply offered via conventional face-to-face learning. Online learning is a workable means to address this growing demand.