This document provides best practices for teaching online courses. It covers course planning, design, and delivery. For planning, it discusses initial planning phases and student communication. For design, it discusses accessibility, simplicity, consistency, and quality assurance models. It also covers learning objectives, syllabus development, rubrics, and discussion boards. For delivery, it discusses flipped classrooms, assessments, and providing feedback. Examples are given for structuring hybrid courses using a blended approach.
3. Terminology
• What is Blended Learning?
• Blended/Hybrid Courses
Complement F2F Work
F2F interaction not eliminated
Components designed to take advantage of
best features of each medium
4. Course Planning
• Initial Planning Phase
Items
• Checklist for Course
Launch
• Initial Student Contact
What Information to include in
Student Letter:
• Welcome the student to the course
• Provide a course description
• Provide information about the
Online Learning Orientation
community in Blackboard
• Provide information on how to
access Blackboard
• Communication: Pace Email
• Ordering books
5. Blended Learning: Planning
Course: Module: Prepared By:
Objectives Activity Online/face-to-face/other
Identify geologic
formations in the
mid-Hudson Valley.
Self-led, self-paced field trip. Other self-led field trip with in-class
and online components. Students will download a
map of the mid-Hudson Valley from Blackboard, as
well as photos of specific rocks. Students will take
photos and map to match rocks in the field and take
photos. Photos will then be shared in-class.
Students will keep a journal of this assignment and
post online.
Describe functions
and responsibilities
of a professional
geologist.
Subscribe and listen to
three podcast episodes from the
U.S. Geological Survey.
Students will go online and subscribe to a podcast. I
will provide the link in Blackboard. Students will
post their reactions in the Blackboard discussion
board.
Define hypothesis,
theory, scientific
law, and scientific
methods.
Chapter 1 reading on the scientific
method.
Case study
The scientific method will be reviewed in class.
Students will read on own and go online to
complete case study on scientific methods and post
findings online.
6. Course Design
Accessibility
• Develop a clear, consistent, and simple layout.
• Inform students at the beginning of the course how it is
structured, where to find materials.
• Clearly indicate hierarchy of materials in a page/document
using heading styles.
• Add closed captions to all videos, provide transcript for sound
clips.
• Provide a text alternative to charts and graphs.
7. Course Design
Accessibility (cont’d)
• Add alternative text to all images.
• Provide descriptive links.
• Use tables for data, not formatting.
• Provide color contrast between the text and background and
don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning.
• Use white space to increase comprehension and reduce eye
fatigue.
• Proofread all your course materials to ensure you do not have
spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.
10. Course Design
What is Quality Matters?
• A national set of Standards for the design of
online and blended courses that improves
student learning and course quality
• The QM Rubric takes a holistic view of the
course
• A professional development opportunity
11. Quality Matters Rubric
General Standards:
1. Course Overview and Introduction
2. Learning Objectives
3. Assessment and Measurement
4. Instructional Materials
5. Course Activities and Learner Interaction
6. Course Technology
7. Learner Support
8. Accessibility and Usability
12. Factors Affecting Quality
of Courses
• Course Design
• Course Delivery
• Course Content
• Learning Management System (mainly for
online and hybrid courses)
• Institutional Infrastructure
• Faculty Readiness
• Learner Readiness
13. Learning Objectives
Based on Bloom's Hierarchy of Learning, learning
happens in levels.
Levels of Learning (all learning is not the same):
• Memorizing or Remembering
• Understanding (what you memorize)
• Applying (what your understand)
• Creating, Evaluating and/or Analyzing (what
you are applying – is it working?)
15. Syllabus Development
• Know Elements of Syllabus
• Don’t forget
Response Time
Net-etiquette
Course Policies
University Policies
Tutorials for required materials
• Template
16. Rubric
• What is a Rubric
• Why Do We Use Them
• Types of Rubrics
• Key Steps
Purpose
Identify Criteria to be Assessed
Level of Assessment
Test the Instrument
17. Using Rubrics for Feedback
Here's an example of a Rubric used to grade and provide feedback for
written assignments:
Student Name - Natalie Merchant
Course - LIT 212
Date - April 25
Assignment - Paper Assignment Two
Content/Development
Subject Matter:
• Key elements of assignments covered
• Content is comprehensive, accurate, and
persuasive
• Displays an understanding of relevant theory
• Major points supported by specific
details/examples
• Research is adequate and timely
• Writer has gone beyond textbook for resources
Sue, this is a very well written paper that
appears to be the most complete report received
to date.
1 point out of 1
18. Designing Your Course to be
“Flipped”
To "flip the classroom" it means to shift the
focus from the teacher to the student.
19. Digital Studios
The Faculty Center offers media services to all faculty who
wish to make use of multimedia technology.
We have the ability to create, edit, produce digital files that
can be uploaded to YouTube and embedded into
Blackboard, using Kaltura or Panopto.
Locations:
Digital Studio in NYC
1 Pace Plaza
Birnbaum Library 2nd Floor E201
Digital Studio in Westchester
Willcox Hall, Basement
20. Discussion Boards
• Building Community
• What’s it worth to me
• Leading the Discussion
• Facilitating vs. Dominating
• Dialogue as Inquiry
• The Art of Questioning
21. Visual/Verbal Feedback
Providing frequent and timely feedback to your students is
crucial.
Students need appropriate feedback on performance in order
to really strive and benefit from online/hybrid courses.
Tools to use to provide feedback
• Kaltura
• Collaborate Ultra
• VoiceThread
• Talk&Comment
• Explain Everything
22. Assessment
• Summative
Limited
Not helpful for Student Development
• Formative
On-going
Getting to know the student
Mechanisms
23. Course Delivery: Flipped
• Have students to share resources and information they find pertaining to
your course topic, rather than just reviewing the content you have collected.
• Before the course begins, or on the very first day, ask you students what
they know about the topic and what they hope to learn.
• You can create a lecture for your students to review before a synchronous
Collaborate session, and use the time during the session to have the
students lead the discussion based on the material by posing questions and
ideas.
• Have one student or a small group of students be in charge of a topic – they
lead the lesson, they create or share the videos/audios, and they answer
questions from you and other students.
24. Example 1 to Structure a
Hybrid Course
• Instructor lectures and facilitates class
discussion in the classroom
• Students complete online assignments based
on what was learned/discussed in class
• These online assignments are also posted to
the Discussion Board for feedback from
classmates
25. Example 2 to Structure a
Hybrid Course
• Instructor uploads PPT, Panopto, or Kaltura lectures on
Blackboard for students to review before coming to class
• In class students engage, discuss, ask questions, and provide
feedback (this can be done as a class as a whole or small group
activities and discussions)
• Students prepare small group projects online based on the
topic/content and post them to the Discussion Board for debate and
feedback from the whole class
• After revision/edits, groups present their projects in class in the
face-to-face class
29. Contact Us
facultycenter@pace.edu
Dr. James Stenerson
Director
jstenerson@pace.edu
(914) 773-3317
Joe Seijo
Assistant Director
jseijo@pace.edu
(914) 773-3823
Ally Kimmel
Manager, Faculty Support & Course Design
akimmel@pace.edu
(212) 346-1471
Hinweis der Redaktion
Jim
Hybrid or Blended are names commonly used to describe courses in which some traditional face-to-face time has been replaced by online learning. This allows instructors and students to take advantage of the positive features of both face-to-face and online learning.
Remember that the content that is placed online is not meant to add-on or duplicate of what is taught in the classroom, but instead it is to integrate or blend face-to-face and online activities so that they reinforce the topic and objectives.
Three key points:
Web-based learning activities are introduced to complement face-to-face work
Face-to-face interaction is not eliminated
Components of the course are designed to interact pedagogically to take advantage of the best features of each
An online or distance education course is conducted entirely and exclusively via the course management system (Blackboard). The online format is the primary method to deliver the course materials. Communication and interaction occur online between faculty and students. All assessment of student work is conducted online.
(Web Enhanced courses may have some materials available on Blackboard and some activities may be online; however, this content is usually and add-on or supplement and students continue to meet in the classroom for the standard number of scheduled hours. Generally, courses are Web Enhanced where less than 20% of the content/assessments is online.)
Ally
Initial Planning Phase Items
Are you familiar with the Blackboard Learning Management System? Do you need to schedule training for yourself? Do you know where the online training resources reside?
Do you need to consult with someone about organizing your course, such as a member of the Faculty Center or departmental colleague who has experience with teaching online?
Do you have access to an empty course shell in Blackboard in order to develop your course materials? Will you be copying content from another course shell?
Will you be using a Blackboard course cartridge (pre-packaged course content), or a textbook publisher’s course package?
Have you developed clear and measurable learning objectives for each unit of your course? What skills will your students have when they leave your course?
Have you outlined your course? Have you identified what tools within the LMS you will need to help you facilitate your learning objectives?
How will you transform your in-class teaching materials and activities into a web-based environment? Read: Adapting Your Face-to-Face Course Online
How will you organize, display and disseminate your course materials so that students do not get lost or confused? Ensure that students will be able to easily navigate your course.
Gather all the course materials you intend to use for the course. Plan course assessments and develop clear rubrics for your assignments and discussion board postings.
Develop you course syllabus and ensure it matches what you are building in your online course. Be sure to outline your course schedule, course requirements and course grading policy.
Checklist for Course Launch
Preview all course materials. Pilot class technologies you are using in your course.
Review alignment of important course elements:
Course-level Learning Objectives
Module-level Learning Objectives
Course Materials Assessments/Activities
Ensure you have incorporated activities to engage students.
Contact students via E-mail prior to the first day of class. Create a plan/schedule of how you will communicate with students in the course.
Encourage students to take the online learning orientation. Outline for students where they can receive technical assistance should they need it.
Familiarize yourself with the policies for assisting students with disabilities.
Make sure etiquette expectations with regard to discussions, email, and other forms of communication are stated clearly and understood.
Jim
Ally
Accessibility - the extent to which content in a course is available to all students, meeting the needs of a diverse audience – help all students succeed
Audio
Videos/podcasts without correct transcripts or captions - voice needs captioning
Media players without volume controls
Visual
Text, images, and page layouts that cannot be resized
Long passages of text
Moving or blinking content
Insufficient contrast between colors
Physical
Websites that do not provide full keyboard support
Insufficient time limits to complete tasks
Speech
Assignments or tasks that only require voice activation/recognition
Cognitive and Neurological
Ally
Images used for decoration should have a "null" ALT tag (alt="").
Jim
The following aspects or steps can allow you to design your course clearly and intuitively from the student's perspective:
Include instructions on how to begin (include a “Start Here” or “Read Me First” menu tab)
Provide a course overview:
An introduction to the purpose of the course
Information about the structure of the course and how the learning process will be carried out
Information on how learning will be assessed
Information on the modes of communication
List the course and unit learning objectives
List or provide the course or assignment schedule
Post a self-Introduction (name, title, expertise, email, phone, office hours or availability)
Provide an area or a way for the students to introduce themselves
Include information on the minimum technology needed to complete the course
Provide etiquette and netiquette (online etiquette) policies (tone, colloquial or standard English, spelling and grammar)
List any prerequisite knowledge the student needs before starting the course
Provide a link to the Student Handbook and Pace University’s policies and regulations
Include course policies and regulations (optional)
One of the first things we tell faculty regarding course design is plan...plan...plan! Don't wait until the last minute to design your course. With so many factors to consider, course design needs to be given adequate time in order to develop and implement.
Ideally, you want to start planning a semester ahead, in which time, you should sit down with a course designer in order to facilitate the process.
Jim
Ally
The QM Rubric takes a holistic view of the course: learning objectives must align with the assessments, instructional materials, technological tools, course activities, and student interaction
Ally
General Standard 1 – Course Overview and Introduction: The overall design of the course is made clear to the learner at the beginning of the course.
General Standard 2 – Learning Objectives (Competencies): Learning objectives or competencies describe what learners will be able to do upon completion of the course.
General Standard 3 – Assessment and Measurement: Assessments are integral to the learning process and are designed to evaluate learner progress in achieving the stated learning objectives or mastering the competencies.
General Standard 4 – Instructional Materials: Instructional materials enable learners to achieve stated learning objectives or competencies.
General Standard 5 – Course Activities and Learner Interaction: Course activities facilitate and support learner interaction and engagement.
General Standard 6 – Course Technology: Course technologies support learners’ achievement of course objectives or competencies.
General Standard 7 – Learner Support: The course facilitates learner access to institutional support services essential to learner success.
General Standard 8 – Accessibility and Usability: The course design reflects a commitment to accessibility and usability for all learners.
Ally
Course Design - Involves the forethought and planning that goes into an online course
Course Delivery - The way that a course is taught
Course Content - All of the subject matter and its rigor
Learning Management System - The platform by which the course is delivered, its functionality, and the technical support that enables its use
Institutional Infrastructure - Online tutoring access, the Help Desk, online library access, etc.
Faculty Readiness - Faculty training and planning to teach online
Learner Readiness - Learners are oriented to learning online and what they must do to be successful
Ally
Ally
When you are developing learning objectives for your course, try to use at least these 3 levels of learning from Bloom: memorize, understand, and apply.
Jim
Jim
Jim
Ally
In a flipped classroom, course content is reviewed by students outside the classroom – their homework is not a way to reinforce the knowledge, but a way to gain the knowledge. In class, the students discuss the content with the instructor and with each other to master the knowledge. This means that students are already prepared and have some knowledge of the lesson before coming to class, and the students who understood the content can help the other students with questions they may have. This is a very effective teaching strategy in that students are working inside the content and not just sitting and listening to the instructor.
The Discussion Board is the main area where students can take charge and responsibility of the content and where much of the engagement happens in an online class.
Create a scavenger hunt with your course website. Using the test feature in Blackboard, you can have students answer questions pertaining to location of important information or announcements, deadlines of projects, course grading policy, etc. You can even create an incentive for the first student who completes this activity.
How is this student-focused? – Students are figuring out the navigation, format, structure, and policies of the course on their own, rather than just reading your instructions or listening to a video of you describing the structure of the course.
Ally
Ally
Providing frequent and most importantly timely feedback to your students is crucial. Students need appropriate feedback on performance in order to really strive and benefit from online/hybrid courses. Having them understand what is expected and what needs improvement not only focuses on learning and engagement but also helps create a stronger online environment.
Feedback is particularly important during the beginning of a course. If your students are performing well, you want to encourage that. And of course if they are not, you want them be aware that you are there to help them. Based on early course evaluations at Pace, the number one comment from students is that they do not know how they are doing in the course.
Essentially, feedback needs to inform students whether or not they are meeting the course learning objectives.
In a face-to-face course, it is natural and somewhat easier to provide visual and verbal feedback to each student. But how can you do this in an online course or in a hybrid course when the next face-to-face session is not for a while?
The best way to provide visual and verbal feedback is learning to use a screen recording application. There are many out there that allow instructors to record audio and video content while reviewing a student's work.
All these tools (and many others) allow you to record your screen and your audio as you review a student's essay, project, blog, or assignment, etc. Sharing a video of the instructor narrating the feedback to a student's assignment is very powerful and could be easier to understand compared to written feedback. It also allows students to watch/listen to the feedback more than once and whenever they need. (Of course for students who need captions, written feedback would be better...for this using Google Docs can help increase engagement).
Requesting a “Librarian in Blackboard”
Jim
Ally
These flipped strategies move the focus from the instructor to the students and they encourage active participation rather than passive observation. Also, they allow students to use a higher level of learning – creating and evaluating, rather than basic memorization
