Chapter 1 Introduction to Course Design
Seung Gutsch
Chapter Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Define quality online courses.
- Systematically develop inclusive courses by utilizing the ADDIE model.
- Conduct Course Design Analysis to identify learner characteristics and external influences that impact course design.
1.1 What Makes a Quality Online Course?
What makes a quality online course? One crucial aspect is student-centered course design, which can provide students with an engaging and successful learning experience. It is essential to know how students perceive online courses. Researchers at the University of Waterloo surveyed over 800 undergraduate students about what they liked, disliked, hoped for, and expected from their online courses; some of these students also participated in over 100 hours of interviews and user testing (Troop et al., 2020). The following video is a sample the students’ comments.
High Quality Online Courses: Student Voices (2:13 mins)
Here are some key aspects that define quality online courses:
Online learners LIKE:
- flexibility (but can be challenged by self-regulation);
- a mix of media (text, images, video, interactions);
- well-structured, easy-to-find content and assignments;
- content presented in short(er) segments; and
- connections with instructors and peers.
University of Waterloo, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, & Conestoga College. (n.d.).
These aspects align with learner-centered design principles, which prioritize the learner’s experience by focusing on the learning process and providing a supportive environment to engage with relevant content (Rajeh, 2020).
The SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR) is widely used in higher education institutions and details what is considered a quality online course. We will discuss this rubric further in Chapter 2.
The following describes important course components of quality online courses.
1.1.1 Providing Learning Objectives
Every course should have clearly defined objectives that outline what learners need to know or do by the end of the course. These objectives guide the selection of materials and assessments, and inform learners of the course expectations.
1.1.2 Ensuring Regular and Substantive Interactions
It is essential to comply with regular and substantive interactions (RSI) for online courses (WCET, 2022). RSI refers to consistent and meaningful interactions between students and faculty, such as delivering direct instruction, offering feedback on students’ performance, moderating group discussions, and providing timely feedback on assignments. We will discuss RSI in detail in Chapter 2.
1.1.3 Ensuring Learner-to-Learner Interactions and Collaborations
Faculty should create opportunities for students to engage with their peers in online courses. Many online learners feel isolated, and faculty can support learners by fostering interaction. Learner-to-learner interaction can take varied forms, such as discussions, group projects or presentations, and collaborative problem-solving activities. These interactions can help build a sense of class community and facilitate knowledge sharing. When students feel connected to their peers, they are motivated to engage in class activities, leading successful learning experiences.
1.1.4 Providing Opportunities for Applying Knowledge and Skills
Quality online courses should provide opportunities for students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned. Assignments like virtual labs, case studies, semester-long projects, and real-world scenarios can help students apply what they have learned in practical or simulated contexts.
1.1.5 Providing High-Quality and Relevant Course Content
High-quality, well-organized, relevant, and engaging course content is crucial to student success. Course content can be provided in various forms, such as readings, multimedia materials, lecture videos, and online resources. We will discuss the importance of utilizing diverse content in Chapter 4.
1.1.6 Providing Timely Feedback and Support
Another critical aspect of designing quality online courses is providing timely feedback. Regular assessments with constructive feedback help students measure their progress and understand areas for improvement. Offering support in terms of technical support, academic advising, library resources, and accessibility services can help students navigate their online courses, manage challenges they might encounter, and stay on track with their learning.
1.1.7 Providing an Accessible Online Learning Environment
The learning management system (LMS) or online platform should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, reliable, and accessible across various devices and platforms so students can learn on the go. Defining quality in online learning is an ongoing process, informed by context, discipline, and institutional priorities. However, by incorporating the components above, you can create high-quality educational experiences that support diverse learners and help students achieve desired learning outcomes (Kennedy, n.d.). We will discuss how you can further enhance learning environments with inclusive practices in Chapter 5.
1.2 Systematic Course Design
Designing and developing a high-quality, engaging course requires a systematic approach. Whether you are planning to develop a new course or redesign an existing one, utilizing the ADDIE model can help streamline the process.
ADDIE Model
The ADDIE model is a widely used instructional design framework. It involves five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. This model provides a dynamic, flexible guideline for building a high-quality course.
The ADDIE Model demonstrates a systematic approach for designing and developing a course. The initial design process uses the first four phases: Analysis, Design, Development, and Implementation. The last two phases, Implementation, and Evaluation, are used to determine the success of the course and to guide the redesign if needed. This book is structured around the ADDIE process. The diagram above shows key points to help you think about where to start. The following provides a more in-depth description of each stage.
1.3 Learner and Context Analysis
The Analysis stage of ADDIE model involves learner and context analysis, which lays the foundation for course design.
1.3.1. The Essential Role of Learner and Context Analysis in Course Design
Identifying and creating clear learning outcomes is important for developing an effective course. To come up with well-defined outcomes, faculty must consider what they want their students to achieve by completing the course. Clearly defined course outcomes can streamline the course design and lead to a well-integrated course structure encompassing outcomes, content, and teaching methodologies.
Several key questions are important in this process:
- Are the intended learning outcomes reasonable, given the contextual issues?
- How well do the chosen content and methods facilitate achieving these outcomes?
- What could be adjusted to improve the alignment between teaching methods and desired outcomes?
- Beyond the core content, what additional skills (such as writing and presentation skills) should the course develop? Are these outcomes aligned with theoretical knowledge and practical skills?
- Are the learning outcomes specific, attainable, and measurable?
(University of Waterloo, n.d.)
These questions highlight the necessity of conducting thorough learner and context analyses. When designing a course, faculty must carefully consider not only who they will be teaching but also how the course fits within the broader program level, the specificities of the course description, and the physical or virtual location of the course delivery. Each of these aspects plays a crucial role in ensuring that the course is appropriately tailored to the student’s needs and learning environment.
1.3.2. Learner Analysis: All About Your Learner
Learner analysis is important for understanding students’ demographic, knowledge, and motivational backgrounds. This insight enables faculty to create experiences that meet students’ specific needs, maximizing engagement and effectiveness.
Key Aspects of Learner Analysis Include:
- Demographic: Understanding age, prior knowledge, and professional background to tailor content complexity and instructional strategies.
- Knowledge and Skills: Setting a realistic starting point for course content by assessing existing competencies.
- Learning Motivations: Aligning content with why students have enrolled, whether for professional development, personal interest, or academic requirements.
- Diverse Needs: Addressing various learning preferences and providing accommodations for disabilities to ensure accessibility and inclusivity
1.3.3. Context Analysis: External Factors
Context analysis examines external factors that influence course design, delivery, and structure. This analysis is critical for aligning the course with practical and logistical requirements.
Key Questions for Context Analysis:
- Institutional Objectives: How does the course align with the broader learning goals and standards? Is this course required to align with state standards? How are existing course outcomes aligned within your program? Does your existing course outcome fit well with your program outcome? How does your course fit within the program?
- Resource Availability: Assessing what technological and material resources are available to support the course. Is there any internal educational technology available for course design? Does the library provide any digital content that you can utilize for course design? Does the department provide an additional budget to obtain resources? Is there an updated version of the textbook or homework system for your course?
- Course Logistics: Consider how factors like course length, class size, and delivery format impact teaching methods and assessment strategies. Often, courses can be offered in the summer and fall or spring semesters. How can this course be designed to be suitable for these semesters? What is your class size? Are they small or large classes, and how can you create student interactions?
- Course Description and Location: Understand the details provided by the course description and how the location—whether it is in-person, blended, synchronous, or asynchronous—affects interaction and engagement. Does your current course description fit with your course outcome? What is the mode of your course delivery? Is this course offered both in-person and asynchronous? How can students meet the same outcome within the different modes of delivery?
- Here is more information on when to use synchronous and asynchronous from the University of Waterloo.
- Course Length and Schedule: Determine the timeline of the course, including start and end dates, and how the schedule accommodates institutional calendars and student availability.
1.3.4. How much time should a student devote to a course?
When designing an online course, one critical consideration you must account for is the course length and schedule. This aspect requires thorough analysis as part of your course design planning. The course structure directly impacts students’ engagement with the content and time management. According to federal guidelines for courses and programs, a typical online course requires students to devote approximately nine hours per week per credit. This includes a combination of direct faculty instruction and independent study or out-of-class work. To answer the questions about how much time students should devote to an online course and how faculty should consider time when designing an online course, we can derive guidelines from the provided regulatory framework:
Time Devotion for Students:
- Standard Metric: For every credit hour, there should be at least one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one-quarter hour of credit. This standard can be adapted to the online format.
- Equivalent Workload: The amount of time devoted to an online course should be equivalent to the traditional model. If a course is worth three credit hours, students are expected to engage with course materials and complete associated tasks for about 9 hours per week.
- Course Design Considerations: faculty should establish clear intended learning outcomes for the course. The amount of student work (including reading, assignments, discussions, and assessments) should be designed to meet these outcomes effectively.
- Verify Student Achievement: Faculty need to ensure that specific assessments or activities align with the learning outcomes to verify student achievement. This might include quizzes, assignments, projects, or exams that are appropriately spaced throughout the course duration.
- Flexibility in Delivery: Recognizing that online courses offer flexibility, faculty should consider asynchronous activities that allow students to engage with the material at their own pace alongside synchronous interactions to foster engagement and community building.
- Consider Different Activities: When planning activities such as discussions, readings, multimedia use, and interactive elements, the total expected student engagement time should align with the credit hour expectations. For example, if a video lecture takes one hour, additional readings and activities should be planned to fill in the remaining expected student work hours for that week.
(U.S. Department of Education, 2011)
In addition to these considerations, not enough research has been conducted on how much time students spend on learning activities and assessments. To optimize students’ learning experience, Wake Forest University developed a “Workload Estimator” to help faculty estimate students’ workload. This is a great tool that may help you estimate students’ workload when you design courses. However, keep in mind the considerations that we discussed.
Integrating Learner and Context Analysis
Integrating learner and context analysis insights is essential for developing achievable and relevant learning outcomes. This integration ensures the course design is realistic, addresses student needs, and aligns with institutional capabilities.
Integration Strategies:
- Synthesize Findings: Combine insights from both analyses to draft a comprehensive framework for learning outcomes, content, and methodologies.
- Evaluate Alignment: Continuously assess how well the course content and teaching methods align with the intended learning outcomes.
- Adapt and Iterate: Make necessary adjustments based on ongoing feedback and analysis to optimize course fit and effectiveness.
Learner and context analyses are important to course design and are ongoing processes that influence every aspect of course development. By focusing on these critical analyses, faculty can ensure that their designed course offerings are effectively tailored to meet the needs of their students and are feasible within the given context.
Conclusion
A quality online course that provides an effective, engaging, and flexible learning experience involves multiple elements. Some key aspects that are important for students include a mix of media, well-structured content and assignments, shorter segmented content, and meaningful interaction with their peers and instructor. These elements align with learner-centered design principles, focusing on the student’s learning experience. These topics will be covered in Chapter 2, OSCQR and RSI. Faculty can utilize the ADDIE model to plan and create effective learning experiences.
Reflection questions for Chapter 1
- What elements do you believe make an online course effective? How can you incorporate these into your course design?
- Why is it important to analyze learner characteristics and external factors when designing a course? How can this analysis affect the course outcomes?
- How will you gather information about your students’ backgrounds and needs? How do you plan to use this information to tailor your course content and delivery?
Summary/Key Takeaways
- Developing an engaging and effective online learning experience is required to build a sense of community, enhance learning outcomes, and provide well-structured content and assignments.
- Utilizing the ADDIE model can systematically design and develop high-quality courses by ensuring that all elements of the course are purposefully aligned.
- Conducting learner and context analysis is key to successful course design by tailoring elements of the course that are well aligned with the course outcome.
References
Kennedy, G. (n.d.). What is student engagement in online learning … and how do … https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3362125/student-engagement-online-learning_final.pdf
Post-Secondary Learners. eCampusOntario. Retrieved from https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/hqoc/
Raible, J. (2020). Introduction to Instructional Design. Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.pub/itec51602/
Rajeh, H. S. (2020). Learner-Centered Design Theory. Theoretical Models for Teaching and Research. Washington State University. Retrieved from https://opentext.wsu.edu/theoreticalmodelsforteachingandresearch/chapter/learner-centered-design-theory/
Troop, M., White, D., Wilson, K. E., & Zeni, P. (2020). The User Experience Design for Learning (UXDL) Framework: The Undergraduate Student Perspective. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2020.3.8328
University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Course design: Questions to consider. Centre for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved August 8, 2024, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/course-design-questions-consider
U.S. Department of Education. (2011, March 18). Guidance to institutions and accrediting agencies regarding a credit hour as defined in the final regulations published on October 29, 2010. https://fsapartners.ed.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/dpcletters/GEN1106.pdf
