Webs of activity in online course design and teaching

In this study, we followed three faculty members' experiences with designing and teaching online courses for the first time. In order to complete the activity, the faculty members had to work -collaboratively with others across the university. Activity theory provided a framework within which to study faculty members' collaborative activities with members of different activity systems that had different goals, tools, divisions of labor and accountabilities. In concordance with activity theory, such differences led to contradictions, disturbances, and transformations in thinking and work activities. The results of the study have implications for individuals and systems undertaking technology integration in teaching

Accessibility in online course design

When designing online instruction, whether it’s a course for K–12 or higher education, a webinar, a YouTube video for education, or professional development training, accessibility is crucial to the conversation. In chapter 3 of Library Technology Reports (vol. 55, no. 4), “Librarians as Online Course Designers and Instructors,” readers will learn about designing online instruction with an eye toward accessibility, assuring that instruction is available for all participants. Highlights will include accessible design, captioning, and other considerations for participants, patrons, and students regardless of ability

Games-Based Online Course Design: Prototype of Gamification for Online Tutors

With the ubiquity of interactive games in students’ lives and the rise of gamified experiences across the web and mobile applications, online tutors and practitioners of technology enhanced learning have been inspired to incorporate games-based elements. This paper introduces a prototype of an online application that helps online tutors to embed gaming to design their online course. We developed a framework for online course leaders which explains how Wikis (as an online learning platform) can support students’ learning, interaction, and sharing of knowledge in the online community. We are presenting a metaphor for the course design in a gameboard like “snakes and ladders”. This metaphoric game enables online tutors to elaborate online interaction among their students. The game methodological design approach for this metaphoric game merges different pedagogical theories such as (socio-constructivism) with practice in online learning (Wiki) and gives the online tutor an idea about what theory/approach is used when selecting any technological tool or moving forward in the game. This framework could help tutors, educational institutions and students to use a common language with students to describe their teaching and learning activities. Primarily, it helps tutors to make decisions about learning activities, facilitate, guide and support students’ communication and collaboration

Online Course Design: A Case Study

This case study uses the How People Learn (HPL) framework as the conceptual model to examine an online course in a teacher licensure program for evidence of high level learning outcomes that involve collaboration, reflection, mentoring, and problem solving. The HPL framework focuses on the learning environment and indicates that effective learning takes place to the extent that the learning environment is learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered, and community-centered. Analysis of the data resulted in themes that coincide with the elements of the HPL framework: professional growth, peer learning, teaching presence, and collaboration. The design of the course appeared to have a positive impact on student learning as far as complex problem solving and collaboration with peers. Results of the study demonstrate that the HPL framework provides a powerful structure for creating and assessing environments conducive to the work of prospective professionals.

An Online Course Design Checklist: Development and Users’ Perceptions

This study examines users’ perceptions of an online course design checklist. We created the Online Course Design Checklist (OCDC) to help highlight very basic criteria that may improve the quality of online courses. The OCDC highlights criteria that should not be ignored during online course development. It is based on components of established instructional design principles and existing online course design evaluation instruments. To understand course designers’ perception of the OCDC, we surveyed nineteen current and prospective online instructors on their use of it. Participants found the OCDC facilitated online course design by providing criteria to consider before, during, and after online course design

Online Course Design for Student Centered Learning

Agenda Why do we need a paradigm Shift to Student Centered Learning ? What is student centered learning (SCL)? What’s the theoretical basis for SCL? What are the design features of SCL? An example of SCL from the University of Kelaniya A framework for designing SC

Interactive Storytelling: Opportunities for Online Course Design

Compelling interactive stories can be used to get and keep learners’ interest in online courses. Interactive storytelling presents information in a manner that involves learners by allowing them to connect with the content. Incorporating interactive storytelling into online education offers the potential to increase student interest and knowledge retention. Interactive storytelling also allows learners to create a personalized experience. By analyzing examples of interactive stories, we identified five features of interactive storytelling: dynamic presentation, data visualization, multisensory media, interactivity, and narration. We explain each feature, and its educational benefits, with illustrations provided from five interactive storytelling examples. We also discuss the implications of interactive storytelling for online course design

FACULTY JOB SATISFACTION RELATED TO ONLINE COURSE DESIGN

Online education has expanded and evolved slowly through the decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 put online education at the forefront of teaching and learning worldwide and sped up the design and delivery of online courses. This study sought to examine faculty attitudes and opinions (amid a global pandemic) toward online course design that may affect their job satisfaction levels. Specifically, it explored factors that could inhibit or contribute to faculty job satisfaction during their engagement in online instructional design. Further, the study was designed to gain an understanding of how pedagogical and technological changes influence the degree of job satisfaction for online faculty. Lastly, a collection of faculty-preferred strategies related to online course creation was sought. Online higher education faculty throughout the United States were asked to participate in an online 12-question survey. Responses were analyzed using t-tests, an analysis of variance, and means and percentages. The results of the survey suggested that job satisfaction varies based on certain aspects of work and the faculty’s work experience or situation. It also suggested that satisfaction levels are dependent upon the amount of support and resources provided during times of change. Finally, the survey highlighted the potential for greater job dissatisfaction when faculty are asked to engage in online design initiatives rather than daily online design tasks and strategies. Based on this, institutional policies, practices, and procedures should be examined to determine the amount of support and authority online faculty are given related to all aspects of online course design

UNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTORS\u27 SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE COURSE DESIGN ACTIVITY

I come to this dissertation with my experiences on synchronous courses as a student and an instructional designer. Through these direct experiences I have come to realize the benefits of synchronous online courses as a course delivery format, and observed the difficulties of designing and delivering synchronous online courses. I have come to recognize the limited support of synchronous online course design. Even though there is an increased interest and use of synchronous courses, existing studies on synchronous online courses are limited, and offer little practical support to instructors about synchronous course design. The purpose of this study is to understand synchronous course design activities in order to support instructor’s effort to develop their own synchronous courses. To achieve this purpose, this dissertation looks at how five instructors design their synchronous online course with two goals: first, to identify design constraints and second, to capture the design experience and knowledge embodied in the synchronous course design cases. With a multiple case study approach, I collected data though interview, course materials and website resources about course design environments from five instructors. I analyzed the data with constant comparative method and activity system analysis. As a result, this dissertation identified various design constraints that emerged in the overall synchronous online course design process. I identified 48 design constraints and categorized those into eight categories: adaptation of synchronous course formats; converting existing face-to-face courses; instructor (designer) characteristics; learner characteristics; technology; organizational rules; environmental and cultural factors; and physical learning environments. In addition, I wrote five design cases about participants’ synchronous course design experiences. Each synchronous course design case includes information about the designer, the design situation, related design strategies, design tensions, and identified solutions to specific tensions. Specifically, I describe how the design constraints interact with one another and how interactions lead to further design tensions, and instructors’ solutions to those tensions. I will present common characteristics of synchronous course design, and implications for both designing synchronous online courses and supporting synchronous online course design at universities

Accessible and Inclusive Online Course Design in Higher Education

The growth of online learning has expanded the reach of higher education to more diverse students than ever before; however, students often face barriers to equitable access to online instructional materials, course activities, and assessments. The challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners was both highlighted and exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning at many institutions. Disabled students were one group that was particularly affected. Research has explored faculty and students’ (with and without disabilities) perceptions of online learning; however, less is known about instructional designers’ and their team leaders’ roles and perceptions of inclusive online course design. We posit that instructional designers are well-positioned to lead the charge in designing accessible and inclusive online courses that will better serve disabled students. Thus, this article-based dissertation presents three studies focused on accessible and inclusive online learning. Chapter one will introduce the research space and elaborate on the issues of accessible and inclusive online course design in higher education and the role that instructional designers and their team leaders play. Chapter two will present a literature review on accessible and inclusive online course design in higher education. The themes and gaps that emerged from the literature review led to the proposal of two qualitative studies. Chapter three is a qualitative exploration of online learning leaders’ (i.e., those who lead teams of instructional designers) perceptions of accessible and inclusive online learning. Leaders provided insight into the institutional and systemic barriers impacting instructional designers’ ability to collaborate in the creation of accessible and inclusive online learning experiences. Chapter four is a qualitative study focusing on instructional designers’ experiences, perceptions, and knowledge and skills related to accessible and inclusive online course design. These studies, when taken together, are intended to fill the gap in the literature about instructional design teams’ current and potential role in ensuring that diverse learners can effectively access, participate, and feel a sense of belonging in online higher education. Chapter five provides a synthesis of the findings from the three studies, explores the scholarly significance, and presents areas for future research