Reflection on Designing an Introductory Module in an Online Course

The process of designing an online course often starts with the first module of the knowledge content. What is the fundamental information the students need to know before they can progress to more complex concepts? An instructor might think a global lesson on definitions of terms will lay the groundwork. However, introducing a learner to common terms used in the module is reminiscent of vocabulary tests in middle school. Rather, the learner will have an increased understanding of the terminology if it is incorporated into the context of the new knowledge (Ford-Connors, 2015). Anderson (2008) supports this by creating a knowledge-centered experience, and positioning content in the context it is used. But before this, the often-overlooked preliminary information should be presented in what I refer to as Module 0. Module 0 contributes to a learner-centered space, where the needs of the learner are addressed rather than just the presentation of the knowledge content.

Make No Assumptions. Instructors can easily make assumptions when a course starts that their learners know more than they do. At risk of appearing foolish, the learner does not ask and spends time and effort searching for answers that could easily have been presented up front. I was once enrolled in a graduate course where the instructor was explaining expectations for the final research paper. “The paper should start with an introduction of the problem, followed by a review of the literature, a discussion and end with your conclusion.” One student raised her hand and asked how to go about doing a literature review. The instructor was shocked that none of the previous courses in the program covered this “most basic element of graduate work.” None of the other courses, either, gave a tour of the library facilities.

The only safe assumption is that your learners come from a variety of cultural and experiential backgrounds, and epistemological starting points (Anderson, 2008). This is more apparent with an online course that enrolls students from different states, or countries. Regardless of physical location, in the case of adult learners, students bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to course. Knowing more about them at the beginning will help the instructor present (or adjust) the content as well as the other learners in the course will better position themselves in discussions. Since my online course will assist faculty members in learning how to teach online, I included a quiz in Module 0, to assess their previous technology skills and experience.

Clear Expectations. The material you provide at the beginning of the course content, will better position the learner to be successful as it will give them confidence in knowing how to seek assistance, the objectives of the course, finding external resources such as the library, course expectations, grading and assessments, timelines and procedures: anything that will let the student know what they need to be successful in the course. One faculty instructor I encountered years ago wrote on a medical student’s report, “this student did not meet my expectations.” I asked him how those expectations were communicated to the student, and of course, they never were. It is difficult to meet unspecified expectations.

Digital stewardship. As educators, it is also our responsibility to communicate the rules to using digital content appropriately and legally. Students, and some instructors, may assume that if content is available on the Internet it must be open to use by anyone for any purpose. Not so. The likelihood of your learners having a comprehensive grasp of copyright law and intellectual property rules is not high. The more often they are exposed to these concepts, and how they apply in your institution, the more they might respect the ownership rights of others’ work, some of which may one day be their own.

Quality Online Learning. Two research studies into quality attributes in online learning developed or used a rubric to assess a course or online academic program. Including components as I have listed above in the introduction of a course are considered measurements of a quality course. (Monroe, 2011; Shelton, 2010) Both the Quality Scorecard (Shelton, 2010) and the Quality Matters Rubric (Monroe, 2011) are nationally recognized measurements of quality assessment.

See Also:

Reflecting on building an introductory module in Moodle

References:

Lenert, K. (2008). New York Public Library. Photograph.

Anderson, T. (2008a). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

Ford-Connors, E., & Paratore, J. R. (2015). Vocabulary Instruction in Fifth Grade and Beyond: Sources of Word Learning and Productive Contexts for Development. Review Of Educational Research, 85(1), 50-91. doi:10.3102/0034654314540943

Monroe, R. M. (2011). Instructional Design and Online Learning: A Quality Assurance Study. ProQuest LLC.

Shelton, K (2010) A Quality Scorecard for the Administration of Online Education Programs: A Delphi Study. Proquest, LLC.