Posts Tagged ‘designing distance learning courses’

January 24 - Brain-Based Online Learning Design

By: in Online Education

Abreena Tompkins, instruction specialist at Surry Community College, has developed a brain-based online course design model based on a meta-analysis of more than 300 articles. In this study, she distilled the following elements of brain-based course design: Low-risk, nonthreatening learning environment Challenging, real-life, authentic assessments Rhythms, patterns, and cycles Appropriate chunking or grouping Learning as


September 5 - Mapping Success: Essential Elements of an Effective Online Learning Experience

By: in Online Education

An online course is like walking into a foreign land with an entire map laid out, but having no sense of the land’s origin or how to navigate the terrain. How the instructor formats and interacts with the class will ultimately determine the student’s travel experience. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of how the elements of an online course are integrated such that they form a cohesive whole that creates easy travel based upon instructor presence, appropriate feedback, and easy navigation for students.


March 1 - Designing Online Courses with Course Updates in Mind

By: in Online Education

Online courses are rarely “done.” Over time, things change, including the curriculum and content (because of changes in the field and changes to available content) and the technologies (ways that the content can be delivered and tools for interacting with it and with others in the courses, including you).


June 16 - Steps for Creating and Growing Your Online Program

By: in Online Education

When you think about all the reasons why a college or university would want to offer courses online, “Because it’s easy” isn’t one of them. Yes, it’s a smart way to grow your programs and reach a greater number of students. Yes, it can be an attractive revenue stream. And yes, in order to attract today’s learners – adult and traditional-aged students alike – you likely need an online offering.


October 22 - More Principles for Improving Online Transparency, Quality

By: in Distance Learning Administration

In Tuesday’s post, we introduced Transparency by Design, an initiative from a consortium of adult-serving educational institutions with significant commitments to distance education. Today we conclude the organization’s list of eight basic principles for supporting transparency:


September 24 - Choosing Appropriate Distance Learning Tools

By: in Distance Learning Administration, Online Education

Faculty need to consider learning objectives, learning styles, accessibility, cost, and available technical support when designing distance learning courses, says Laurie Hillstock, manager of distance learning at Clemson University.

Hillstock works with faculty to develop satellite, CD-ROM, and Web-based courses using a design model that is roughly 80 percent asynchronous and 20 synchronous. Within this model, instructors can…