The following information provides you with an overview of the major steps that are a part of the course Design and Development Process.
There are important differences between Traditional learning and Hybrid learning. We have outlined some of the important roles that the various components play in a traditional learning setting vs. a hybrid learning setting.
Step 1 – Know your learners
Having a good sense of who your learners are will help you as you develop your online learning experience. Think about the following
- Who are they ? What do they know? What do they value? What life experience do they bring to the classroom? What life responsibilities do they have?
- What could be challenging for them
- What do you want them know/master? What are their resources?
- What learning theory and teaching strategy will you use with them?
Step 2 – Identify learning objectives
Learning objectives are statements that articulate the knowledge and skills you want the student to acquire and demonstrate by the end of the course. Writing clear, measurable and concise learning objectives for each week/ module will provide a clear path in designing and developing your course.
Step 3 – Select the course content
It is important to consider that the content (such as readings, videos, tutorials, websites, etc.) is information a student must master to meet course learning objectives and module learning outcomes and leads the learner to success in related course assessments.
Content can be summarized as:
- Syllabus
- Text-based materials (textbook, articles, journals, etc.)
- Video (instructor-created, news footage, documentaries, interviews, etc.)
- Audio/Podcast
- Student created content (Wiki, Blog, presentations, etc.)
- Diagrams, charts, photographs, checklists, rubrics, etc.
You should provide a variety of content types where possible as this can help with learner engagement and different learning techniques.
Step 4 – Determine the learning activities
Planning required student-to-student and instructor-to-student interactions and collaborations can be used to develop student-created content, build connections in content, or develop community relationships.
Here is a list of learning activities:
- Discussions
- Assignments (consider including rubrics)
- Wiki and blogs
- Group work
- Case Study Analysis
- Project based learning
- Student presentations
- Research activities
- Papers (research, reaction, etc.)
- Quizzes
- One-minute Feedback
- High stake exams
Step 5 – Assess student learning
There are direct, indirect, and self-assessment types – formative and summative assessments – and each measure success in a different way and add value in the online environment. There are many different ways to assess student knowledge you can include both low-stakes and high-stakes assessments online:
Step 6 – Develop a plan of action
Determine a plan of action and fill out a matrix or table that outlines each week/module of the course. The course map
Alignment table This helps to spotlight the relationship between the learning objectives, instructional materials, assignment/assessment/activities and the technology required. Storyboarding has been shown to be an effective way to generate holistic thinking to help the instructor determine how teaching and learning will be accomplished. It also provides a way for the instructor to demonstrate an understanding of the relationships of course elements and the application of learning theory, as well as raising awareness about how the student will journey through the course and the content.
Step 7 – Design your course
Now You are ready to design your course in Blackboard.
Make sure that your course content is accessible and follows the best practices for Universal Design (UDL)
Step 8 – Evaluate your course
Once you have designed of course we recommend using the The SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR) to evaluate your course.
The rubric may guide you o use research-based effective practices and standards to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of your online course design.
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