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Online
Learning
Course Readiness
Tips for getting your course ready
to teach in a fully online or blended format
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About Online Learning
This document focuses on how to structure a course for
online learning and addresses both fully online and blended/hybrid delivery methods. Definitions for these methods
are:
•
A fully online course does not meet face-to-face,
but may meet synchronously using a conferencing
technology like Adobe Connect, Microsoft Lync, or
WebEx. All course work is completed online.
•
A blended course will emphasize completing a certain
component of work online since class meets faceto-face a limited number of times throughout the
semester. The Online Learning Consortium defines a
blended course as 30%-70% of course content online.
UST subscribes to Quality Matters, which is a standards-based program for online course design. These standards are a common-sense approach to making sure your
course provides a positive user experience for the students,
and the instructional design is sound. There is a checklist
at the end of this booklet to assess your “course readiness,”
and to help minimize any problems your students may
incur as they acclimate to the online material, navigate the
course and complete online activities.
Lastly, we discuss the basic tenets of how to design for
accessibility, especially if you are using the Blackboard
learning management system. Making sure all of your
course materials are accessible may seem overwhelming,
but it is essential for accommodating students with different abilities and the various ways in which they learn.
There is no single recipe for how to structure a course.
With experience and through student feedback, you will
find the magic formula that works for your course.
On page 2 we illustrate how to incorporate active learning
strategies to help you plan your class time more efficiently
and to assess where students are in understanding the material. These learning exercises can be used in any course
format. The emphasis is on how your in-class, out-of-class
or synchronous meeting time is utilized. Students can
complete activities online like watching an instructional
video, doing readings or writing and discussion exercises.
The in-class time can be used to break up lecture time with
activities that get the students to think more critically and
problem-solve, to share opinions and ideas, and to reflect
upon their learning. The goal is to improve the overall
understanding, application and retention of information so
that student outcomes can be more effectively met.
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Sample Blended Course
This blended course (see example below) incorporates active learning strategies into the class meeting time, and students
are expected to come ready to participate. Time outside of class must be carefully planned and should align with the
allotted hours per credit for the course. The in-class time is spent engaging students so that they can achieve a deeper understanding of the material. You should create a lesson plan for your course since additional work goes into incorporating
active learning strategies. Try to pick some strategies that you can use each time with some minor variations to keep things
fresh. If you stick to a pattern, you will be see what works and what doesn’t as you progress through the course. Gather informal feedback (formative assessment) from students on the pre-class/in-class activities and instruction so you can make
adjustments as necessary.
In this example, the active learning strategies used are clickers, pair-share activity, and group discussion. The strategies
could differ by class; for example, the pair-share activity could entail responding to a discussion post prior to class with a
partner (fewer than 300 words using proper citations) and then discussing select responses in class. You could even assign
groups of students to moderate the discussion. The goal of the in-class quiz is to assess how well the students understand
the material covered in the course. If students do not know whether the quiz will be graded until it is administered, this
will also motivate them to learn and to attend class.
For more resources on active learning techniques. Type these URLS into your browser:
• http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/active/strategies/index.html
• http://www.crlt.umich.edu/tstrategies/tsal
• http://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/Eisen-Handout.pdf
Student Class Preparation
In-Class Activities
and Assessments
Estimated Time: 1½ hours
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•
Watch mini-lecture video
•
Text book readings
•
Journal article or case study
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Online self-quiz
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Additional Assessments
Assessing key concepts using
Clickers (audience response system) (15 minutes)
•
Midterm Exam
•
Group Project
Pair-share activity – react to a
question and prepare a written
response with partner and then
discuss with class. (20 min)
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Final Exam
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Informal feedback from students
assessing their thoughts/opinions
on course activities, instruction,
time spent outside of class. This
will help instructor plan and
make adjustments where necessary.
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Mini-lecture – respond to questions, and clarify confusion or
misunderstandings as demonstrated using the Clickers and the
Pair-Share activity. (15 min)
•
Group Discussion on the journal
article or case. (25 min)
•
Quiz (these could be graded/ungraded) (10 min)
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Mapping Your
Objectives
Start planning your course by articulating broad goals and then turning those into your course objectives. Make sure there
is symmetry between the IDEA objectives and your course objectives (if these are different), and then work on determining
the learning outcomes that are needed for each module or unit in your online course. Then work “backwards” to develop
feedback and assessments in your course as this will help you determine what learning activities are needed. There should
be alignment between activities, assessments and outcomes, so that all of the elements in your course work together.
IDEA/Course
Objectives
Learning
Outcomes
(Per Module or Unit)
Activities
Assignments
Assessments
Bloom’s Taxonomy and IDEA Objectives
Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy is helpful in understanding whether the objectives you have are appropriate to the level of
learning taking place in your class. Below is the taxonomy mapped to IDEA objectives. Lower-level courses typically focus
on developing more fundamental skills such as remembering and understanding concepts, whereas upper-level courses
in a program will focus more on analysis, evaluation or creation of new concepts, products or ideas. On the next page are
verbs corresponding to the levels in the taxonomy, which you can use to write both your course objectives and module
outcomes.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
IDEA Objectives
1.
2.
3.
Creating
10, 11
Evaluating
Analyzing
3, 8, 9
10, 11
Applying
Understanding
1
6
Remembering
2, 7
Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends).
Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories.
Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving,
and decisions).
4. Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by
professionals in the field most closely related to this course.
5. Acquiring skills in working with others as a member of a team.
6. Developing creative capacities (writing, inventing, designing, performing in
art, music, drama, etc.).
7. Gaining a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual/cultural
activity (music, science, literature, etc.).
8. Developing skill in expressing oneself orally or in writing.
9. Learning how to find and use resources for answering questions or solving
problems.
10. Developing a clearer understanding of, and commitment to, personal
values.
11. Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of
view.
12. Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking
answers.
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Writing Your Objectives
Remembering
Understanding
arrange
change
apply
define
classify
articulate
describe
compare
calculate
draw
confirm
change
duplicate
defend
complete
identify
discuss
compute
label
distinguish
list
explain
locate
express
match
extend
memorize
generalize
name
identify
order
illustrate
outline
indicate
quote
infer
recognize
match
relate
paraphrase
recall
predict
predict
repeat
relate
produce
reproduce
restate
simulate
select
review
solve
state
summarize
use
Definition
Student memorizes and recalls information and facts, usually in the
manner in which they were presented.
Primarily “information gathering”
tasks are used by the student.
Definition
Student is able to explain meaning of
information or demonstrate a greater
degree of comphrension. Both “information gathering” and “making use
of knowledge” tasks are used by the
student.
Instructional Strategies
Instructional Strategies
lecture, visuals, video, audio, examples, questions, discussion, review, test,
illustrations, analogies
reports, presentations, writing
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Applying
construct
demonstrate
develop
discover
experiment
illustrate
interpret
modify
operate
practice
Definition
Student selects what he or she has
learned and applies it to a situation
or to solving a problem. “Making use
of knowledge” tasks are used by the
student.
Instructional Strategies
exercises, practice, demonstrations,
projects, sketches, simulations
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
analyze
arrange
compose
compare
assemble
construct
categorize
categorize
design
conclude
collect
explain
contrast
create
evaluate
debate
criticize
estimate
differentiate
critique
facilitate
diagram
develop
formulate
examine
explain
generate
infer
generate
imagine
inspect
hypothesize
invent
interpret
judge
make
manipulate
justify
manage
modify
invent
originate
plan
measure
prepare
research
persuade
produce
select
recommend
propose
solve
relate
rate
survey
summarize
summarize
test
synthesize
support
write
weigh
value
Definition
Student examines an object, concept,
theory, etc. methodologically to
understand the whole and its pieces.
“Taking apart” tasks are used by the
student.
Definition
Student critically reviews, critiques or
performs an assessment. Student may
weigh different options, make a judgment or a recommendation. “Judging
the outcome” tasks are used.
Definition
Student formulates a new product or
idea or proposes a new way or new
view on something.
Instructional Strategies
problems, exercises, case studies, critical incidents, discussion, questions,
test
Instructional Strategies
projects, problems, case studies, creative exercises, develop plans, constructs, simulations
Instructional Strategies
case studies, projects, exercises, critiques, simulations, appraisals
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Charting Your Course
Use this chart to help plan the online component of your course. There should be a direct alignment between each of the
areas listed in the chart below (objectives, outcomes, activities and assessments).
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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Course Objectives
Learning Module Outcomes
(what students should be able to do)
Part 1: Online Learning Modules
Estimated amount of time students should spend per module:
Learning Module Activities (readings, videos, blog
entries, discussion board, online group activities, etc.)
hours
Assignments/Assessments
(how the outcomes will be measured)
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Charting Your Course
Use this chart to help plan the face-to-face meeting times for your course. There are many different ways you can structure
your course time. Use in-class activities to help motivate and engage students. Then gauge where the students are in their
understanding of the material based on the quality of participation and through various assessment techniques.
Class
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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Course Objectives
In-Class Learning Outcomes
(what students should be able to do)
Teaching/Lecture
Part 2: In-Class Meetings
•
•
•
How will you assess that the students read the material/
came prepared to class?
What topics will you dive deeper into during class?
How will you engage the students in higher ordered
thinking?
Learning Activities (include time per activity)
•
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How will the students apply what they have learned?
What topics/areas will need additional attention?
(post-mortem)
Assessments (how objectives will be measured)
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Designing for
Accessibility
Make sure your in-class and online course content is accessible to those with disabilities so you are not scrambling at the
last minute should the need arise to make accommodations. Because this can seem like a daunting task, take it step-bystep and start with one course. Focus first on course content that typically doesn’t change each term and use the guidelines
we’ve put together. From there, move on to other content. Before you know it, you will be done, and you can move on to
another course.
The content that faculty should make sure is accessible includes:
•
•
•
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Documents that are uploaded to your online course, as well as classroom handouts or printouts
Audio or video files used in class or online
Images, applets, embedded media or plug-ins used in your online course
Headers and hyperlinks in online content
Documents
Documents uploaded to an online course system should be checked for accessibility. Make classroom handouts accessible and upload them into your course since students with visual impairments may rely on technology to help them read.
Below are some step-by-step tutorials to get you started. Type the following URLs into your Web browser.
Learn how to make your Word documents accessible:
• http://webaim.org/techniques/word/
Learn how to make your Powerpoint documents accessible:
• http://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/
Learn how to make your PDF documents accessible:
• http://webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/
You can also refer to the accessibility resources available on Center for Faculty Development site:
• http://www.stthomas.edu/fdc/teaching/accessibility/
Audio and Video
Audio and video files are commonly used to teach lessons both online and in the classroom. These files require a transcript
or closed captioning even if they are used in a face-to-face classroom environment. Before doing any recording, write a
transcript of everything you want to say so that the transcript can double as the script. In your online course, the script
should be linked near the audio or video piece.
If you are using third-party audio or video files, or even files that are more than just a couple of minutes long, it may be
beneficial to use closed captioning. Captioning is available through our video hosting service, Ensemble. Please contact
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your department Academic Technology Consultant (ATC) for more information.
Image, Applet, Embedded Media, or Plug-in
Screenreaders read Alt Text, which is a brief text description that can accommodate pictures, charts, tables, graphs and other
media forms that are displayed in web sites. You can see Alt Text by mousing over an image, as shown below. It’s important
to include Alt Text in images and other media forms that you upload into your Blackboard course. As an alternative, you can
write a description on the page and include it with the rest of your content.
To add an image to your Blackboard course with Alt Text:
1. Click the Image icon in the Blackboard text editor.
2. In the pop-up window (shown below), attach your image file by browsing
your course, or by browsing your computer.
3. Add a title in the Title field, and add an additional or extended description
in the Image Description field. You can skip the Title field and just add
an Image Description. Without the Title, the Alt Text tag won’t display but
the screenreader will still pick up the description.
4. Click the Insert button (not shown below).
Headers and Hyperlinks
Write online content in simple paragraphs using headers and bullets or numbering to break up the content so that it is easy
to read and scan. Including properly formatted headers
is particulary important to those using screenreaders,
because they can jump around the page using them to
locate what they are looking for. To tag your headers, use
the formatting menu in the Blackboard text editor. Three
header sizes are available. Simply highlight the word or
words that you would like make into headers, and then
select the header style from the format menu.
If adding hyperlinks into your content, use contextual
words instead of words like “click here” and instead of using full URLs. This is a best practice to help all students and is particularly important so those who use a screenreader are better able to navigate when proper context is provided.
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Course Readiness
Checklist
Use this checklist to set-up your online course and to verify that it meets the standards for a
quality course. This checklist is based on Quality Matters Rubric Standards 2014 edition.
COURSE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
YES
NO
YES
NO
A welcome email is provided to students with information on how to access and get started in
the course. (Recommended for fully online courses.)
There is a Getting Started page that contains course orientation information and any initial
tasks that need to be completed.
Instructor office hours and contact information are provided.
The instructor has introduced himself or herself or provided a bio.
Students are asked to introduce themselves in the course (i.e., by posting in the discussion
board).
The minimum technical skills necessary for the class are stated.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND CONTENT
Course objectives are clearly stated.
The course is structured or chunked out into learning units, topics or modules.
Learning objectives for each unit, topic or module are clearly stated.
The information in each unit is organized in a way that students know what needs to be done
and in what order, if necessary.
A syllabus is available and easy to locate.
A course calendar or schedule is available and easy to locate.
Directions are clear on how to complete assignments. Due dates and times are provided with
respect to those living in different time zones.
All resources and materials have been properly cited in the course.
Required and optional materials are delineated.
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COURSE TECHNOLOGY
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Information on required technology and software for the class is provided.
Tutorials on how to use any technologies that are required for the course are provided (Adobe
Connect, Blackboard, VoiceThread, etc.).
Instructions on how to obtain required technologies are provided.
Students are provided with a link to the UST browser check to verify that their browser is compatible with Blackboard. (http://www.stthomas.edu/browsercheck)
Course documents and files use formats compatible across computer platform. If a specific
browser is required to access a file, it is stated.
Which of the following tools will you be using in your course? (Circle all that apply)
Assignments
Audio recordings/Podcasts
Blogs
Discussion Board
Exams
Journal
Polling
Quizzes
Videos
Wikis
Other:
Please list any other required software that students will be required to use or buy (like Adobe
Connect, Mathematica, Clickers, VoiceThread, etc.)
ASSESSMENT & MEASUREMENT
Each learning unit objective is measureable and linked to an assessment.
The tools and media in each learning unit support the learning objectives.
Assessment techniques are sequenced ranging from simpler assessment techniques to more
complex, and different types of assessment are used. All techniques used are appropriate to
the work being assessed.
Students are able to measure their own progress (practice/draft writing assignments,
self-practice quizzes, peer reviews).
Students are provided with descriptive criteria as to how their work and participation will be
graded (rubrics are recommended).
Faculty are able to ascertain student progress in the course through informal and formal feedback back methods. For example, using a weekly poll asking students about their confidence
level in material and any issues they’ve incurred, etc.
LEARNER INTERACTION & ENGAGEMENT
Expectations for proper communication, including “netiquette” are stated.
Faculty response time to email and feedback on assignments are stated. (a 24 hour response
time to email is recommended).
Students are asked to collaborate or interact with peers during course activities.
There is a balance of student-instructor, student-content and student-student activities.
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STUDENT SUPPORT
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Links to course and institutional policies are provided.
Links to academic and student support services are provided.
A link or contact information for IRT is provided.
ACCESSIBILITY
Instructions for how to obtain accommodation are provided in the course.
Audio recordings have a transcript.
Videos have either a transcript or use closed captioning.
Documents have been checked for accessibility (Word, PDF, Powerpoint).
Heading tags are used to break up pages making them easy to scan by eye and with a screen
reader. (Heading tags are available in Blackboard text editors).
The course pages are easy to read, without distractions and without hard to read fonts or
colors (i.e., try not to use bright colors as many of these are hard to read).
Alt text is used with every image, applet, embedded media, or plug-in. The alt text describes
the content conveyed by the element, without being too verbose.
Any complex graphs or charts are accompanied by a long description.
Links are current and not broken. Contextual words are used instead of words like “Click here”
or full URLs.
An ebook version has been made available to students in addition to a hard-copy version.
This provides students the option of purchasing their preferred format. (Suggested).
SYNCHRONOUS MEETINGS
Will you conduct any synchronous meetings using a meeting technology?
Select the technology that you will use:
Adobe Connect
Microsoft Lync
WebEx
Other:
Have you requested an Adobe Connect account?
Do you need training on this technology? (Contact your Academic Technology Consultant)
Do students know what will be covered in each meeting and how to prepare for it?
Do you know when the best time is for your class to meet online? You may have students in
different time zones (if fully online course) or with scheduling issues.
Have you included the synchronous meeting days/times in your Course Calendar/Schedule?
Have you included the meeting URL in your course?
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References
1. Academic Technology Committee. Online Best Practices Checklist: Validation of Preparedness to Teach Online.
Palomar College. Retreived from site, August 2014. http://www2.palomar.edu/poet/BestPracticesChecklistSP12.pdf.
2. Action Words for Bloom’s Taxonomy. Center for University Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University
of West Florida. Http://uwf.edu/cutla/SLO/ActionWords.pdf. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Development Center, 2014.
3. Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Valdosta State University. Valdosta, GA: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/
col/cogsys/bloom.html. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Development Center, 2014.
4. Eison, Jim PhD. Using Active Learning Instructional Strategies to Create Excitement and to Enhance
Learning. University of South Florida. Tampa, FL: http://www.cte.cornell.edu/documents/presentations/
Eisen-Handout.pdf.
5. eLearning Guild Research: Reconsidering Bloom’s Taxonomy (Old AND New). Learning Solutions Magazine.
eLearning Guild. Retrieved from site, August 2014. http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1105/
elearning-guild-research-reconsidering-blooms-taxonomy-old-and-new.
6. Fink, L. Dee. Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Print. pp. 70-71.
7. Higher Education Rubric, Fifth Edition, 2014 Standards with Points. Quality Matters. Maryland Online.
https://www.qualitymatters.org/rubric. Retrieved from site July, 2014.
8. Jacqueline E. McLaughlin, PhD, MS, Mary T. Roth, PharmD, MHS, Dylan M. Glatt, Nastaran Gharkholonarehe, PharmD, Christopher A. Davidson, ME, LaToya M. Griffin, PhD, Denise A. Esserman, PhD, and
Russell J. Mumper, PhD. The Flipped Classroom: A Course Redesign to Foster Learning and Engagement in
a Health Professions School. Academic Medicine, Vol. 89, No. 2 / February 2014. http://echo360.com/research-result/university-north-carolina-chapel-hill.
9. Quality Matters Rubric Workbook for Higher Education 2011-2013 Edition. Quality Matters. 2011 Maryland
Online, Inc.
10.Task Oriented Question Construction Wheel Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. St. Edward’s University. Austin,
Texas: http://www.stedwards.edu/cte/resources/bwheel.htm. Handout retrieved from UST Faculty Development Center, 2014.
11.38 Question Starters Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Curriculnet. Retrieved from site, August 2014. http://
www.curriculet.com/blog/38-question-starters-based-blooms-taxonomy/.
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The Center for Faculty Development
University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Avenue St. Paul, Minnesota 55105 USA
www.stthomas.edu