EdTech 513 - Multimedia - Online Learning - What Does Good Courseware Look LIke?

Week 2 - January 19 - January 26, 2015

I must say my experience with online learning as a student is quite limited.  This is beginning of my third semester (fourth and fifth courses) in the MET program and this program has been my only experience as a student in the online learning atmosphere.  For teaching purposes,  I have used a blended learning environment for the last four years.  There is still so much to learn.  I hope this course will enhance my ability and confidence in the use of online learning both from a mentoring and learning point of view.

So far I have completed three classes in the MET program (501, 502 and 533).  They have all had excellent instructor feedback, have been well organized and have provided a balance for my learning needs.  I would say the courses have been excellent.  

Using these courses and the courses I have developed as my experience, I would say the three most important things involved in designing a good online course are the following:

1. Course preparation:  The course must be well organized as to not leave any questions as to what is required in the course. The course must be tailored for the age and/or ability of the student and establish a clear set of learning goals.  It is important to have the student focus on the expected learning outcomes of the assignment and not the anxiety that comes from a disorganized course.  Have the students learn, not stress.
2. Blended learning environment:   As shown from the reading Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning from the US Department of Education, blended learning environments can be the most effective method of learning for students. The online learning atmosphere creates the opportunity for improved student engagement in learning.  There is no doubt that the use of multimedia (audio, text and pictures) has led to more interesting classes, however, the students still needs teacher support.  A classroom lesson, a small face-to-face meeting or even a video hangout will help keep the student stay on track to meet the expected learning goals.   If nothing else, the student will feel more accountable knowing the teacher is following his progress closely.  The student gets a feeling of caring when there is constructive feedback and a friendly voice.   In today’s new teaching pedagogy, students’ collaboration is essential for student learning.  However, in my opinion, teacher feedback is still one of the most important factors in student growth.  The students appreciate student involvement but they need and, for the most part, want to use the teacher’s knowledge and experience.
3. Find a Balance:  Astounding animations like audio, sounds, pictures and video to convey the content on your online learning course seems practical.  However, there can be too many of these.  As well, not enough of these features can also affect the learning of the student.  The online course should be designed to have the student go beyond just reading and writing but, at the same time, keep the students on task so as to meet the learning goals specified.  Opening up the course to too much media can cause an overload of discovery learning and cause the student to venture completely off topic.  If they do not have enough media and text is the only means of information, the  student may lose the engagement sought by using the online method of teaching.

It is also very important to keep a balance of inform and perform.  The course must be written is a way to give information but also to build specific skills.  The students needs facts, but to keep student engagement, they have to be able to use the skills learned.

Online learning can be exceptional if student differentiation is taken into consideration.  With cloud computing and the internet, the students now have the ability to do their learning anywhere, anytime.  It is important to not take the mistakes learned from the classroom over the last 100 years and put them in an online course.  Not all students learn the same way or learn at the same rate.  Whether a student learns best from reading, watching, listening or doing, a good online course should give the student the ability to choose.