Designing Quality Online Courses

1. Designing Quality Online Courses More Work Than You Think By Crystal Rust Assistant Professor of Mathematics Miramar College

2. What makes a Quality Online Course? • I believe that a common misconception from both instructors and students, is that online courses are just face to face courses put on the internet. • This should not be the way quality online courses are thought of nor constructed. • Quality online instruction should use different modes of delivery, technology and methodologies to deliver course content. • Online instructors need to be aware of letting their online students know that online instruction is NOT like face to face instruction. That student roles and responsibility are different in an online course verses a face to face course. (Stats story)

3. How Can We Assess Quality Online Courses? • There are several different tools to use to define the characteristics of a quality online course. • One tool is the Blackboard Greenhouse Exemplary Course Program’s Submission Form and Grading rubric found at http://www.webct.com/exemplary or in word doc form Greenhouse ECP Rubric 2008.doc • Looking at the way they have set up the form and I will focus on the following sections: • Course Design • Assessment • Interaction and Collaboration • ADA and Section 508 Compliant

4. Course Design Part 1: Mapping the Course • To design a course, one should first do a course map. Also providing the course map to the students, will give the students a concise visual of how the course is set up. This is my course map for College Algebra. College Algebra Course Map. • Another great resource to help you plan your online course, is a communication and support grid we used in another course I took through UCSD. Here is the grid we used to help plan how we were going to construct assignments and what mode of delivery/support we would use: Communication and Student Support Grid

5. Course Design Part 2: Course Goals and Learning Outcomes • Course goals and student learning objectives should be clearly written utilizing Bloom’s taxonomy verbs. An excellent resource on Bloom’s taxonomy is found at http://cs1.mcm.edu/~awyatt/csc3315/bloom.htm In a word doc Bloom's Taxonomy doc • Course goals and learning outcomes should be included in the following areas of the course: • Syllabus: College and Matrix Algebra Syllabus • Inside the content material in the course : Inside my online College and Matrix Algebra course lectures I include mini lectures containing the learning objectives. Also in my PowerPoint lecture on Rational Functions and vertical asymptotes I include the learning objectives Rational Functions • Each assessment activity: Here are two assessments from my College and Matrix Algebra class Rational Functions Project and Rational Function C-map

6. Course Design Part 3: The Syllabus • There are many ways to design a syllabus. You can put the syllabus in PDF or Word document forms. These are the easiest and most accessible forms. College Algebra PDF • However, since we have technology and Internet available in online classes, why not make the syllabus interactive and dynamic? This is the syllabus I created for my College Algebra Course in Power Point. College Algebra and Matrix Syllabus • Here is a link that can help with the basics of creating an effective interactive and dynamic online syllabus http://www.mdfaconline.org/modules/module_a10/module_a10.html

7. Course Design Part 4: Content Design • Is it presented in manageable segments? Exam module segments and specific due dates. Online Class or PDF format • Is it easily navigated? Each exam or content segment should be uniform so that students become accustomed to navigating each content segment systematically. Online Class or PDF Format • Content available via a variety of mechanisms? • Power Point Rational Functions Lecture • Single File Web Page (MHTML) College Algebra Syllabus • Web Page access My MathDoctor1999 web site • Word Doc Lesson 19: Rational Functions • PDF format Lesson 19: Rational Functions • Video Thinkwell Demo

8. Assessment Part 1: Introduction • One of the most powerful attributes of online instruction is the variety of assessments that can be designed. Technology aids in the design of assessments that will touch on a variety of learning styles. • Assessments should be designed with using Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide. • Assessments also need to be aligned with the learning objectives of the course. • Rubrics need to be provided in the assessments that are used for grading. These help students to know precisely what you are looking for them to do.

9. Assessment Part 2: Assessment Types Looking at the Greenhouse ECP rubric, they list a variety of assessment types. Here are some of the types I have used and will be using: • Self-checks • Concept Maps • Individual Projects that require web searches. • Exams • PowerPoint presentations • Web Quests

10. Assessment Type 1: Self-Checks • Self-checks within the lecture materials. These are basic calculation checks for the students. These types of self-checks fall within the lower level of Bloom’s taxonomy or the knowledge level. • The mini lectures. Rational Functions Mini-lecture • PowerPoint lectures self checks. Rational Functions PP

11. Assessment Type 2: Concept Maps • Concept Maps are great for getting students to visualize their thinking process. A wonderful introduction to them can be found at http://cmap.ihmc.us/Publications/ResearchPapers/TheoryCmaps/TheoryUnderlyingConceptMaps.htm In Word doc Cmap Paper • There are many different ways to use concept mapping. • They can be used for individual assessment. • They can also be used for group assessment. • Concept maps can also be designed to fit the different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. • There is a free download available for any University/College and for all of your students to use found at: http://cmap.ihmc.us/

12. Assessment Type 2 Continued • Fill in the blank concept maps test the lower level of Bloom’s taxonomy of knowledge. The students simply fills in the correct responses that are given. These are a great way to start student’s on how concept maps work. Rational Function Concept Map level 1. • The next type of concept map is a little more difficult. In this map, the instructor starts it, and the student chooses from the instructor given choices on how to complete the concept map. These maps test the middle part of Bloom’s taxonomy of analysis. Rational Functions Concept map Level 2. • The last type is known as open ended. In these maps, the student designs their own concept map all on their own with no help from the instructor. This is the highest level of Bloom’s taxonomy of create/evaluate. Rational Function Concept Map Level 3

13. Assessment Type 2 Continued • Grading rubric for the open ended concept map should be included. Here is the rubric I use: Grading Rubric for Open Ended Concept Maps • Another research paper on the benefits of using concept maps in online courses appeared in Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, Spring 2008 Volume 24, Number 3 by Kevin Oliver. His research did use C-map tool, the free software I told you about earlier. • I have not yet launched the C-map use as a group assessment, I am working on it for the Fall 2008 semester. This software has a web-server that the students can sign onto and do collaborative maps. The server is used by scientists and Universities all over the world. It is still FREE to use!! I tried using Word flow charts this semester, these were not successful.

14. Assessment Type 3: Projects with Web searches • Another type of assessment is individual projects. With these types of assessments, I try to give real world problems for the students to research. • This type of assessment assesses the students at the middle level of Bloom’s taxonomy or the analyze level. • I encourage them to do web searches to find web sites that they find helpful in analyzing the problem. I have them post useful web sites to the discussion board for their classmates to view. • Here is an example I used in the College Algebra class: Rational Functions Project • I also include the grading rubric inside the project.

15. Assessment Type 4: Exams • This semester I have been using multiple choice exams for the “major” assessments , as well as, the final exam. • I now have come to the understanding that these types of assessments only require the students to demonstrate their basic calculative knowledge which tests the lowest level of Bloom’s taxonomy. • Calculative exams have a place in assessment, but should not be the main focus for assessment. • Students do need to know how to do the calculations, but exams need to test higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy as well.

16. Assessment Type 4: Exams Continued • Next semester I will use different forms of assessment techniques instead of only multiple choice exams. • I am creating exams that will cover the three levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. • The lower level of knowledge will be assessed through the multiple choice part. • The middle level of analysis will be assessed through an application/web-search problem. • The higher level of create will be assessed through C-maps and/or Web Quests.

17. Assessment Type 4: Exams Continued • As for the final exam, instead of one cumulative multiple choice exam, again I will have different sections of it to measure different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. • However, as a final project counted as part of the final exam, I will have the students create a PowerPoint presentation of a lecture over the material they found to be the most challenging. • Another final assessment would be to have the students as a final project create a WebQuest. • I think that testing with different tools such as these will help to evaluate students with diverse learning styles more practically.

18. Assessment Type 5: WebQuests • A great resource for information on them can be found at http://webquest.org/index.php and http://webquest.sdsu.edu/Process/WebQuestDesignProcess.html In Word doc WebQuest Process • These two web sites contain the information on understanding and designing webquests: http://www.zunal.com/ and an Interactive Cmap on WebQuests found at http://www.mapacourse.com/webquesthtml/ • I made a short PowerPoint WebQuest PPP • Here is a basic WebQuest design Map WebQuest Map • This is an evaluation rubric for designing a WebQuest WebQuest evaluation and a grading rubric to use if you use it as an assessment tool. Grading Rubric

19. Interaction and Collaboration • This semester I have had the students communicating and helping each other through discussion boards, ten of which I grade. Discussion Board Rubric • They have also done independent posts to find help from their classmates. As the semester has continued, they have helped each other more and more and emails to me have decreased. • I always answer emails within 24 hours or sooner. This way the student is assured you are there and watching over the class. • Next fall, I will incorporate the C-maps for more collaboration projects among the students. • Might also incorporate WebQuest group projects.

20. ADA and Section 508 Compliant • To help students that require accommodations, post in your syllabus or in your greeting that if you have students who require accommodations, to contact you so you can discuss their needs on an individual basis. • I am very aware of the accommodations of students because I have a daughter who has a disability. • There are many technical issue within section 508, here is an excellent web resource to help you learn by examples and what software have built in accessibility features and how to use them: http://www.cew.wisc.edu/accessibility/guidelines/section508.htm • There is an accessibility wizard from Virtual508.com for Microsoft Office , but not for Microsoft Office 2007.

21. Wrapping it up One really important thing to remember, online courses are never really finished. They must and should continually evolve. As I take my classes, I am always asking myself: • Is this usable in my online course? If so, how? • Does is bring to the course new innovative ways of teaching and assessing? • Does it help me reach students with diverse learning styles more effectively? • Does it help the students achieve their learning objectives, or would it just confuse the students? Also, online courses are NOT face to face courses stuck online. They utilize different technology and modalities then face to face classes, so take advantage of it. Thank – You for your invitation to speak and your time