More Work Than You Think

1
Designing Quality Online Courses

• More Work Than You Think
• By
• Crystal Rust
• Assistant Professor of Mathematics
• Miramar College

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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)

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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 Programs 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

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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

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Course Design Part 2 Course Goals and Learning
Outcomes

• Course goals and student learning objectives
  should be clearly written utilizing Blooms
  taxonomy verbs. An excellent resource on
  Blooms taxonomy is found at http//cs1.mcm.edu/a
  wyatt/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

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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

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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

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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 Blooms
  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.

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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

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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 Blooms taxonomy or the knowledge level.
• The mini lectures. Rational Functions
  Mini-lecture
• PowerPoint lectures self checks. Rational
  Functions PP

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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/Th
  eoryCmaps/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 Blooms 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/

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Assessment Type 2 Continued

• Fill in the blank concept maps test the lower
  level of Blooms taxonomy of knowledge. The
  students simply fills in the correct responses
  that are given. These are a great way to start
  students 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 Blooms
  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 Blooms
  taxonomy of create/evaluate. Rational Function
  Concept Map Level 3

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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.

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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 Blooms 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.

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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 Blooms 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 Blooms taxonomy as well.

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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 Blooms 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.

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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
  Blooms 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.

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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/WebQuestDesignPro
  cess.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/w
  ebquesthtml/
• 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

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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.

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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/guidel
  ines/section508.htm
• There is an accessibility wizard from
  Virtual508.com for Microsoft Office , but not for
  Microsoft Office 2007.

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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?