Online course design is a topic that I am interested in. I watched the QM session entitled “Online Course Design: Focus on Structure and Interface” today. Penny Ralston-Berg from Penn State and Heather Braatz from Worsham College of Mortuary Science presented this session. They discussed the benefits of supportive structure and shared examples. Ralston-Berg spoke about the benefits of standardization. For this, Ralston-Berg said that “we are hoping to make technology transparent.” Braatz explained that consistent structure and navigation are really helpful. They designed a program with a consistent structure for the mortuary science students. Ralston-Berg explained that consistency in naming conventions, location of menus, and course design is what they desired. They had several examples of course maps and levels of structure & design. Across different courses in the program, Braatz wanted consistent standards, explanations of course elements, and transparency. They both suggested a syllabus orientation module and quiz. Learners were previously frustrated with the design. For example, naming conventions were standardized, and all videos related to the periodic table were consolidated on one page. I find learning about examples and systems others use in various courses useful. The presenters recommended formative assessment and feedback to learn about the impact of changes.
