Important Elements to Include When Designing an Online Course

Online learning is all the rage and promises to become more and more popular as technology continues to improve and people get more comfortable with distance learning. The variety in delivery methods is one of the elements that makes online learning fun, but it can also create frustration for students. Flexibility in online course design is great, but all courses should include certain elements.

First, students need to have a way to talk to each other. This can be established in lots of different ways. A running thread or other asynchronous option allows them to think more about what they want to say and how they want to say it than live options. They can check their punctuation and clarity before posting. Although it is also possible to do so with live chat, it is less likely to occur. However, giving a live chat option can be a great boon for students who are able to be online at the same time.

Sometimes classes end up being very small, and the students simply can't seem to connect with each other. Unless the instructor requires all students to add to the thread every day, a student could end up waiting a long time, several days or more, to get a response to a question or concern. Asking students to share their email addresses with each other is a way to help students stay more in touch with each other. Most schools have strict policies regarding misuse of email addresses, so instructors should be able to alleviate student fears about their addresses being sold or otherwise abused by other students.

Students also need to be able to contact instructors and expect a timely response. Setting regular "office hours" that are dedicated to online courses can be helpful to both instructor and student, including those students in traditional classrooms. Many times, those in traditional classes don't understand that the student who sent the email should be entitled to a response before them. "I just have a quick question" or "I'll just take a minute" can eat up too much time, forcing the online student to wait several hours longer before getting a response.

Instructors, too, may have difficulty refusing immediate help to the students who are standing outside the office. Creating online office hours that can be held at home or at times/places other students won't interrupt is vital for good communication.

Instructors should also consider discussing study skills, regardless of the course. Online courses require a different type of study than traditional courses. For example, students can tape record lectures and then listen to them later, which can be particularly helpful for those who are strong auditory learners or need to access more modalities in order to fully grasp the material. Instead, students may need to be told that they might try reading aloud to themselves to get the same kind of experience. They may need to be taught how to take notes, focusing on the primary ideas from each section rather than reading the entire chapter five times to try to get a clear understanding. Instructors might need to supply more study aids than usual, in addition to providing a variety of types of instruction, to allow for the best learning experience in online courses.

Considering these issues when setting up an online course will make the class more enjoyable for both instructor and students. And more enjoyment lead to better learning.