As online enrollment continues to define itself, there is an increased need for high quality courses that create a strong community of learning. This presentation highlights the new course development process for online courses at Austin Peay State University from the perspective of a faculty member and an Instructional Designer.
The goal of this presentation is to share the new course development process at Austin Peay State University as an option for developing high quality courses at the college level. The process includes both comprehensive faculty development and application of the Quality Matters rubric for online course design. The story of course development at APSU will be told from the perspective of the course developer participating in the process and the Instructional Designer managing the process, as outlined below.
Transformational Changes in online course design – Faculty Perspective
Enrollment in online courses continues to rise. According to a ten year study from the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board (2012), the number of students taking at least one class on line surpassed 6.7 million. However, by 2019, it is estimated that approximately one-half of all college classes will have an online component says the e-Learning Statistics Market Survey (2014). The continued growth in college enrollment of non-traditional students will be in record numbers by 2019, as reported by the National Center of Educational Statistics (2009). As growth in online education continues to sky-rocket; it is critical that university faculty and course developers have the skills and knowledge necessary to develop a virtual learning environment that engages and retains students. Structured professional development and mentoring programs are critical elements used to equip faulty with the skills and tools needed to meet this growing demands on faculty for quality online education. Course developers and university faculty must transform their thinking and past practices in order to effectively design curricula and engage learners by creating course materials that meet individual student needs.
This presentation outlines essential elements of course design from the faculty (course developer) perspective, coupled with effective online instruction supported by structured mentoring and professional development. Online transformative teaching includes developing relationships, consistency in course rigor, and responsiveness to meeting individual student needs by developing a culture of inclusion for students. With structured professional development and quality initiatives built to meet faculty needs, this ensures that faculty are confident, that course content is rigorous, and that best practices are utilized.
The online learning environment consists of both the academic expectations for the course, as well as the social aspects of the virtual classroom. As faculty engage in transformational professional development, the training must include skills that effectively integrate technology and pedagogy which impacts student learning. Transformational learning ensures that faculty are able to effectively develop online course and use the latest technology to transform past practices.
Mezirow (1991) outlined domains of transformational learning to include elements of adult learning theory. In order for adults to make transformative changes, the new learning must be developmental, holistic, integrative, contextual, and transactional. Professional development for online faculty must include these domains. Faculty must reconstruct and create new ways of thinking about online course content and course development.
In order for professional development to be effective for faculty, a mentoring model is essential, allowing faculty the opportunity to immediately apply new pedagogy and technology in a supportive environment. The content must be contextual and holistic allowing faculty the ability to see immediate application and relevance to the specific courses and to the students they are teaching. Professional development must be interactive, engaging, and presented in a threat-free learning environment in order for transformative shifts to take place. Online education continues to grow; faculty who embrace this growth and use these opportunities for learning have the potential to be change-agents for university. Knowledgeable and transformative faculty have the potential to increase university enrollment and embrace professional development opportunities; both influence instructional practices that will impact student learning in positive ways.
Transformational Changes in online course design – Instructional Designer Perspective
As online enrollment continues to rise, online educators need additional resources and support to meet student needs. Some faculty continue to express reluctance toward online teaching, due partly to the perception that online teaching is of lower quality (Ward, Peters, and Shelley, 2010). A transformational approach to faculty and course development can provide educators with the tools necessary to create an immersive and high-quality community of learning within their online courses.
The course development process outlined in this presentation consists of multiple components. First, faculty intending to develop an online course must complete ten hours of professional development training. These sessions include in-depth training on:
- the campus online learning environment
- methods for selecting appropriate educational resources in a technological environment
- strategies for utilizing multimedia technology to create instructor-generated video
- comprehensive tools for learning new and innovative pedagogical approaches geared specifically to online learning
- instruction for creating accessible courses that meet Americans with Disability Act standards
Second, to ensure that courses are of high quality, the Quality Matters Rubric for Course Design comprises the majority of the review process. The QM rubric has been nationally recognized as valid and effective for designing high quality online courses and creating an environment of active learning (Puzziferro and Shelton, 2008). Faculty are introduced to the rubric and are provided with support from Instructional Designers and Instructional Technologists during the development process.
This presentation will feature an overview of the process from the Instructional Designer perspective. Reasons for process revision (what used to be versus what now is) will be presented. Faculty feedback, frequently missed components, and lessons learned will be showcased.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Babson Survey Research Group and College Board. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.babson.edu/news-events/babson-news/pages/130107-2012-survey-of-online-learning-results.aspx
Puzzifero, M., and Shelton, K. (2008) A model for developing high-quality online courses: Integrating a systems approach with learning theory. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 12(3), 119-136.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). NCES Statistical Standards (NCES 2003-601). Washington, DC.
Ward, M.E., Peters, G., and Shelley, K. (2010) Student and faculty perceptions of the quality of online learning experiences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 11(3), 57-77.