scholarly journals Online versus Face-to-Face: Students' Preferences for College Course Attributes

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T. Mann ◽  
Shida R. Henneberry
Keyword(s):  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Course Selection ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Design Technology ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Early Afternoon ◽  
College Course ◽  
Attribute Information

The objectives of this article were to determine: 1) students' preferences for college course attributes; and 2) how the amount of course attribute information impacts enrollment. Results indicate students had the highest preferences for face-to-face (F2F) courses offered late morning and early afternoon and two to three days per week. Students selected online over F2F courses depending on course makeup; for example, course topic, online course design technology, and when the F2F version was offered. Additionally, students selected online courses more frequently when additional online course attribute information was available during course selection.

scholarly journals 9. Quality Matters: A Faculty-Centred Program to Assure Quality in Online Course Design

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Shattuck
Keyword(s):  
Review Process ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Peer Review Process ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Quality Assurance Program ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Quality Matters

One of the dilemmas faced by today’s faculty is assuring quality in online courses. As one solution to that dilemma, Quality Matters (QM), a program of MarylandOnline, built a rubric of design standards informed by existing research literature and best practices. The rubric was implemented within a faculty-centred, peer review process in which colleagues share their expertise to facilitate course design improvements and to achieve an established level of quality in online course design. This article will describe the basic tenets and processes of QM as an inter-institutional quality assurance program for online learning.

Most courses are not born digital

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 217-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangeline Marlos Varonis
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Peer Review Process ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Shared Services ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss benefits of and barriers to online learning and describe utilization of the Quality Matters (QM) peer review process as a method to assure the quality of online courses. It outlines the QM higher education rubric, explains how the collaborative QM peer review process facilitates online course design and certification, reports on the development of a statewide consortium in Ohio, and explores future directions in online courses. Design/methodology/approach – This paper offers a brief historical review of the incorporation of technology into teaching and learning. It describes attitudes toward online learning and the creation of the non-profit QM program as a vehicle for improving online course design. It summarizes the eight standards of the QM rubric, describes the QM peer review process, and discusses the implementation of the Ohio QM Consortium (OQMC) as a shared services model. Findings – Given existing barriers to online learning, the QM program can improve learning outcomes by offering best practices in online course design, validating the quality of online courses, encouraging faculty buy-in through a focus on design rather than content, and facilitating degree completion through recognition of quality courses. Practical implications – Institutions that seek to validate online course quality in a cost-effective manner can explore a shared services model such as that developed by the OQMC. Originality/value – This paper introduces to an international audience a program and process, widely implemented in the USA, which encourages inter-institutional cooperation and promotes a supportive culture among online educators.

Designing Online Courses to Promote Student Retention

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Dietz-Uhler ◽  
Amy Fisher ◽  
Andrea Han
Keyword(s):  
Student Retention ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Quality Matters ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Distance Learning ◽  
Online Distance

Although the issue of student retention is a campus-wide one, it is of special interest in online distance learning courses, where retention rates are reported to be lower than in face-to-face classes. Among the explanations and theories of retention rates in online courses, one that struck us as most useful is a structural one, namely, course design. The question we raise is, can online course designs promote student retention? In this article, we report on how we used Quality Matters to design and revise online courses in psychology and statistics. Quality Matters, a research-based initiative, advocates the use of eight general review standards to review online courses. In our psychology and statistics courses, our retention rate across multiple offerings of both courses is approximately 95%.

scholarly journals A “just-in-time” pragmatic approach to creating Quality Matters-informed online courses

2020 ◽  
Vol 121 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 365-380
Author(s):  
Angela P. Murillo ◽  
Kyle M.L. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Online Education ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Matters ◽  
Formal Quality ◽  
The Creation

Purpose Quality Matters is one of the most widely regarded standards for online course design. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many instructors have needed to quickly convert face-to-face classes into an online environment. However, many instructors do not have online education expertise. Standards such as Quality Matters can help guide the creation of quality online course environments. This paper aims to provide a research-based and pragmatic approach for creating QM-informed online courses. Design/methodology/approach The Quality Matters Standards Rubric consists of eight General and 42 Specific Review Standards. Each standard was analyzed to determine the ease of implementation and implementation approach for a Quality Matters-informed online course template. Findings Of the 42 specific review standards, 16 (38%) are easily achievable, 20 (48%) are achievable, but required some intervention, and six (14%) are difficult to achieve through a course template. Practical implications This study provides guidance for implementing Quality Matters-informed online course design. As many instructors without an instructional design or online education background now need to conduct online classes, Quality Matters provides structure and guidance to assist with creating high-quality learning environments. As receiving formal Quality Matters certification is time-consuming and requires peer-review, this research provides guidance to create Quality Matters-informed online courses in a timely manner. Originality/value This study is particularly timely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will help prepare instructors for any second-wave scenarios. Furthermore, through providing guidance on the creation of Quality Matters-informed online course design, this paper will help instructors have a greater chance of instructional success for online course delivery.

Authentic Learning in Online Courses

2012 ◽  
pp. 82-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deb Gearhart
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Real World ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Authentic Learning ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Design Students

The purpose of this chapter is to describe authentic learning, review the literature pertaining to authentic learning, discuss the benefits for online learning, and provide a model for the use of authentic learning in online course design. Students comment they are motivated by solving real-world problems and often express a preference for doing rather than listening. At the same time, most educators consider learning by doing the most effective way to teach (Lombardi, 2007). The chapter will be beneficial to instructors and instructional designers alike.

scholarly journals Improving the K-12 Online Course Design Review Process: Experts Weigh in on iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Adelstein ◽  
Michael K. Barbour
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
K 12

<p class="3">Within the K-12 online learning environment there are a variety of standards that designers can utilize when creating online courses. To date, the only research-based standards available are proprietary in manner. As such, many jurisdictions have begun adopting online course design standards from the leading advocacy organization, which that have yet to be validated from a research perspective. This article reports on the second phase of a three-stage study designed to examine the validity and reliability of the iNACOL <em>National Standards for Quality Online Courses</em>. Phase two utilizes two groups of expert reviewers to examine and provide feedback with goal of further refining these standards (after the standards had been scrutinized through the lens of the available K-12 online learning literature).</p>

Mapping pedagogical touchpoints: Exploring online student engagement and course design

2021 ◽  
pp. 146978742199084
Author(s):  
Eseta Tualaulelei ◽  
Katie Burke ◽  
Melissa Fanshawe ◽  
Cathy Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Online Student ◽  
Design Students

Online learning has been widely adopted in higher education but there is a need to better understand the nature of student engagement with online courses. For example, there are questions about whether students engage with courses as educators intend and what features of online courses engage students to enhance learning. Bringing together student and educator perspectives, this article reports on a study that identified ‘pedagogical touchpoints’ – opportunities within online courses for student engagement – to ascertain whether a better understanding of these could improve online course design and student engagement. Data were collected across three undergraduate online courses. Data analysis produced three key findings: mapping pedagogical touchpoints against dimensions of engagement reveals patterns that may inform enhanced course design, students’ engagement with pedagogical touchpoints varies according to their learning needs and desires, and mapping pedagogical touchpoints can inform course design at both conceptual and practical levels. Discussion of the findings highlights that purposeful design of online courses, including strategic planning for pedagogical touchpoints, can maximise the potential for student engagement and consequent learning.

scholarly journals Online Course Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally J. Baldwin ◽  
Yu-Hui Ching
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Course Evaluation ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Evaluation Instrument ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Quality Matters

The evaluation of online courses is an important step in providing quality online courses. There are a variety of national and statewide evaluation tools used to help guide instructors and course designers of online courses (e.g., Quality Matters, OSCQR). This paper discusses a newly released course evaluation instrument from Canvas, the second largest learning management system (LMS) used by higher education institutions in the United States. The characteristics and unique features of the Canvas Course Evaluation Checklist (CCEC) are discussed. The CCEC is also compared to established national and statewide evaluation instruments. This review is helpful for those interested in online course design and developments in the field of online education.

Narrative Learning in the Virtual Landscape: A Model From a Baccalaureate Program

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
Meghan E. MacNamara
Keyword(s):  
Medical Humanities ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Practical Skills ◽  
Online Course Design ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Narrative Constructions ◽  
Humanities Curriculum

This article explores the implications of presenting a medical humanities curriculum in a virtual format, using as a model a fully online humanities course taught in both traditional 15-week and accelerated 5-week formats. The course explores narrative competency and allows baccalaureate students to deepen their practical skills with increased awareness of narrative constructions. The online course design fosters growth in many areas of communication that have otherwise been absent in face-to-face courses taught by this educator. In the virtual format, students showed increased investment in the course content and an openness to communicating their experience as well as to critically challenging their colleagues on narrative-based dilemmas, such as those centered around building empathy, remaining nonjudgmental when challenged with ethical dilemmas, and awareness of signs within themselves of disengagement and burnout.

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