Designing for Quality Justin Shewell TESOL 2016 Baltimore, MD, USA

QUALITY MATTERS (qualitymatters.org) Guidelines for quality online instruction Rubric features 8 general standards and 43 specific standards to evaluate online courses course overview and introduction learning objectives assessment and measurement instructional materials course activities and learner interaction course technology learner support accessibility and usability

QUALITY MATTERS (qualitymatters.org) Keep instructional objectives at the forefront Make sure students understand how to use whatever technology you use Include technology that makes sense in your context

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA AUDIO Recording Software or Device Audacity Free (Open source) Works on Macs and PCs Fairly easy to use Needs special library to save as MP3

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA AUDIO Recording Software or Device Quicktime (on Macs) Free (Built-in to Mac OSX 10.6 or later) Easy to use Records in M4A format

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA AUDIO Recording Software or Device Sound Recorder (on Windows) Free (Built-in to Windows) Easy to use Records in WMA format

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA AUDIO Recording Software or Device Handheld Voice Recorder Cost around $40 Easy to use Records in MP3 format Download audio files to your computer

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA AUDIO Recording Software or Device Connect cassette player to recording device using male-to-male audio cable Play the recording Save the file

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA DOCUMENTS Scan to PDF files Most copy machines also scan Save to a USB drive Scan to Scan to a network drive

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA DOCUMENTS Camera to PDF files Apps on phones or tablets convert photos to PDF files Convert digital images to PDF files online Many others….

DIGITIZING EXISTING MEDIA DOCUMENTS Keep file size small by keeping resolution to 72 pixels-per-inch (ppi) for on-screen viewing Use at least 300 ppi for printable PDFs Could upload two versions for ease of use

ORGANIZING MEDIA FOR EASE OF ACCESS Have clear “bins” to put your media in Skill Content area Date (only for courses with a timeline) Make sure users can find media by including a way for users to “browse” Menu with links to all bins Links on each page back to main page

DIGITAL VIDEO Many, many resources already available online YouTube EnglishCentral Good audio quality is essential Use a LAV mic if possible Camera Newer cameras are good (mic & camera) Handheld camcorder Use a tripod to reduce shaking

PLATFORMS Canvas Free (with limited users) Allows embedding of 3 rd party tools Quizlets, YouTube videos, etc. Works on computers and mobile devices Blackboard Available at many institutions Free version available (CourseSites) Moodle (Dawn and Edna)

PLATFORMS Canvas Example