Enhanced Organization and Content in Online Learning Dr. David S. Hogsette Department of English

A Word about Course Organization Structure 1: Content Area/Course Tool Organization  Course structured according to tool sets or content areas  Key benefit: Students know where to perform certain tasks  Key limitations:  Student confusion/lost in course  Multiple clicks to find content  Repeated teacher clarification  Example: Sci Fi course in Bb 8

A Word about Course Organization Structure 2: Unit Organization  Course structured by units  Specific, consistent information within each unit  Key benefits  Logical organization of course  Progressive movement through course  Easy navigation through course material and tasks—fewer clicks  Reduced student confusion  Key drawback  Time-consuming construction (one-time)

A Word about Course Organization Example: Romantic Period Literature in Bb 9  General Resources  Units  Objectives  Lecture/supplemental materials  Unit readings  Activities  Journals  Discussions  Assignments (using SafeAssign)

Developing a Course with Content Manager  Uses:  Critical readings  Supplemental information  Handouts  Review notes  Lecture materials  Organize by subject matter instead of by course  Reduces duplication  Allows for cross-course sharing  Basic functionality  Build collection  Link to items in collection when building a course  Can create a collection and add to it as you build a course  See Example

Developing a Course with Discussion Links  Online courses should be interactive  Encourage dialog between students  Engage dialog between faculty and students  Post follow-up questions  Encourage students to respond to each other  Create discussion activities in each unit  How to create a discussion link

Developing a Course with SafeAssign  What is SafeAssign?  What does it do; what does it not do?  Review the results within context of each paper (high percentage does not automatically mean plagiarized paper)  Use with any written assignment  Key uses:  Punitive function—catch and punish plagiarists  Instructive function—teach students how to review and revise their work  Combination of above  Inserting a SafeAssign link

By Way of Conclusion— Provide Course Setup Info  Week one: Getting Started unit  Objectives of the course  Instructor info  Tech support info  Introduction to course material  Complete overview of course activities  Clarification of expectations (e.g., word count for discussions)  Checking-In post  Indicates student has read and understood syllabus and course expectations  A type of contract for the course  Reduces “I didn’t know that…” excuses  See example