Elements of Good Online Learning
In order to facilitate learning that meets the needs and demands of online students, instructors should engage in intentional course design. Below are suggestions for constructing course elements that support good online learning.
A Framework for Online
A student’s experience of an online course is largely determined by a few things. Below are some principles to help orient you in crafting a successful experience for your students. These ideas are grounded in the work of Dr. Michael G. Moore, a pioneer in the area of distance education. (For more on Transactional Distance Theory, see here.) This will help frame online teaching in general as well as the other resources we have prepared for you below.
Bridge the Distance through…
Structure
Be organized and consistent
Dialog
Be there and be clear
Autonomy
Offer choice and self-assessment
Engage Students with…
Other Students
Build peer connections
Instructor
Be involved throughout
Content
Bridge theory and practice
Instructional Strategies for Successful Online Courses
You can view the strategies below, grouped by topic. You can also download a PDF copy of this page by clicking here.
Course Content
More of these…
- Vocabulary or key word/concept lists
- Study guides
- Roadmaps or outlines
- Accessible text content (HTML, Properly Formatted Word or PDF Documents)
Less of those…
- PowerPoint presentations
- Image-Based PDF documents
- Word docs with poor formatting
Lectures
More of these…
- Screencasts (10 minute max)
- Case studies
- Evaluations (peer, group)
Less of those…
- Long recordings (anything longer than 10 minutes)
Videos
More of these…
- “Chunked” videos (5-7 minutes) by topic
- Screencasts (7-10 minute max)
- High quality or professional videos with Closed Captioning (CC) and transcripts
Less of those…
- Videos or screencasts longer than 10 minutes
- Videos without Closed Captioning or transcripts
Activities
More of these…
- Asynchronous discussions (dyads, small group, and whole class)
- Group projects
- Group presentations
- Podcasts
- Embedded quizzing/polling
- Student-led/determined synchronous sessions
- Student-created/collaborative course content
Less of those…
- Unmonitored group work (progress and participation)
Assessments
More of these…
- Projects
- Presentations (group and individual)
- Products/deliverables
- Case studies
- Rubrics
- Evaluations (peer, group)
- Low stakes assessments
- Scaffolded assignments
Less of those…
- Proctored tests (use of proctored tests is dependent upon the field and/or departmental requirements)
- Attendance points
Technology
More of these…
- Technological tools to support learning objectives/based on goals
- User-friendly, purposeful, affordable for students
- Tools integrated with UGA’s eLC platform
Less of those…
- Multiple tools requiring extensive experience or training before use
- Multiple tools to accomplish a singular task
- Technology that does not account for accessibility guidelines