Concept Development

What do two instructional designers (screen name “wecid4all”) do on a 22 hour drive from Florida to Pennsylvania after attending a thought provoking professional conference on current topics in higher education? They talked about whether the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy held the answers to the ultimate questions about course development. After pondering this for some time, they decided to go directly to an H2G2 expert via IM. And so they IMed Deep Thought, the second greatest computer of all time and space on the legendary planet of Magrathea, to ask her if she could provide the ultimate answer to effective strategies for student-centered course design. The communication went something like this:

wecid4all: Oh great Deep Thought, we are weary cyberspace travelers seeking answers to the ultimate questions about course development.

Deep Thought: So what would you like me to do about it?

wecid4all: We were hoping you’d have the answers. Do you?

Deep Thought: You’re interrupting my web surfing! Why should I waste my time on an answer?

wecid4all: Well, here’s the situation…The needs of non-traditional learners and technologically literate traditional students are pushing the development of web-enhanced and online learning opportunities that are vivid, interactive, and learning centered. The role of educators in this new paradigm is to provide students with online learning environments that encourage critical reflection and knowledge construction through social interaction with other students in learning-community settings (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Some researchers believe that the development of learning centered communities should be the primary goal of online instructors (Hiltz, 1998; Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Unfortunately, there are few practical tools to guide faculty in the development process for online instruction (Bonk & Wisher, 2000; Palloff & Pratt, 1999; Paulsen, 1995). To exasperate this problem, full time faculty have limited time for face-to-face training, and adjunct faculty may not live within commuting distance of a training facility.

Deep Thought: Sounds complicated. Fine, let me see what I can come up with…

Deep Thought: (…..Seven and a half minutes pass….) "42."

wecid4all: Thank you Deep Thought, but we’re looking to provide guidance to new travelers in course development can you expand upon your answer?

Deep Thought: You are annoying travelers. Do you know where your towel is because you’re going to need it?

Deep Thought: I will help you find your own answers by sending you on a quest. The information that you seek lies on the planet of Coluni in the Higedu galaxy. Continue your travels there and report back to me when you’ve found what you seek.

wecid4all: How will we know if we’ve found the answers?

Deep Thought: Check results against your needs analysis. Until then, I’m going back to what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted

….And so the journey to the development of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Course Development began.

Content Design and Organization

 

We didn't like Deep Thought's initial answer, so the conversation continued...

wecid4all: Deep Thought, we have traveled to Coluni in the Higedu galaxy and found much information. So much information, that we figured the best way to present it would be on the Internet.

Deep Thought: The Internet? How are you using the Internet to convey this information?

wecid4all: Well, we’ve developed a tool. Let us explain…This self-paced course is dedicated to assisting faculty with the development of online courses by identifying resources focusing on online pedagogy and supplemental content. While this product is currently available on the Internet, it can also be presented within the course management system that faculty are expected to utilize for delivery of their own courses. One of the benefits of this delivery method is that the faculty are given an opportunity to be immersed in the online learning environment as a student prior to instructing a course.

Deep Thought: Sounds complicated. How does this tool communicate the answers to my answer to the faculty?

wecid4all: As it turns out, the answers to your answer vary based on faculty experience levels and interests, and often their time is very limited. To help address the variety of topics/questions which faculty have during the curriculum design process, the guide materials are arranged in five major sections, and a series of related subsections.

• Section I: Course Design Types. Faculty have a number of options when it comes to the use of technology to support their courses. The question is “Which delivery mode is right for this course?” This module focuses on the differences between Web-Presence, Web-Enhanced, Web-Centric, and Online courses. Each designation includes a definition for that course type as well as recommended content that a faculty member may choose for the online portion of the various course types.
• Section II: Planning Courses. With an understanding of the various course type options, the next question is “How do I begin planning my course?” Since there are some slight and not so slight differences between designing a course for traditional face-to-face vs. online, this module provides planning information which guides faculty through the process of organizing and designing their materials for presentation in both online and classroom based courses. Some of the topics included in this section are: Tips for Effective Teaching, Teaching Checklist, Course Management Tips, Organizing a Class Session, Getting Students Involved, Integrating Technology, and Engaging the Learner.
• Section III: Content Development. As the course begins to take shape, it is only natural to ask “What can I do to design a course that is engaging and provides meaningful learning for the students?” This module provides extensive information about the pedagogy for designing instructional units as well as designing content for presentation online. The internet holds a vast selection of fabricated modules and case studies that faculty can adopt at little or no costs. This site provides links to the various collections that will facilitate the search for and possible adoption of these resources to help the faculty meet the objectives set for the course. To support meaningful learning from a constructivist perspective, suggestions for designing structure and navigation through the course are provided as well as information on methods of designing interaction into a course including the use of webquests, blogs/wikis, interactive online tools, student or group homepages, case studies and mind tools are included within this section .
• Section IV: Assessment and Evaluation. As the content is being developed based upon the goals and objectives defined for the course, the question that all the students want an answer to becomes apparent, “How is my learning going to be evaluated?” When planning assessments, particularly for on-line courses, it is important to think creatively and "out of the box." This is the time to provide a wide range of opportunities for students to tap into their own "intelligences." After providing some brainstormed ideas for how to incorporate creative assessments into an online course, the module presents faculty with the information on the design and development of rubrics including additional online resources to assist faculty with the development of their rubrics.
• Section V: Other Resources. Where possible we have provided links to additional Resources and Tools that apply to module topics at the end of each section. We have also included ancillary sections that provide access to even more resources as well as background information on a number of learning management systems and about the site itself.

Deep Thought: I’m web surfing all the time, but I can’t say I’ve ever been interested in course development. What other resources does the vast cosmos of the Internet hold that can be incorporated into a course and help an instructor improve their teaching strategy?

wecid4all: As the course design process continues through its instructional design cycle of review and revise, additional resources and samples will be incorporated. We will also engage fellow travelers in the design and development process...some of those that are viewing the materials as we speak....