Complete the design and build of your online course before the first day of the semester. This intentional approach to course organization is essential for supporting student learning in your online courses.
Why does course organization matter?
At the start of an in-person class, you likely find yourself describing what you would like students to learn that day. Often you will also explain to your students how learning activities (e.g.: quizzes, small group discussion, etc.) are strategically designed to help them learn. Providing this guidance to students in an online course, where they can access course materials asynchronously (i.e.: at different times), requires advance planning.
“My aim was to reduce the guesswork for students and in turn, to create an environment providing a reliable structure and empowering them to do their best work.”
-Julia Kleinschmit
Cognitive science research tells us that breaking content into logical segments makes the information easier to process, learn, and remember. Miller (1956) implies that chunking strategies reduce cognitive load to increase the learner’s mental storage capacity. Have you asked yourself how to segment your online course into modules that lead students through consistent sequence? Can students easily find important course information, including their required learning activities each week?
What do Iowa students say?
Our 3-year study of online students at Iowa found a preference for the following:
- Create a homepage with basic course information (97%)
- Create navigation links: syllabus, grades, assignments, and discussions (100%)
- Create a page that provides a quick view of the course content overall (98%)
- Use buttons, icons, and content dividers for course structure and pages (97%)