I agree. Simple design of online courses should be the corner stone of effective online learning. Why Apple is successful because it focuses on creating products that have excellent look and feel. Online courses that are too crowded/complex and do not look or feel simple can confuse students and sometimes faculty.
Cally,
Who does not love extra resources????? We all do!!! I love the fact that you throw out there the extra resources!
Shelly Crider
Mountasser,
Good point....we all like nice things! Being in school should be the exact same way...a "nice" thing!
Shelly Crider
While, the look and feel is very important in the ultimate success of the class, I'm not sure it's as important as the knowledge and skills the course provides. I would venture to say that even classes with subpar looks and feel can impart important knowledge and skills and thus is more important.
The look and feel of an online course is very important. As educators, it is our job to get students involved and keep them engaged in learning all that is offered within the course. To me, that begins with enticing them to get involved and stay around to find out more. The look and feel of an online course should give learners a good 'first impression' of what they can expect throughout the course.
Robert,
I would like to think that even though a class is nice to look at and easy to manipulate, that knowledge would be the bottom line!
Shelly Crider
Lyn,
Just like fishing.....throw the bait out there, let the student swim around and then hook them!!
Shelly Crider
The look has to engage the student, use of graphic, imbedded videos, and other materials give students the feeling that this information will be educational and entertaining or at least no to boring.
I do agree with that statement. Often the content is new and challenging for the students, so if the structure and navigation of the online course is difficult, it can increase the frustration for the students so that they believe they cannot do this. It is very important that the access of material is done in a streamlined and efficient manner to allow the students ease of access.
M. O'Connor
That is a very good point, Kim. I think the students become more engaged when the instructor elicits posts from them through open-ended questions. It is more difficult for them to just stop responding when it is directed to them. I have had classes, however, where they are just not engaged because they find the course content very dry. It is with courses like that, that an instructor needs to use every ounce of creativity to engage them.
Maureen
James,
We do need to engage the students, but need a balance as well.
Shelly Crider
Maureen ,
Knowledge is not about frustration, but learning what is needed to succeed.
Shelly Crider
Shelly I would say that I agree with your statement. If the student finding it hard to navigate the course materials they are less likely to complete their assignments and maybe even drop out. The basic structure of the class is very important.
I cannot say that I agree with the statement. Although the look and feel is extremely important, the end result is of real importance. For instance, many wealthy private schools have wonderful settings, teachers with great personalities and the best of everything in the classroom; however, if the student walks away from the class without mastering the material what have they gained in terms of future success?
Ketul,
Just like our own spine....we like it nice and straight for extra support!
Shelly Crider
Don,
Good point! The end result is transferring knowledge to the student. We hope that our classes and content will do just that.
Shelly Crider
I agree because an online course should look and feel like your are learning from the properly qualified instructors and personnel. This gives you confidence in what you are learning and makes you more likely to participate in the course.
Absolutely. I have been trained to create varied learning environments that enable visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners to excel through exciting activities and innovative learning methods. Once students are offered an opportunity to learn in a way that makes sense to them, they become interested in their own advancement, taking charge of their own education.
Kenjiro,
Good point.....bottom line is no matter the look of the course, the instructor can add to the course and make it the best ever!
Shelly Crider
Sabahudin,
The bottom line is that students need to be able to "make sense" out of what they have learned.
Shelly Crider
