Online Course Design Research Articles

Students’ online learning adaptability and their continuous usage intention across different disciplines

Online learning, as a pivotal element in modern education, is introducing fresh demands and challenges to the established teaching norms across various subjects. The adaptability of students to online learning and their sustained willingness to engage with it constitute two pivotal factors influencing the effective operation of online education systems. The dynamic relationship between these aspects may manifest unique traits within different academic disciplines, yet comprehensive research in this area remains notably scarce. In light of this, this study constructs an Adaptive Structural Learning and Technology Acceptance Model (ASL-TAM) with satisfaction towards online teaching as the mediating variable to investigate the impact and mechanism of online learning adaptivity on continuous usage intention for students from different disciplines. A total of 11,832 undergraduate students from 334 universities in 12 disciplinary categories in mainland China were selected, and structural equation modeling was used for analysis. The results showed that the ASL-TAM model could be fitted for all 12 disciplines. The perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and system environment adaptability dimensions of online learning adaptivity significantly and positively affect satisfaction towards online teaching and continuous usage intention. Satisfaction towards online teaching partially mediates the relationship between online learning adaptivity and continuous usage intention. There were significant differences in the results of the single-factor analysis of the observed variables for the 12 disciplines, and the path coefficients in the ASL-TAM model fitted for each discipline were also significantly different. Compared to the six disciplines under the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) category, six disciplines under the humanities category exhibited more significant internal differences in the results of the single-factor analysis of perceived usefulness and the path coefficients for satisfaction towards online teaching. This research seeks to bridge existing research gaps and provide novel guidance and recommendations for the personalized design and distinctive implementation of online learning platforms and courses across various academic disciplines.

Applying a UDHE Framework to an Online Learning Program

Some students with disabilities cannot fully engage in digital learning opportunities because of the inaccessible design of many online courses. In this commentary on policies and administration, I describe how the Universal Design in Higher Education (UDHE) Framework can be used to guide the design of accessible and inclusive online courses and share examples of best practices in applying it. I also present potential roles key stakeholders can play in applying the UDHE Framework. Taking meaningful steps in this regard can improve online learning opportunities by making them accessible to and inclusive of more learners.

Examining sense of community in the pandemic: A case of an online course

This instrumental case study aimed to understand the development of a sense of community in a fully online course that was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic era. The study further aimed to examine how the particular course elements supported community-building processes. The data were collected through a survey of the sense of community index and semi-structured interviews conducted at the middle and end of the semester. Our findings showed that the four community elements –reinforcement, influence, membership, and shared emotional connection– were all present in this course, although to varying degrees. They also indicated that the adapted course elements for the online modality supported the community-building processes. The implications of the findings for the design of more effective online courses were discussed.

I'm in Tales MOOC on Tangible User Interfaces and the UDL Model: A Case Study Design.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles within the I'm in Tales Erasmus Project, focused on Tangible User Interfaces (TUIs) and their potential in enhancing storytelling for inclusive education. The MOOC aims to equip educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement TUIs in educational settings, promoting their understanding of TUIs as tools for creating accessible and engaging storytelling experiences for all learners. The course follows a self-paced and independent learning approach, incorporating active, contextual, social, and reflective learning methods. Preliminary evaluation results are discussed, and further evaluation methods are planned to assess the MOOC's impact on educators' understanding of TUIs and their potential for inclusive education. The use case presented illustrates the practical application of TUIs in universally designed learning experiences. The study concludes that the MOOC provides a valuable resource for educators and learners interested in TUIs and their role in enhancing inclusive education.

Evaluating empowerment towards responsible conduct of research in a small private online course

Teaching Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) has gained recognition in recent years, with various organizations emphasizing the need to take responsibility in training their researchers in RCR. However, differing perspectives on RCR education result in a variety of practices, making it unclear what approach is most effective. As part of two European projects on research integrity education, we have developed an empowerment perspective on RCR education and incorporated this in an online course design. This paper presents the design and qualitative evaluation of a Small Private Online Course (SPOC) that aims to empower participants towards RCR. Results show the course enhanced individual aspects of empowerment, but it proved difficult to stimulate social aspects of empowerment in researchers day-to-day work.

Student Perceptions of Quality Matters Standards on Engagement and Learning

ABSTRACT In this study, we recreated a study by Sadaf and colleagues and examined student perceptions of the impact of Quality Matters (QM) standards on students’ learning and engagement. Nineteen graduate students enrolled in an Instructional Technology online program completed a survey created based on the QM Rubric items. The QM Rubric (6th edition) includes 42 Specific Review Standards clustered into eight General Standards. Among the eight standards, students rated Learning Objectives and Assessment and Measurement to have the highest impact on both student learning and engagement. These results will help instructional designers and online instructors understand the impact of individual QM design standards from students’ points of view as a means to design online courses that effectively contribute to their learning and engagement.

Partnership models in online learning design and the barriers for successful collaboration

The design of quality online courses is a team task, as this process requires multiple areas of expertise that are not typically possessed by a single individual. Yet, existing models of stakeholder partnerships in online learning design, and their nature, has yet to be explored in depth. This study was designed to address this gap. Using the PRISMA guidance, twenty-one articles that documented the experience of teamwork in designing online courses or programmes were analysed. For each study, a reported partnership model, stakeholders involved in the teamwork, and barriers to their communication were considered. Six partnership models in online learning design were identified: mentoring and guidance; equal collaboration; technical or formal support; multisectoral collaboration; focus on relationship building; and an iterative or flexible approach. Key barriers to establishing successful partnerships include poor knowledge of the design process, lack of financial incentives, no adequate regulation of the design process, insufficient project planning and management, time constraints and required time commitments, increased workload, and psychological barriers.

Tracking transdisciplinary skills in the design of online courses: A design-based research study

This design-based research (DBR) study was conducted to identify the type of learning activities and assessments that are responsible for fostering transdisciplinary skills (t-skills) in higher education online courses. T-skills are transferable skills that apply across the disciplines and that have been identified as needed for life and career success in the 21st century. The study addressed two major research questions: (1) “To what extent does the intervention - a new outcomes table - aid in tracking transdisciplinary skills in the design of online courses?” and (2) “What design principles guide the development of learning activities and assessments that foster t-skills?” To address the first question, the researchers developed a design intervention, an outcomes mapping protocol, that was used to map t-skills in 75 unique online courses and deployed the learning outcomes feature of the learning management system to generate learning outcomes analytics on t-skills. The new mapping process captured not only the intended disciplinary goals (what was taught) but also the competencies fostered by the learning design (how the curriculum was taught). To address the second question, the researchers asked learners in these 75 courses to select the top skill resulting from the online course they had just completed and to reflect in writing how the learning activities or assessments in that online course had helped them foster the t-skill they selected. We then coded the learners’ feedback into design principles. The theoretical outcomes of this DBR study constitute refined active learning design principles that tie the development of t-skills to active learning methods. The practical outcome of this DBR provides a new instructional design process for instructors, designers, and administrators to effectively map t-skills across any semester-based curriculum.

Canvas LMS Course Design: Create and Deliver Interactive Online Course on the Canvas Learning Management System : A Book Review

As online education continues to grow in popularity, instructors are increasingly seeking ways to design effective and engaging online courses. "Canvas LMS Course Design: Create and deliver interactive online courses on the Canvas learning management system, 2nd Edition" by Ryan John is a comprehensive guide to designing online courses using the Canvas learning management system (LMS). The book is an excellent resource for instructors at all levels of experience, providing practical advice and examples to help them design engaging and effective courses that meet the needs of their students. The book focuses on the practical aspects of course design. John provides clear and concise guidance on topics such as multimedia integration, assessment strategies, and student engagement, and provides numerous examples and case studies to illustrate these concepts in action.

Academic thriving and online course design: a conceptual model

ABSTRACT The concept of thriving in post-secondary education has largely been studied in the context of academic advising and student support services, with limited research that links thriving to pedagogical practices. This paper presents a conceptual model created using an integrative literature review to illustrate how instructional choices made during the design and teaching phases of online courses may impact students’ academic thriving. The Instructional Design for Academic Thriving (IDAT) model, nested within the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework for online learning, supports online course design practices that emphasize student wellbeing and allow students to not just succeed but thrive academically.

Exploring usability principles for educational online courses: a case study on an open platform for online education

This article delves into the crucial issue of effectively implementing usability principles in educational internet resources. By engaging with the latest research in the field, we investigate the influential factors shaping the outcomes of online education. Through a comprehensive analysis, we identify and examine six well-established criteria of usability design: Information Quality, System Navigation, System Learnability, Visual Design, Instructional Assessment, and System Interactivity. Additionally, we propose the existence of a seventh criterion termed Responsiveness.To shed light on the practical application of usability principles, we focus on the open platform "Higher School Mathematics Teacher" as a case study. Through a survey administered to 203 respondents, comprising both teachers and students, we sought to gather their valuable perspectives as the initial users of the platform. The insights gained from this study provide guidance for the implementation of usability criteria on the platform, particularly during the development of online courses.The findings strongly suggest that all seven subcategories of usability are pivotal in the design of online courses on the platform. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on usability implementation in educational technology, offering valuable insights for developers, educators, and researchers alike. By recognizing the significance of these criteria, educational internet resources can be enhanced to create more engaging, accessible, and effective learning environments.

Development and Evaluation of E-Learning Courses

This study attempts to develop a reliable, practical, and efficient process for developing online and distance courses. The study aims to develop e-learning online and distance education courses. ICT and e-Research course development processes have shown significant learning opportunities and outcomes. A substitute for raising these opportunities is the need for innovative research in education while implementing online and distance modes of learning and teaching. Subscribing research and development research methodology, the study aims to produce e-learning instructional materials using a three-stage development model. The course, along with the learning strategy, the learning tools, the assessment tools, and other components, are designed and developed using the Plomp model, a development research model. The research participants were forty-two 2021 Winter Batch MPhil in Educational Studies students and nine lecturers at Nepal Open University (NOU), Nepal. The descriptive analysis uses data analysis to explain the online course's validity, applicability, and effectiveness. Experimental research design was developed using the one-group pre-test post-test design methodology. The most important results are results of preliminary analysis, validity: average material validation is 0.885; average media validation is 0.885 and practicality: more than 71% (very practical). This article proposes a more comprehensive framework to design, develop, and implement online and distance courses in e-learning systems in higher education.

ОЦІНЮВАННЯ МОВЛЕННЄВИХ НАВИЧОК В ОНЛАЙН НАВЧАННІ

This academic article explores the intricacies of assessing oracy skills online within the context of online courses. While online learning has been growing in popularity, with many educational institutions transitioning to this mode of delivery, there remains a lack of empirical insight into designing online courses that account for the right assessment. The study seeks to address this gap by investigating the challenges and strategies involved in assessing oracy skills online. The article highlights the multifaceted nature of oracy assessment, which involves assessing oral language and communicative competence. Additionally, assessing oracy skills requires flexibility, as students mature and move from one age period to another. The challenges of online assessment are also discussed, including academic dishonesty, which can hinder fair assessment. Plagiarism, identity verification, and cheating are all identified as key challenges in online assessment. Moreover, students may experience a lack of motivation, insufficient and unrealistic information, and inadequate communication with their instructors as additional barriers in online learning. In response to these challenges, the article outlines various strategies and technologies that can be employed to assess oracy skills online. These include using formative online tests, which provide quick feedback and help build confidence and maintain practice, as well as summative tests that stem from taking formative tests. Additionally, the article suggests that educators should focus on positive student perceptions and outcomes in online learning to develop better practices. Overall, this article highlights the importance of understanding the intricacies of assessing oracy skills in online courses and provides insights into the challenges and strategies involved in this process. By taking into account the various factors that can impact online assessment, educators can develop more effective and engaging online courses that promote student success. Key words: oracy skills, assessing oracy, assessing online, distance learning, communication.

Online Training in Music Education Based on a Signature Pedagogy

The paper presents the investigation of the effectiveness of the online training for future music teachers based on the signature pedagogy at the university. The literature review let us stated the gap in researches which cover online learning strategies for training music teachers in the professional preparation process. Due to the shifting of the educational process to the online way in the emergency situation COVID19 pandemic, the relevance of pedagogical tools for pre-paring of future specialists online extremely increased. The comparative analysis of music education standards in different countries let us determine the set of teachers` professional activities in general school music class. The main contribution is the design of a small private online course based on the signature pedagogy which delivered the set of specific pedagogical tools for training music teacher professional skills online. This course was implemented at [removed for blinded review]. The experimental work was based on the teacher` assessment of online tasks, in which students demonstrated the music teacher` professional skills. The results were proved by the statistical methods of median, standard deviation and Pearson's correlation. The obtained results proved the effectiveness of the online training based on the signature pedagogy which provided learning activities according to the specific features of music teacher professional practice.

Exploring The Relationship between Teaching, Cognitive Presence and Social Presence in Online Learning

The rapid adoption of online learning is due to its several advantages over traditional classroom training. However, the remote nature of online learning can pose challenges for both students and instructors. Instructors were thrust into a big transition to online instruction with no preparation time or resources. Whether or not the quality of education has improved as a result of the shift from the more traditional face-to-face format to the more modern e-learning approach is the subject of some discussion. This study aims to address the relationship between teaching, cognitive presence and social presence in online learning. A quantitative study is done to explore online presence among learners who attend online classes. A purposive sample of 100 participants responded to the survey. The instrument used is a survey and is replicated from (Arbaugh et al., 2008). There are 4 sections altogether (refer to table 1). Section A has items on demographic profile. Section B has 13 items on teaching presence. Section C has 9 items on social presence and section D has 12 items on cognitive presence. The findings of this study suggest that online learning environments require a balance of teaching, cognitive presence, and social presence to facilitate effective learning. The exploration of the relationship between teaching, cognitive presence, and social presence in online learning has important implications for the design and delivery of online courses.

Modelling the role of learner presence within the community of inquiry framework to determine online course satisfaction in distance education

This study sought to investigate the nuances in predictive relationships existing among teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence as well as learner presence in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework towards online course satisfaction. The study is necessitated by the deficiency of current literature in providing information on the nuances in interaction among the three original presences and learner presence, prior to the final determination of online course satisfaction. Thus, the study adopted a survey design and collected data via a questionnaire from 347 postgraduate students on an online database course. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to validate a definite model on the predictive relationships existing among teaching presence, cognitive presence, social presence, learner presence and online course satisfaction. Results from the structural model analysis proved a statistically significant predictive relationship between learner presence and the three other presences (i.e. cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence). Other relationships established include social presence and cognitive presence; social presence and teaching presence. Finally, online course satisfaction was predicted by social presence and teaching presence. Based on the findings it was recommended that institutions that offer online courses should device concrete strategies that promote social presence and teaching presence since these variables are precursors to online course satisfaction. Finally, the design of online courses should be effective and learner-centred to attract the learner since learner presence determines all the other three ‘presences’ in online learning environment.

Students’ Perceptions towards the Role of Online Teaching Platforms in Enhancing Online Engagement and Academic Performance Levels in Palestinian Higher Education Institutions

The present research aimed to determine the role of online teaching platforms in enhancing learning and teaching as perceived by bachelor students of English specialization. This study also sought to examine the association between students’ engagement and their academic performance during online learning. In doing so, a quantitative approach was used to collect data, and 423 bachelor students from three Palestinian higher education institutions (Al Quds Open University, An Najah National University, and Arab American University) completed a closed-ended questionnaire. The study’s outcomes demonstrated that the students’ attitudes toward the role of online teaching platforms in enhancing their learning can be classified as positive and negative, and these attitudes varied among the respondents due to problems and challenges during online learning and previous experiences, skills, and learning style. Moreover, about 58.6% of students were dissatisfied with their online learning and had negative attitudes toward online teaching platforms. Therefore, more future studies relating to the design of online courses, resources that are available on the platform, and online teaching strategies that are considered fundamental components for fostering students’ engagement at higher education institutions should be taken into account. Moreover, further studies involving more universities with samples from different specializations will confirm or contrast the findings of the current study.

The development of a reporting form for peer observation of online learning courses: An e-Delphi consensus study of educators working in health professions education.

Peer observation of online teaching has been suggested to maintain and monitor online learning standards. However, this practice and the designed peer observation forms have been almost exclusively restricted to face-to-face or stand-alone synchronous/asynchronous sessions. This study, therefore, aimed to identify criteria for the successful design and delivery of online courses and develop a rigorous form specifically designed for peer observation of teaching in online learning environments applicable to the Health Professions Education context. A three-round e-Delphi technique was used to gather consensus on categories/items and process/structure of the peer observation form. A total of 21 international, experienced online educators working in Health Professions Education were recruited. A 75% consensus was considered as the minimum agreement level. Response rates were 100% (n = 21), 81% (n = 17) and 90% (n = 19) respectively. The intensity of consensus was 38%-93%, while the agreement/disagreement consensus was 57%-100%. In Round 1, the 13 topics proposed as major categories for design and delivery reached agreement consensus. One option reached agreement on how to approach and structure the peer-observation process. All items within major categories reached agreement in Rounds 2 and 3. The resulting form presents 13 major categories with 81 items. The identified criteria and developed form address relevant educational principles such as constructive alignment, online instructional design, retrieval practice and spaced learning, cognitive load, and constructive feedback and authentic assessment, all of which have been suggested as critical aspects to ensure a high-quality learning experience. This adds to the literature and to educational practice as clear, evidence-based guidance for the design and delivery of online courses, which differ distinctly from traditional face-to-face teaching. The developed form expands the options for peer observation, from face-to-face and stand-alone synchronous/asynchronous sessions to fully online courses.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF TEACHING CLARITY AND STUDENT ACADEMIC MOTIVATION IN ONLINE CLASSES

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, a large number of educational institutions had to temporarily discontinue their offline delivery models in favor of online courses. Teaching clarity has always been an important factor in teaching and learning, but due to the implementation of online courses, teaching clarity has been greatly impacted by various factors of new course delivery model. It is unknown how student academic motivation will be affected by teaching-clarity behaviors in this context. This study collected data from undergraduate students who adopted an online course delivery model to explore the relationship between teaching clarity and student academic motivation during covid-19. The regression result indicated that student motivation was significantly and positively related to teaching clarity in the online course delivery model, and that higher teaching clarity in online courses was associated with higher student motivation. The finding of this study shed light on the teaching-clarity behavior as a key to motivating students in the online course delivery model, with revelatory implications for teachers to design online courses and motivate students in the future.

Features of High-Quality Online Courses in Higher Education: A Scoping Review

What are the features of high-quality online courses in higher education? In this scoping review, we explore peer-reviewed scholarship related to the features of online learning in postsecondary contexts. We searched ERIC (EBSCO), Education Research Complete, and SocINDEX with Fulltext to retrieve peer-reviewed literature from 2010-2022 pertaining to features of online learning in higher education. Two reviewers independently conducted the initial title and abstract screening (n = 1,574), full text review (n = 483), and data extraction of the included articles (n = 38). Using thematic content analysis to explore the data extracted from each article, we found that the literature predominately included scholarship related to quality online course design, instructor facilitation in online courses, quality assessment of online courses, and student engagement in online courses. The breadth of these themes included a multiplicity of strategies and approaches to consider when designing online learning experiences. We recommend that administrators, faculty members, and instructors responsible for designing online courses and programs for postsecondary contexts continue to incorporate these considerations to promote high-quality and consistent online offerings. We conclude the review by presenting four high-level considerations to guide these discussions.