2+Course+models

Much research has been conducted about online learning. At a very high level, some of the key findings appearing consistently in this body of literature include the importance of:
 * **Interaction**
 * Successful online courses are not simply a conglomeration of material and individual exercises.
 * Faculty need to plan to spend significant amounts of time providing feedback, facilitating discussion, and modeling online involvement.
 * Developing community through very intentional activities is time well spent.
 * **Engagement**
 * Not surprisingly, students who spend more time engaged with online materials/activities achieve at a significantly higher level.
 * Generally, students value the convenience and flexibility (logistics) of online learning but express concerns about reduced contact with peers and instructor, and a feeling of being overwhelmed as an individual.
 * Students who are self-reliant with an internal locus of control generally are the better achievers in online courses.
 * Monitoring student progress and intervening early when students need assistance can make a big difference in student retention and success.
 * **Instructional Design**
 * The quality of course layout/organization/navigation impacts learning.
 * Communication of high-level expectations (student learning outcomes) and specific directions for assignments/activities is vital.
 * A learner-centered approach to instructional design is more likely to generate student success and satisfaction.
 * **Assessment**
 * Tools available in the online environment actually can help provide more assessment and quicker feedback to students than traditional paper-based, face-to-face activities.
 * Frequent formative assessment and timely acknowledgement and feedback contribute to student success.

Course Design Models
Examples of various models of course redesign can help to inspire faculty and raise awareness about alternative approaches to curriculum design and course delivery. Beware, though. It is equally, if not more important to start by considering the "sweet spots" for course redesign given the existing course's strengths and weaknesses, faculty strengths and preferences, as well as stakeholder needs and concerns. Faculty developers and instructional designers should also have at least some familiarity with the conceptual underpinnings behind the research and effective practices for design and delivery of blended and online learning.

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0352.pdf This article by Carol Twigg of the National Center for Academic Transformation (http://www.thencat.org/) outlines five models of course redesign: (1) the supplemental model, (2) the replacement model, (3) the emporium model, (4) the fully online model, and (5) the buffet model. Case studies for each of these course redesign models are presented.
 * Improving Learning and Reducing Costs: New Models for Online Learning**

http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/86/07879775/0787977586.pdf This chapter by Charles Graham from The Handbook of Blended Learning "addresses five important questions related to blended learning systems: What is blended learning? Why blend? What current blended learning models exist? What issues and challenges are faced when blending? What are the future directions of blended learning systems?"
 * Blended Learning Systems: Definitions, Current Trends, and Future Directions**

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0313.pdf A model for hybrid courses is presented in this article about the experiences of faculty at Baldwin-Wallace College in suburban Cleveland. Course design includes a first face-to-face class, followed by online activities including e-mail, synchronous chat, weekly online quizzes, and asynchronous discussion boards. A final face-to-face class involves the final exam. The authors map the ways in which this course design gel with Chickering and Gamson's Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.
 * The Hybrid Online Model: Good Practice**

http://www.concord.org/courses/cc_e-learning_model.html The following nine key characteristics define The Concord Consortium's approach to delivering quality e-Learning: Asynchronous collaboration; Explicit schedules; Expert facilitation; Inquiry pedagogy; Community building; Limited enrollment; High-quality materials; Purposeful virtual spaces; Ongoing assessment.
 * The Concord Consortium e-Learning Model for Online Courses**

http://www.editlib.org/INDEX.CFM?fuseaction=Reader.ViewAbstract&paper_id=25752 SFSU instructor Brian Beatty describes the HyFlex course design. This is a flexible participation policy for students whereby students may choose (weekly) to attend face-to-face synchronous class sessions or complete course learning activities online without physically attending class. Artifacts created during learning activities for each set of students becoming "learning objects" for all. HyFlex courses are being used in the Instructional Technologies Masters Degree program at SF State to build an online degree program by transitioning students, instructors, and administration from a traditional past to a hybrid future. HyFlex design principles, descriptions and reports of student and faculty experiences, and administrative issues are discussed.
 * Transitioning to an Online World: Using HyFlex Courses to Bridge the Gap**

Course Evaluation Resources: At Time of Design
These resources can help faculty and institutions conduct quality assurance of hybrid and online courses as they are being developed to increase the likelihood that they will be successful. The following resources are well aligned with the best practices research outlined above.

http://www.csuchico.edu/tlp/resources/rubric/rubric.pdf This is the gold standard rubric for evaluating the quality of online course design. It provides anchors for baseline, effective, and exemplary designs across the following dimensions: (1) learner support and resources, (2) online organization and design, (3) instructional design and delivery, (4) assessment and evaluation of student learning, (5) innovative teaching with technology, and (6) faculty use of student feedback.
 * CSU Chico Rubric for Online Instruction**

http://www.esac.org/fdi/rubric/finalsurvey/demorubric.asp This site includes a rubric for reviewing the quality of online courses across the following dimensions: (1) course overview and introduction, (2) learning objectives, (3) assessment and measurement, (4) resources and materials, (5) learner interaction, (6) course technology, (7) learner support, and (8) accessibility. This is an excellent resource for assessing the quality of online course design.
 * Quality Matters: Peer Course Review Rubric**

[|http://elearning.typepad.com/thelearnedman/ID/evaluatingcourses.pdf] This document from Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton includes a comprehensive checklist to assist instructors in evaluating the effectiveness of their online course design. It is organized into the following sections: (1) general information, (2) accessibility, (3) organization, (4) language, (5) layout, (6) goals and objectives, (7) course content, (8) instructional or learning strategies and opportunities for practice and transfer, (9) learning resources, (10) evaluation, and (11) overall.
 * Criteria for Evaluating the Quality of Online Courses**

http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/higher_ed/distance.pdf This report was prepared by the Higher Education Program and Policy Council of the American Federation of Teachers. It presents fourteen standards for quality design of distance education courses.
 * Distance Education Guidelines for Good Practice**

[|http://home.sandiego.edu/~jjulius/ed833/checklist.pdf] "Course design should be an ongoing process based on sound pedagogy, faculty reflection, and student feedback. This checklist is a tool for faculty to use in the design/redesign process as one way to obtain a greater degree of confidence that the course is likely to be successful." This checklist is intended for use with any technology-rich course, whether enhanced, hybrid, or fully online.
 * A Design Checklist for Courses Incorporating Technology**

http://distance.wsu.edu/facultyresources/savedfromweb/7principles.htm "Taking the perspective of a student enrolled in [an online] course, we began by identifying examples of each of Chickering and Gamson's seven principles. What we developed was a list of "lessons learned" for online instruction that correspond to the original seven principles."
 * Seven Principles of Effective Teaching: A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses**