2023 Higher Ed Quality in Action Conference

With more faculty becoming familiar with using multimedia in online courses, the question that needs to be addressed is how effective are we at reaching our students. In this session, we will explore the research and discuss a framework for developing quality multimedia for online courses.

Faculty support staff at Oregon State University Ecampus found that while they had the tools needed to depict quality course design — the QM Higher Education Rubric — they needed a resource that could paint a picture of what quality online teaching looks like. Recognizing the need for faculty support and development extended beyond course design, Ecampus staff developed research-based Online Teaching Principles to help online educators take a well-designed course and facilitate it successfully.

In the last decade, significant emphasis has been placed on the process of creating quality online courses, with distance learning staff collaborating with faculty to create engaging and meaningful online course content. One way to meet the challenge of designing quality online courses, given the time and financial investment, is to create what is frequently termed a “master course”.

This session examines traditional and future design models of lifelong learning which can include greater access, convenience, immediacy, and credit for prior knowledge. How will faculty, designers, and institutions prepare to adapt to the changes that are centered more on learners? Join us for the analysis of microlearning, badges, stackable credentials and ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to demonstrate mastery of outcomes where lifelong learning is delivered in a more seamless and immediate manner.

As more institutions are offering accelerated programs, it is essential that research assess the effectiveness of course design to ensure learners master the course and module learning outcomes. Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (2010) reported that many disciplines have overloaded the content that is required for learning in a course by designing instruction focused on extensive facts and research that only marginally support the learning outcomes.

Do you struggle with student engagement in your online synchronous classes? Do you wish your online class could use more active learning techniques, but you do not know where to start? During this session, simple, practical strategies will be shared that can be used to foster student engagement in synchronous online classes (and asynchronous too). The presenter has taught online large classes synchronously and asynchronously for more than a decade, and will share the class-tested strategies she uses to energize online classes.

The first impression of an online course can be enhanced with a clear overview and course introduction for learners. This session will address best practices related to including multimedia for the purpose of introducing a course. Two free multimedia tools (Screencast-O-Matic" and VoiceThread) will be shared about how to create engaging videos in a course “tour”.  The “tour” will assist learners with orientation to the learning management system and the design of the course.

Navigating a course is like planning a road trip. Learners find their way while being aware of potential potholes, toll roads, and speed traps. Learn how thoughtful assessment planning at a public community college lead to customized competency-based education (CBE) courses that help learners reach their learning destination.

Does your course stack up? Alignment, academic rigor, and course level are key building blocks for quality course design. If one block is missing, the whole structure might tumble like a Jenga puzzle. See how we created a rubric to ensure our courses were built to put student success on top!

In this session, faculty, as well as advisors and administrators, will learn how to identify at-risk online learners, how to evaluate effective support strategies for online learners, and how to adopt practical approaches to support online learners' social-emotional well-being and academic success.