First time classes do take longer to develop. Deciding what is important ahead of time may not be the same topics the students need.
Disagree if it's the first time one is teaching / creating that course online. Once the course has been created well once, prep time is diminished but the first go round, I think more preparation is needed get everything up and running perfectly. You can't wing it as well in the online / print version of the course as you might be able to in the verbal / f2f course.
I disagree; the time invested to develop an online course should be more due to proofreading, computer requirements needed for audio, visuals, text, instructional information for synchronous chats, discussions rooms, etc.
Keeping the students engaged in the topics and stimulating them with feedback requires additional efforts due to the lack of face-to-face instruction.
Thank you for bringing up the diversity of each student....this is a must as you develop a class.
I disagree because you have to design the course to meet the needs of a much more diverse student body. There will be more diversity in age, experience, computer literacy, reading & writing skills, geography, culture, language, etc. than in most on-ground classes.
I disagree. Once you've done all of the traditional course developmnet activities associated with a traditional classroom course, then you need to address the techological aspects associated with the online course, so I would assert that the online course development can actually take a little longer.
I absolutely disagree. Not only does an online course require more time due to the nuances of technology, but an online course often requires more time to consider all of the ways that we might help students to use their own learning styles. Richlin (2006) pointed out that many instructors make decisions about course content and assessment on the spur of the moment in traditional courses, but the online instructor does not have that luxury. As such, everything must be planned and every possible outcome must be considered to make the course the most effective.
Tara
Richlin, L. (2006). Blueprint for learning: Constructing college courses to facilitate,
assess, and document learning (1st ed., p. 161). Sterling, VA: Stylus Pub.
Students love a course that is easy to get around in.
I disagree, I think that it would take equal or more time to develop an online course. The reason I think it would take more time is because the online delivery method requires additional effort to create a quality interactive experience, since students cannot sit in one room and interact as they would in the traditional classroom setting. So this means that developers must invest more time in making the online course engaging and "user-friendly" for the student.
I'm hoping to find this to be true James. Time will tell. Thank you for an encouraging post!
Good point. It really is a win-win!
I think the time invested to develop the same course for an online course is increased in the early stages of becoming acclimated to online instructional methods. However, once it's been done a few times, it is about equal to the preparation required to teach a traditional class. As someone new to designing online course I expect it to take more time initially.
Yes you are correct....a support system is awesome to have for your school.
I have found that the time invested on the online course overall is actually a little longer. You need to be a little more explicit about the deliverables and also work on the the technology aspects of delivery. When you have a great online support system from the online institution that makes a great difference.
An instructor may have to create screen shots for students who are not understanding a particular topic. Good point.
I think an instructor will invest more time in an online course... because the students do not have face-to-face contact with the person guiding them through the course. I'm not sure we are at the point where students are totally comfortable moving through an online course without very frequent feedback from an instructor. As long as the face-to-face content is absent from the delivery of course content students will demand more contact to assure themselves they are meeting the course objectives.
a lot depends on the content as well.
