Yes, I think the development of an online course would take a great amount of technology savvy. They would need to be a wizard. The technological expertise is needed in order for the content material, effective layout, animation, videos, etc. to be on target. Technology is ever changing and the developer would need to stay on top of all of the new trends in order to keep the course relevant.
Harper,
I like how you put yourself in as a student. Very nice!
Shelly Crider
I think a certain degree of tech expertise is needed, but not much more than a student ready to take the course needs.
I think the key expertise needed is the ability to think like the student, part of the Evaluation phase. Think, 'If I were a student, what would be the easiest way for me to access/navigate the information I'm looking for?' I've found that making courses very fluid, so that students can access assignments (for example) from a number of different places by using many hyperlinks helps make the course less rigid.
Michael,
You are right, things do get easier the more you perform them!
Shelly Crider
Developers of online courses need not be technological wizards because if were, then they would work in IT:). Developers of courses need to ensure the course design is easy to follow and understand for students with the integrity, structural and instructional. The information received is the important part of developing an online course, not easy but after you do it a couple of times, I am certain the process becomes easier.
Jenny ,
Resource resource resource....I love resources and mention it very often!!
Shelly Crider
I do not believe that I must be a technology wizard to develop a structured and instructional course. It does help that I have some technological skills. I think it is more important that I know who my technology resource would be if I need help.
It depends upon what is meant by the term "technical wizard".
In my mind, an online course developer should have a better than average to superior knowledge of the technology in which he or she is using. My reason is because with such knowledge, an online course developer will probably not commit the same types of errors that would be committed by someone who has at best only an average understanding of the technology.
Does this mean that the person is a "technological wizard"? Probably not, but then again . . .
James,
The passion that you feel for your class shows through in your class design.
Shelly Crider
Deborah,
Bottom line is transfer of knowledge to our client.
Shelly Crider
Rob,
This is true..be sure to add a little of yourself in your class as well. Students like to see "you" in the class room. Using 3rd party platforms is a good start to a class.
Shelly Crider
Julie Ann,
The more you work with a program the more comfortable you are with using it and being able to help students then.
Shelly Crider
I don't consider that I am a technological expert by any means. I developed an online course according to instructions from my supervisor. I received training and instruction on how it should be created using templates. After I developed the content of the online course, it was passed to a person who entered it into the online platform. I agree that developers of online courses do not have to be technological wizards.
I believe it is dependent on the level of support they enjoy. If they have technological support they can be more of the conceptual guru. If there is little support then they will have to have a higher level of competence in order to carry the development from conception to design and delivery.
I do not think that developers need to be tech wiz kids. I have developed online content and I certainly ain't! There is a fairly low level of tech savvy required for development of basic course structure and materials.
Steve
I would agree with this statement. I have a strong technological background, but I would not consider my self a technological wizard, and I have created several successful online courses. I think it is more important to have a strong understanding of the ISD process and the content to be utilized in the course. As I stated in Forum 1, I have seen too many courses created where it was obvious the developer had little or no knowledge or understanding of the course materials and topics.
Thanks, Jim
I believe the developer needs to know the benefits, capabilities, and limitations of the technology. However, I do not believe the course developer needs to know the “nuts and bolts†of the technology or be an expert in programming.
The course developer needs to be able to use the technology especially from the standpoint of a student and an instructor. However, the main emphasis should be on the content and structural components of a class.
I think it depends on the interface being used; there are several 3rd party platforms out there that are very simple to use and rely on click-and-drag type controls for the actual build, often making it easier for those that are less than "tech wizards". That said, I think being tech savvy definitely helps in most areas, from spotting and solving technical errors, to being more aware of possible enhancements that could be included in a given course (i.e. media, interactivity, etc.)
I agree with the statement above - online course developers do not need to be technological wizards. However, they should be fairly confident and competent in online components and applications. I recently developed two online courses and am certainly not a technological wizard, but I am very comfortable with technology tools and feel confident implementing them into coursework and the virtual classroom.
James,
This goes back to another question that this course puts out there....life long learning!
Shelly Crider
