Having a well-planned instructional design is critical for online learning. I, personally, have found the more prepared I am for online students, the better the course runs. A study noted that the main mark of success for online learners was the design of the online instruction (Changiz, Haghani, & Nowroozi, 2013).
Reference
Changiz, T., Haghani, F., & Nowroozi, N. (2013). Are postgraduate students in distance medical education program ready for e-learning? A survey in Iran. J Educ Health Promot. 30;2:61. doi: 10.4103/2277-9531.120862.
