I definitely agree. If the course is polished and demonstrates navigational simplicity, students will find what they need. The course needs to look professional in order for the student to feel confident with material presented.
Good point on being user friendly. Students are now always tech savvy and basic is their friend!
Just like with food presentation, you process information with your eyes before you process it with other senses. Particularly when dealing with an online environment, you want to capture students' attention with their eyes first.
Kristin
Agree. May be difficult to believe, but not everyone is tech savvy. The course must be user friendly.
Also agree with comments concerning reaching the different types of learners. Di
I prefer classroom learning, but I have taken online courses. I appreciated the freedom to complete the course in my own time after my work day.
As for your online course, it was well constructed. However, I am currently an "on ground" instructor. Therefore, I probably do not have the mindset to evaluate your course.
Good point to hit on all learning styles.
I agree, that appearance is important. It needs to be attractive and inviting to the learner in order to interest the learner. For example, we eat with our eyes first, if a dish doesn't look good you don't want to eat it. Why would the look of an online course be any different. In addition, the course needs to be constructed to incorporate all levels of learners as well as their individual learning styles.
Shelly,
You asked, "The look and feel of an online course is as important as the knowledge and skills it is designed to impart. Do you agree or disagree?"
I agree with this, in part. I have taught courses on a variety of platforms and I have found platforms that have a combination of navigational simplicity combined with slick media content really makes a teaching, and much more importantly, a learning experience more effective.
The question seems to equate style with substance, though, and I feel that substance is more important but that the style with which that substance is conveyed is important, just a little less so.
"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Motivation is of massive importance in any type of learning environment. I carry this particular quote with me to remind myself of this very fact. I'm used to motivating students in a classroom environment, but I'm new to the idea of a completely online curriculum. What are some, I guess you could say, "best practices" in motivating students in an online format?
Shelley -
I definitely agree with this! I am actually colorblind. I have actually been enrolled in on-line courses myself where the instructor tried to use multi-colored text to try to emphasize certain points. I actually couldn't see the text because it was in a color that I couldn't see, so I missed a major point that the instructor was trying to get across. So, every little issue, including the aesthetics need to be considered when designing an online course.
nice way to tie social psychological theories!
Agree,
Research in the field of persuasive technology (Fogg, 1998) indicates that we are both stimulated and persuaded by the design (look, feel, and functionality) of computer-mediated information systems...this ties very closely to many of the social psychological theories identifying environmental cues that reinforce our memory and recall of specific incidents.
Jeremy
speaking of visual learners....how can we help those who do have vision impairments?
In order to have both navigational ease and intellectual integrity an inline course must be somewhat intuitive. This means that the site should have the tabs and buttons logically laid out and available when the information is needed. An unorganized or confusing site undermines the learning outcomes because students get distracted from learning as they attempt to navigate or understand the site layout.
Of course. I believe this because we are all visual learners so this is going to be important.
Love YouTube links! Some are very helpful.
What if there is just too many announcements loaded? Will the student read them all?
That is funny....Death by Powerpoint! Another issue is the fact that what is intersting to me.....may not be to you.
