Meredith,
Good thoughts, its a balance between "simple" and "compelling" design.
Jon
Great point - more up-front explanation will certainly decrease questions and confusion later! - Jon
Imoroz,
Additionally, it needs to stay compelling, not just start that way!
Thanks,
Jon
Nathan,
Good thoughts - it does need to be engaging for students.
Jon
Great points - thanks for sharing! - Jon
Kim,
Great points, students are becoming more savvy and are demanding more in this area.
Jon
Kathy,
Good points on colors - these really can effect perceptions.
Jon
David,
I agree - attention to detail is important - students can get "hung up" on something small, and it can really delay their learning.
Jon
Christine,
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Jon
Lori,
Good point, without a good instructor, even a great course design will fail.
Jon
Russell,
I agree, if it looks professional and doesn't get in the way of content.
Jon
Kelly,
Looks interesting - Thanks!
Jon
David,
Great points - I agree completely!
Jon
When designing a class I have always used the 4 click method. How many clicks does it take to get through the lessons for that week. One click to open, one to read, one to discuss and one for assignments.
I agree. If the look and feel are challenging for the student it will provide a stressed learning environment. A students interaction in the virtual world is supported by the "look" the way the student begins the lessons and the "feel" the way the student will proceed and interact with the instructor and classmates.
as you see from my resume I've completed quite a few of the online courses. I have not joined an online course that I am not familiar with this I believe puts me at a disadvantage to talk about the subject. What I'm saying is if I was training to be a doctor just starting out I would be very cautious about the course. I've been in the education field for 10 years but I've been teaching for over 30 years so I'm pretty familiar with what works and what doesn't in the field I'm in. That doesn't mean I don't make mistakes that doesn't mean I can't improve. The student today is very different from the student 3 years ago 5 years ago 10 years ago. I realize I have to change because the students have their set ways. There are lot more of them than me and since I recognize the difference I believe it's up to me to change.
I agree. If the look and feel of the online cours is not attractive and able to keep the learners attention then this will negatively affect the outcome of some students. Now I only say some students because there will be a percentage that will satisfactorily complete the class regardless of its look and ffel because they have significant motivations to complete thecourse that outweighs the negative affects the poor course presentation presents.
I agree with the statement. Visually, the delivery of the course material should not be difficult to navigate. Online courses should be user-friendly.
The reason this is important is because we have many older adults using the online method of obtaining their education. Some of the older adults are not computer literate. It is difficult enough to try to understand the material (after being out of school for a long period of time)as well as trying to understand how to navigate the online classroom.
For many this can be a devastating experience and one that can lead to attrition.
Yes, I think the course must stimulate the learner to want to click and continue, otherwise, they might put off the course or try to cram it all in quickly.
