Similar to a physical classroom experience, the look and feel of an online course is very important. Clearly the content to include the knowledge and skills required by the learner is critical. However, if the online environment is not welcoming and the learner has trouble navigating the course, this will diminish the overall learning experience. Thus, the look and feel of an online course runs parallel with the content to ensure a successful experience for the student.
Dr. Thomas,
Your own speed and the speed of your computer!
Shelly Crider
Josh,
Very good point. Students will come us with an excuse, so let's not make it easy for them!
Shelly Crider
I think learning online is better than onsite learning, as it removes instructor based bias for grading. The instructor would be grading the work and assignments as per the content without the pressure facing students in the class next day. It also give a relief to the student’s as they feel contended that their work has been assessed fairly. Thus for the purpose of gaining knowledge online courses are effective, but to develop skills onsite courses are my preferred choice.
The feel of an online class takes a little time to adjust too....you do most of it at your own speed. You do not have an on-ground time to be at the class etc.
Andrew,
True, even though students are not in a traditional classroom, they still want to "see" their assignments and other content.
Shelly Crider
Andrew,
True.....same content on a plain black background will not be read as much with a little color or boarder added.
Shelly Crider
Sara,
thank you for bringing up the FAQ section. Students are expected to be self-learners, so we should have a place for them to start looking for the answers to their questions.
Shelly Crider
John,
In this day and age visual aspects are very important to keep the interest of students.
Shelly Crider
Erika,
Clear and logical is right on target as nobody likes to have to think through technology!
Shelly Crider
I partially agree with this. I don't believe the look of the website is terribly important. Perhaps if it is pretty and looks really nice, then it will come off as more inviting.
For me, the more important part is the feel of the online course. I think it is really important for the site and course to be very user-friendly so that students can fully access the knowledge and skills that are learned there. If the students can't easily navigate through the course so as to find the necessary learning material, then they will never gain the knowledge they need to. I've used 3 or 4 online platforms in teaching online/hybrid classes, and when the students get frustrated with just accessing material, then it is a big turn-off to continue with everything.
But in the end, I think it really just comes down to the student. A dedicated student will make due with the worst online display possible, while the student on the opposite end of the spectrum, will use that as an excuse. So, maybe making the look and feel of the site really presentable will just make the lazy excuses possible! And that would definitely help.
Absolutely! The look and feel of the course allows the student to "see" the assignments, objectives, links, and then have the motivation to know where he/she must go to meet the course requirements. A poorly designed course leads to confusion, loses the student focus and motivation and inevitably puts up a barrier to student learning.
Yes I have seen that if I just have a black background with some text it simply does not have the same effect as well designed backgrounds. Make the presentation slides as a way for the student to be drawn in, and then want to absorb the content.
Yes the look and feel of an online course is as important as the knowledge and skills as real learning and comprehension leading to knowledge cannot occur unless the student can see, hear, and watch examples of real content being delivered by the facilitator. Therefore the actual look and feel, if it is designed correctly allow the student to engage with the content, absorb the content, and do this effectively with others. The visual learners and auditory learners are the ones who really benefit from this.
I could not agree more. If you cannot navigate through a course, you cannot get to the content, or the learning, the frustration level rises and the student can have a mental block. I have seen this time and time again over my years of online education. Students need to be told where to find things, an FAQ section is important.
Sara
I believe the look and feel of an online course is important because it can help students to navigate the information that is available to them and will keep them engaged if they can find what they are looking for. Students will lose interest fast if they are faced with challenges in accessing important information. The presentation of the content, assignments and feedback needs to be easily accessed and must be easy to understand and to comprehend.
Vimlarani,
We all have a need to have a sense of belonging.....good job!
Shelly Crider
Shari,
Nothing worse than to be in a class when it is quite apparent that the instructor is uncomfortable!
Shelly Crider
Stephanie,
If the student believes their class to be easy to understand, they will soak up the info an instructor gives to them.
Shelly Crider
The look and feel involves both the UI (user interface) design and UX (user experience). The interface needs to present a clear logical path in and through the course content. Minimizing clicks and making content easy-to-access is crucial. Type and color choices need to support maximum legibility/readability to facilitate the user finding what they are looking for. If the user has a good user experience with the product, this can promote confidence and usability vs. frustration and lack of use.
