Introduction

Online-only courses exist largely out-of-time (asynchronously). Providing clarity, logical structure, active learning experiences and choices for accessibility are important for engaging and supporting learners. The things you do to improve accessibility and usability for an online course can improve your blended or face to face courses as well – and for all students, not just those who need special accommodation.

· Consider a linear or track approach, as opposed to “a place for your stuff”.

· Include active learning exercises to engage students – reflective writing, asynchronous discussions, peer review exercises

· Break the Defaults – make Blackboard work for you, the way you want it

o Change the default menu to suit your needs

o Simplify - Remove unused interface elements

o Use hyperlinks wherever you want inside your content

o Give some personality to your design – include your “voice”

Universal Design for Learning

“A set of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals equal opportunities to learn.”

We all bring our own skills, needs, interests and experiences to learning. Providing multiple means of representation and engagement, and allowing students multiple means of action and expression, makes your content more accessible to all students, regardless of skills, needs, interest and experience. One size does not fit all.

http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html

Simple ways to apply UDL to your online course in Blackboard:

• Place the most recently added content at the top of the page
• When possible, provide documents in "open" formats
• o RTF, TXT, HTML, (PDF), JPG, GIF
• Provide multiple document formats whenever possible
• If you use media, provide transcripts or captions
• Consider options on assignments that allow for alternative expression (written, oral, audiovisual, multimedia)

Online Document Design

People read on-screen content differently than they read paper documents. The average online reader will lose focus after scrolling through two or three pages of the same document. They also tend to “skim and scan” more when reading online.

• "Chunk" long documents (and media) into smaller documents
• Write concisely
• Include boldface headings, bullets, tables, etc., to increase "scannability"
• Include "thumbnails" for content in folders
• Provide longer documents in a "printer-friendly" format

Re-tool, but Don't Re-invent the Wheel

People have been teaching online for decades now. There are best practices, templates and design rubrics that you can use. Re-tool your course. Online courses are most effective when redesigned from the traditional face-to-face class format that covers the same topic. Adopt a "backward" design perspective, in which student engagement and demonstrated achievement of learning outcomes, rather than technology, course materials, and learning activities, guide further development decisions.

Use rubrics or checklists as a development and review aid. Quality Matters is an excellent choice to use as an aid in design. Other tools include the UMS-developed "Online Course Checklist" and the Rubric for Online Instruction developed at Cal State, Chico.

http://www.usm.maine.edu/online/Faculty/qmatusm.html

http://www.usm.maine.edu/ctel/documents/Online_Guidelines.rtf

http://www.csuchico.edu/celt/roi/

CTEL's Online Course Templates:

http://www.usm.maine.edu/ctel/course_template.html