There are numerous considerations that need to taken into account before you begin your course development. These are typically design-related issues that may not relate directly to course content, but can create troublesome issues within an online course if they are not considered during the development of your course.
Fonts
- Text should be primarily black. Using colored fonts can create accessibility issues for students who are color blind.
- Font size for most content should be 12 or 14 point in size.
- Font should be a standard font such as Times Roman or Arial.
- All Caps and decorative fonts should be avoided
- Which ever font and font size you choose to use in your course, be consistent in its use through the course.
Modules
In the RODP, sections of content are referred to as Modules. Be careful that students aren't confused by referring to the same content as Chapters, Units or Lessons, etc.
Consistency of Naming Schemes
The naming of course components and assessments should be consistent through out the entire course. Make sure that an course component are called the same thing in the Course Syllabus, Course Content, Dropbox, Assessments, Discussions, Checklist and Grades tools.
Here are some examples of naming inconsistencies:
- Exams v. Tests v. Quizzes - Don't refer to assessments as "Exams" in the Syllabus, then label them "Tests" in the Grades tool.
- Assignment Names - Don't refer to an assignment as Assignment 1 in the content, then turn around and call it "Chapter 1 Study Questions" in the Dropbox.
- Full Name vs. Partial Name - there may be discussion topic in the Module One regarding the Causes of the American Revolution. And in the syllabus they are simply referred to as "Discussions - 12 x 25 points"; in the Discussion tool, the same discussion topic may simply be called "Causes of the American Revolution"; and in the Grades tool it might be referred to a "Module 1 Discussion".
- One vs. 1 - Follow the name scheme when referring to numbering of items. If you label a module of content as "Module One",(spelling out the word "one") then don't refer to the module as "Module 1" (choosing the numeric designation) somewhere else in the course.
An easy way to start this process is to look at your syllabus and see what you've referred to an assignment or course component as, in the syllabus. Then continue that naming scheme throughout the development of the course.
Another place where this comes up on in the name of the Column Headers in the Gradebook. When creating grade columns, developers are given the opportunity for a "Name" an a "Short Name" in the Column Item Properties.
- The "Name" should be the complete and consistent name that is used elsewhere in the course. This is the name that the students see and should be consistent.
- The "Short Name" is the column header designation that only instructors see when they look at the gradebook. If you want to call "Module 1" as "M1" in the "Short Name" so that the columns are not wide - this is where you can do that.
Instructions
Instructions should be clear and concise, and plentiful. The lack of instructions and the lack of clear instruction are two of the most common deficiencies in most new course development attempts. And the reason that this often happens is that course developers have usually taught the course material for years, and can pick up the looks on student's faces in a classroom when they don't understand. Online students are very literal and they do jsut what you ask, and they don't do what you don't explain. So....
- Don't assume that student's know what you want them to do.
- Don't assume they know how to submit an assignment in the dropbox
- Don't assume they know you want them to submit discussion posting that say more than: "I agree with my classmate Sally"
- Don't assume they understand that you want an APA formatted, non expanded typewritten essay of no less than 5 pages submitted to you in Microsoft Word format.\
Give them clear and concise instructions as to what you want them to do.
Assessments
Every course must have multiple forms of assessment
In online courses, developers should use caution when using online multiple-choice exams for a majority portion of a student's grades. Online, multliple-choice exams are the easiest form of online assessment to cheat on, and it puts a lot of pressure on students to cheat if 70% of their grade comes from five multiple-choice exams. This is not to say that you shouldn't use online multiple-choice exams, just lower the total value that they carry in the course and place more value on other forms of assessment.
Due Dates
All major milestones and due dates for any graded assessment must be in the Couse Calendar.
Grades
Any assessment that is graded and/or used to establish a grade in your course must have its own individual column in the gradebook. Students must be able to look at each individual graded assessment and determine what grade was given to them for that assessment.
Images
- All images should have alt tags associated with them.
File Formats
- HTML pages are considered best for creating content pages
- The use of HTML files also allows that files can be edited directly within D2L
- Many other file types create accessibility issues for students and should be avoided
