COURSE DESIGN FOR ONLINE LEARNING: CONSIDERATIONS

If you are thinking of trying out elements of online learning or are invloved in online learning projects, the following questions will help you to clarify your doubts.

Delivery mode

• Is the course purely online, or does it include blended learning? If blended, exactly what percentage of the course takes place face-to-face, and how often do learners meet?
• What elements of the course content are delivered online, and what elements are delivered face-to-face?
• How exactly are the online components of the course deliivered? By email and chat? In VLE? Via an ad hoc collection of online tools like Skype, email and Yahoo ?
• Can a CD-ROM provide a useful means of delivering digital content for elements that are difficult to download, for example video content?
• Is the method of delivery suited to the content ? In other words, if an online course promises to teach and practice pronunciation, but the delivery mode is via email, it is unlikely to work.
• What elements of the course will take place synchronously, that is, in real time, and what elements asynchronously, that is not in real time? What synchronous and asynchronous tools will be used?
• Does the course content and delivery mode reflect the learners' needs?

Task design and materials

• What materials will be used for the course content? Will they be tailor-made content and activities, or will existing resources on the Internet be used?
• What issues of copyright need to be taken into account, if you are using existing activities, graphics and wbsites available on the internet?
• Is content attractively presented and varied, for example with graphics and animation? Is there a range of media used- audio, video, text- and a range of tools-forums, text/audio chat, email, voice mail?
• Are different task types provided? For example, are all the grammar exercises drag-and-drop or are various actiity types available?
•  Do task types appeal to a variety of learner styles?
• Are there plenty of opportunities for interaction between learners, and between learners and tutors, built into the tasks and overall course design?

Learners

• Are the learners computer literate, or will they need training to use the online tools? If training is needed, how will this be provided?
• To what extent are the learners prepared for ans suitable for e-learning? How will their course expectations be dealt with?
• Will the course be individual self-study, or will learners work through the course material at the same time in small groups? What is the maximum size for a group?
• If the course is 100 percent online and group-based, how and when will group formation and socialising activities be integrated? How will learners be amdeto feel part of an online learning group?
• How much tutor support, ans access to tutors, will learners be given?

Teacher/Tutors

• Are the tutors experienced in e-learning, as well as computer literate, or will they need training to deliver the course ? if training is needed, how will this be provided?
• To what extent will tutors be involved in course design, or will they simply deliver the course?
• What is the ratio of learners to tutors, and how many hours a week are tutors expected to work online component of a course?
• How much support are tutors given and by whom?

Assessment and evaluation

• How will the success or otherwise of the course itself be evaluated?
• Will the course be evaluated as it is running(known as formative assessment) or only at the end (summative assessment)
• How will learners' coursewrk be assessed and graded?
• How will tutors' performance be evaluated?