Three Tips - DeRoma

When developing distance education courses, do not try to replicate traditional classroom courses. Instead, maximize the potential of the medium employed. I think this is a very important tip because it is easy for course developers to assume that they can simply take the curriculum from a traditional course and convert it to an online setting. In truth, certain activities may need to be adapted for a distance learning environment. This does not mean however, that the quality of the activities is diminished. For example, some synchronous discussions could be converted to asynchronous forums. The discussions in forums can often be richer and more meaningful because participants are given time to think before responding.

Sharp, clear structure for courses is essential. Sequencing and consistency in course presentation is important. I particularly liked the suggestion that instructors “walk through” their own online courses. Directions that seem clear in the instructor’s mind may be confusing to potential students. I would recommend having a colleague or other outsider also look over the course material and instructions.

Instructors should be prepared to spend more time developing a distance learning course than a traditional course. It seems like time management is important in developing and implementing distance classes. It takes considerable time to write out explicit instructions for an online course. Likewise it seems to take longer to actually implement some types of distance learning lessons. For example, synchronous online discussions and videoconferencing may take more time than in-person discussions.