eLearning Courses at UCO

Online Courses

• Available entirely online
• Use UCO’s online learning system
• Various timeframes such as 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 16 weeks

UCO Course Schedule

Hybrid Courses

• 50% or more of classroom time is replaced with online learning
• Use UCO’s online learning system
• Various timeframes such as 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 16 weeks

Interactive Video Courses (IVC)

• Students connect and interact by video
• Live courses can be accessed with a high-speed Internet connection and webcam or from a designated video conferencing location
• Various timeframes such as 4 weeks, 8 weeks, or 16 weeks

More Information on IVC Courses

Self-Paced Online Courses (SPOC)

• Enrollment is available any day of the year
• Courses are offered in 8 week blocks
• The course can be completed in as little as 30 calendar days
• Students work independently under the supervision of a UCO faculty member and submit coursework at their own pace using UCO’s online learning system

More Information on SPOC Courses

Are you ready to design?

In addition to expertise in your discipline, there are two essential elements to successfully design an eLearning course: time and technology capabilities.

Time

One of the key differences in creating an eLearning course is the amount of time that has to be spent in preparation and planning—beyond just creating content. In an eLearning course, you don’t have the ability to interpret students’ reactions or to provide critical just-in-time feedback like you do in a face-to-face course. That is why planning for all contingencies is so important. This process of anticipating challenges and developing strategies for overcoming them takes time.

Technology

Being comfortable in the eLearning environment is another key component. Basic computer skills along with experience in working in D2L will allow you to spend more time on the important business of designing your learning environment. We highly recommend polishing up on these skills if you struggle in this area. The Technology Resource Center (TRC) offers regular training sessions in D2L.

UCO's Technology Resource Center

Working with CeCE

Once you have been approved to design a course and have completed your contract, you will be assigned an Instructional Design Consultant (ID). Your ID will contact you to begin the design process. You will meet with your ID several times to help with the analysis and planning portion of the design process, as well to identify any multimedia needs or accessibility issues in your course.The role of the consultant is to suggest course enhancements, provide feedback on tasks, facilitate any custom multimedia projects or ADA issues, and provide assistance or training as needed throughout the design cycle.

Faculty responsibilities during the course design process:

• Develop content
• Build entire course in D2L
• Build HTML Pages
• Create Discussions
• Create Gradebook
• Create Assignments
• Dropboxes
• Quizzes
• Manage the structure of File Manager
• Upload videos to Kaltura for Closed Captioning
• News/Intelligent Agents/Conditional Releases
• Follow production schedule
• Follow University policy
• ADA
• Copyright

Review Process

After you have completed building your course, your ID will review it and prepare it for evaluation. According to Academic Affairs Online Course Quality Policy No. 3.8, all online, hybrid, and self-paced online courses must be authorized through the UCO eLearning Quality course peer review process. This means that three faculty evaluators will be assigned to review your course using the UCO eLearning Quality Rubric.

Examples of Approved eLearning Courses

Even though these courses are very different, they have all met the requirements of the eLearning Quality Rubric. We will look at the different sections of the rubric: Core Elements, Design of the Learning Environment, Engagement, Assessments and Feedback, and Innovation, and specifically how to satisfy these requirements in your course.

Examples coming soon!

Thinking about YOUR Course

Before you begin your course design, take some time to consider the following questions:

• Course context—How does this course fit into the overall curriculum?
• Goals and objectives—In 3-5 years, what do you want your learners to remember from this course? What do you want learners to be able to do after completing your course?
• Learners—Do students take the course because they have to or because they want to? What do your students find challenging about the course?

Getting Started To-Do List:

• Is now a good time to begin course design? Do you have any other major time commitments coming up?
• Do you feel comfortable working in the eLearning environment or do you need to polish up your technology skills?
• Are you designing a fully online course or a hybrid? What challenges do you foresee in designing this type of course?
• Have you answered the key questions (above) about YOUR course?

Learning Environment Modeling

At CeCE, we use a process called Learning Environment Modeling (LEM) to build effective learning environments.

LEM uses five building blocks—information, dialogue, feedback, practice, and evidence—to create a “blueprint” of your course.

Your instructional designer will work through the LEM process with you. To prepare for your LEM session, think about these guiding questions:

• What will the evidence of learning be in your course?
• How will learners practice?
• How will you deliver information to your learners?
• How will learners interact with each other, you, and the course material?
• How will you learners receive feedback on their learning process?

For more information on LEM, please visit the ILED Website.