The development of my online
class is moving along according to schedule. Although we are nearing the end of
the semester, there is still quite a bit of detail to complete. For example, I only
have one module left to construct. It is the final module which includes the
presentations of the comprehensive digital portfolios. Then, I need to go back
through the entire course and fine tune the details.
I enjoy the creativity
of building the class; however, it is the detail involved that I find rather
tedious and tiresome. But from experience, this is one of the key factors that
I find online instructional designers tend to overlook. It is very frustrating
as a student, when materials in the online class contradict each other or are
too vague for the student to understand the assignment. Therefore, I want to be sure that the
syllabus, the assignment due dates, and instructions all align with the course
activities and modules. And, you don’t want the course instructor modifying
course content while teaching the course, as trying to create course content
and meet the student needs at the same time would be overwhelming and effect
the success of the course (Caplan
& Graham, 2004).
Time has been the
biggest challenge in creating this course. If I had more time, I could develop
most of the instructional videos myself. However, in this case, I had to pick and
choose which ones I needed to customize and create myself. Although, in some
instances, the student is charged with researching and finding customized
videos and information. In addition, Canvas is somewhat limited when it comes
to formatting the material. I spent too much time trying to create a
professional looking line break between activities in each module. I wanted to
break the activities into chunks of information, so the material would not look
so overwhelming to the participant. However, it still isn’t perfect and views
differently depending on the device being used to view the course.
Currently, I am on
schedule to meet the timeline for completion. However, I am always thinking of
things that would enhance the course, but usually end up abandoning many of the
ideas due to time constraints and the scope of the assignment. The course is
set up so that each module should be completed within a week’s timeframe. So, I
will not be able to implement the course during this timeframe; however, I will
be using this course with our administrators next summer. And I have been asked
to conduct training for another school district based on the information and
materials in the course. So, the evaluation will be conducted after this
semester.
Reference
Caplan, D., & Graham, R. (2004). The
development of online courses. Theory and practice of online learning, 175.
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