In my summer reading, I came across an interesting article on students' feedback Quality MattersTM (QM) Standards for online courses. The article got me thinking about how much has changed since we launched our online program in the 1997 to 1998 academic year. Can you imagine? Our informatics online program will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this academic year.
When we started our program, there was limited research and guidance on best practices, but I was lucky to have two colleagues, Dr. Diane Billings and Dr. Helen Connors, who were also implementing online programs at their universities. Together we embarked on a benchmarking project known as EEUWIN (Evaluating Educational Uses of the Web in Nursing), and our early work is still being cited (Billings, Connors, & Skiba, 2001).
With help from a consultant from Teaching, Learning Technology (http://www.tltgroup.org), we developed a tool based on Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Ehrmann, 1996; Chickering & Gamson, 1991). We learned a lot through the study and were able to provide concrete examples of best practices across the three schools of nursing, sharing suggestions from faculty who achieved high ratings on particular principles (e.g., time-on-task or gives prompt feedback).
STANDARDS OF BEST PRACTICE
With continuing growth and corresponding research, there is now more evidence to support best practices. Standards have evolved over time, with many schools publishing their own (e.g., see Penn State's Quality Standards for Online Learning at https://onlinecourses.science.psu.edu/statprogram/psu_quality_standards, or Minot's Online Standards and Best Practices at http://www.minotstateu.edu/online_handbook.pdf). There are also organizations that offer quality standards. I am most familiar with the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Quality Framework, which consists of five pillars that support successful online learning (https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/about/quality-framework-five-pillars/). Another is QM (http://www.qualitymatters.org), built upon eight standards derived from current research.
The OLC Quality Framework is based on the assumption that quality online education is represented by institutional commitment to quality. Its five pillars are interrelated and contribute to the learning experience:
1. Learning effectiveness examines such items as course design, learning resources, pedagogy, interactions with content, students and faculty, assessment, and learning outcomes.
2. Scale refers to "the principle that enables institutions to offer their best educational value to learners and to achieve capacity enrollment." Essentially, the institution provides comparable education at a reasonable cost while ensuring maintenance and growth of the necessary infrastructure.
3. Access, providing students with effective access to resources throughout the life cycle of the starts with marketing and includes admissions and registration, technical support, and resources such as library, tutoring, and advisement.
4. Faculty satisfaction is built on the assumption that faculty have the necessary support to offer online learning and includes technology infrastructure, professional development, technical and instructional design support, and administrative support and recognition in terms of promotion and tenure.
5. Student satisfaction addresses the overall effectiveness of the online experience and includes such factors as student support services, technology infrastructure, and administrative support. Referring to faculty, the framework notes that "effective professors help students achieve learning outcomes that match course and learner objectives by using current information and communications technologies to support active, individualized, engaged, and constructive learning."
OLC has a scorecard based on the Institute for Higher Education Policy (2000) benchmarks. With a scale from 0 (deficient) to 3 (exemplary), it is used to assess the administration of the online program. Our university has a membership in the QM organization, and instructional designers trained in using QM are available to help faculty meet the criteria incorporated in the QM rubric (http://www.qualitymatters.org/qa-resources/rubric-standards/higher-ed-rubric). QM is based on research associated with factors that affect online course quality: student and faculty readiness; course design, delivery, and content; institutional infrastructure; and the learning management system (LMS).
The rubric is used to examine eight general standards for course design: 1) overview and introduction, 2) learning objectives (competencies), 3) assessment and measurement, 4) instructional materials, 5) course activities and learner interaction, 6) course technology, 7) learner support, and 8) accessibility and usability. Specific criteria and points are noted for each standard, for example:
* Course Overview and Introduction (instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components)
* Learning Objectives (the relationship between learning objectives [competencies] and course activities is clearly stated)
* Course Activities and Learner Interactions (learning activities offer opportunities for interaction that support active learning)
The rubric also incorporates the concept of alignment, which refers to several essential course components working together to achieve desired outcomes. QM emphasizes that the process of course review should be considered within the context of quality improvement. In our program, we use the rubric to assess our courses and improve how we design and offer learning activities and assessments. With support from a grant, our program has been able to hire an outside consultant trained in QM to periodically review our courses and provide training for faculty.
My reading this summer included a new study (Crews, Bordonada, & Wilkinson, 2017) on students' perceptions with regard to the design of large online courses. The setting was a large course with 199 students focused on the use of spreadsheets; the response rate was 55 percent. Students were asked to complete an online survey to assess 42 of the 43 QM criteria and indicate if criteria were not met, met, or exceeded expectations.
The response was overwhelmingly positive; all eight standards received ratings from 97.25 percent to 99.5 percent for meeting or exceeding expectations. Comments regarding improvement were classified according to the eight standards and indicated very few areas of weakness. The study validated the traditional QM conducted by the institution. Given the number of students in this well-designed course, the findings are impressive. Although faculty are typically opposed to teaching large courses online, I bet many faculty would relish the thought of receiving such a positive review by students.
SOME TAKEWAYS
If you are currently teaching online or planning to teach online, you should review the quality standards offered by your institution (if any are available). It you do not have sufficient instructional design support, take advantage of standards offered by OLC and QM. Remember to think about your audience and why your students are taking courses online.
Investigate the Infrastructure, Faculty Support for Design and Implementation, and Support for Students
Infrastructure includes technical and administrative components. You should investigate your LMS and its capabilities and inquire about the technical support to maintain it. Ask how the administration values teaching online. Is online teaching considered the same as teaching face to face (F2F) in the classroom?
Do you have any training opportunities? Do you have access to instructional designers or consultants who can help guide development? Is funding or release time offered to facilitate development? What tools are available in addition to the LMS? For example, do you have access to videoconferencing for virtual office hours and doing video introductions? Is there a support person to help in designing courses that are accessible and comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards?
Is there technical and online support for students at a distance? Can students ask questions or access FAQs on a 24/7 basis? Do students have the same access to resources, such as the library and writing center, as students who take F2F courses?
Tips for Course Design
Following are tips for designing and implementing a program of study. These are based not only on standards but on our experiences with the design and development of our informatics specialty within the graduate program.
ORIENT YOUR STUDENTS TO YOUR ONLINE ENVIRONMENT
Show students how you use the LMS and what your expectations are. Introduce them to the course and clearly identify where they can find course-related materials. Make sure your courses have a similar structure so students do not waste time trying to find things. Each semester, I do a one-hour videoconference orientation to introduce students to the LMS, library access, and the writing center. I record the session for those who cannot attend the live session and for further review; the session is housed on our informatics YouTube channel and accessible only for those who have the URL.
RETHINK DESIGN
Use various resources and, if possible, obtain the help of an instructional designer. The best advice we received was to not mimic an F2F offering but to maximize the use of technology to promote active and interactive learning. On the advice of consultants, we modularized our courses so students could do a deep dive into content. Each course has four modules spread over a 15-week time frame. Students engage in learning activities targeted in the module to scaffold their learning and to enable them to complete the end-of-the-module assessment.
RETHINK ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
After a consultant review of our F2F course designs, we decided assessments did not have to be limited to exams or papers. Instead, we designed real-world scenario problems that our students can respond to in a format that prepares them for the work environment. For example, at the end of the module, students demonstrate their knowledge of principles, models, and frameworks by designing a change management strategy for an organization.
DEVELOP A LEARNING COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE LMS
You want to instill a sense of community where your online students feel they are part of the college. From the very beginning, we used a variety of mechanisms to have our students engage with each other and with us, not only during the program but after graduation. We created a social network that keeps them involved with the program. Our alumni help mentor new learners, serve as preceptors, provide webinars to describe their different informatics roles, recommend applicants to the program, and serve as a network for learners to connect with and grow their own networks in the discipline.
CREATE A LEARNER-CENTERED ENVIRONMENT
You want to maximize the use of technology tools to foster active learning, self-reflection, and interactions with peers and faculty and create an environment where learners can build upon their current knowledge and experiences. For example, we have a learning guide that lets students approach the content from their base of knowledge. If they read an article and still don't understand the main concepts, we may provide other learning materials such as videos or webpages to help them gain this knowledge. Learners should engage in the content with each other and with the instructor, beyond read required texts or articles.
As always, I value your input and would welcome your tips for a successful online course or program. Write to me at mailto:[email protected].
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