5 Things to do First

Whether you are building an online class from scratch or are refreshing an existing class, here are five ways to drastically improve your class very quickly. For help implementing these into your course, reach out for an instructional design consultation. These tips are also available for download as a PDF.

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1. Use the OSU Online Course Syllabus Template

OSU ITLE created this template to help guide you through syllabus creation for your online class. Be sure to clearly listed course objectives, expectations for communication, and how you will address regular substantive interaction (RSI). 

 

2. Create Easy Course Navigation 

Student retention can be directly influenced by the organization of a course. Direct pathways to assignments, release dates for content and clearly defined expectations and instructions all contribute to overall student satisfaction and retention. 

 

3. Embed Student Interactivity

Together, researchers and educators consistently advocate the importance of embedding instructor-student and student-student interactions into a course. Include these components into your course design to deepen student learning. 

 

4. Utilize Multiple Assessments 

Allow for the differences in learning styles and foster creativity among your students by incorporating alternatives to traditional exams, such as various assignments, quizzes, reflections, and research as means of assessing student learning. 

 

5. Integrate Videos into Content

The most common use of video is through direct instruction lecture videos. But you can use videos to provide weekly updates, share your bio, summarize key points from required readings, or to explain the details of an assignment.