Conquering the Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Online Course Design

by Robin M. Smith

As the sixth volume of the Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning series, Conquering the Content provides a highly-practical blue-print for course development and content presentation for web-based courses. While providing guidance for incorporating learning theory into online courses, this book primarily furnishes online instructors with the practical templates, learning guides, and sample files to construct and manage their course content. Unlike other books about online instruction that cover theories of teaching and learning, instructional design, or even graphic design this book gives the "how to" of preparing an online course by focusing on content. The much needed step-by-step guidance in this book will result in fully formed courses where high-quality content is the central feature.

Genres: Education, Reference

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2008

Reviews

[Melanie Page]

I abandoned this book for it's poor organization and the author's inability to explain the reasons for the tasks she asks readers to complete.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a non-educator's perspective, this book allowed me to better visualize the process that users of Sakai and other learning management systems must undergo to initially migrate their traditional classroom methodology to an online or blended system. The book provides step-by-step instructions for converting traditional materials and course outlines into "chunks" or modules.

The relatively short book covers a lot of ground but the two concepts that really jumped out for me were the usefulness of the Learning Guide and the importance of prioritizing how you initially build the course.

The Learning Guide is described to be a one-page overview of the desired learning outcomes, activities and resources related to one module. What I found most valuable was the suggestion that all references to textbook chapters or pages and other resources should be limited to this one location. If the textbook should change in time, the instructor only needs to update references in one place for a module. The guide also acts as a checklist for the student and provides a single point of reference as to the direction of the module.

The author's recommendation regarding how to prioritize the creation of the course was simple and practical. After completing the learning guide, an instructor should build each module to include only "must haves" that can later be built up and improved over time. The instructor should determine what annoys them or takes an inordinate amount of time in the classroom and put those tasks online first. This allows them to receive the greatest payout from their initial work. One example provided was students frequently asking about test grades and averages so the instructor started with placing their assessments online first.

The book includes a number of forms that are used throughout to assist an instructor in methodically transforming traditional content to something that will be more effective online. The book also includes a hefty reference section for further investigation. Ultimately, the book supports the notion that putting content online frees the instructor to be a more effective educator and allows them to interact more with their students instead of being a dispenser of information.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book had several good ideas about organizing an online course. What I liked more, however, is that the information can be easily applied to a hybrid course or to a bricks-and-mortar course that has access to a content-management-system such as Blackboard or Angel. I plan to make adjustments to my own set-up.

[Dennis Delbarone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good ideas and things to think about when developing online curriculum. A good resource.

[Kelly]

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