A Guide to Online Course Design: Strategies for Student Success

by Tina Stavredes

Online instruction is more than a series of readings posted to a website; it requires deliberate instructional design that hinges on linking learning objectives to specific learning activities and measurable outcomes.

Another issue affecting the development of quality online courses is the lack of formal policies and procedures to ensure that online courses and programs are compliant with accessibility mandates.

Two initiatives to address the issue of quality are outcomes-based curriculum and the Quality Matters program.

An outcomes-based curriculum can help institutions achieve greater transparency and accountability for learner outcomes and provide a systematic process to ensure that outcomes are linked to competencies and demonstrable assessments.

The professional development of faculty is critical for the transition of courses from face-to-face to online because there are significant differences from the traditional to online environment