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Creating an Online Gerontology CourseCarl Renold PhD aa Distance Learning Programs, Andrus Gerontology Center , University of SouthernCalifornia , Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USAPublished online: 23 Sep 2008.

To cite this article: Carl Renold PhD (2000) Creating an Online Gerontology Course, Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 20:4,17-30, DOI: 10.1300/J021v20n04_04

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Creating an Online Gerontology Course:A Bottom-Up Approach

Carl Renold, PhD

ABSTRACT. This article describes the process by which a basic distanceeducation course in gerontology can be designed, implemented andadministered. Eight steps of a ‘‘bottom-up’’ approach present key aspectsof an online course and discuss the resources required to successfullydevelop an effective learning environment. [Article copies available for a feefrom The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address:<getinfo@haworthpressinc.com> Website: <http://www.haworthpressinc.com>]

KEYWORDS. Distance learning, online, gerontology education

INTRODUCTION

The Internet is revolutionizing the world. It is changing how con-sumers shop, employees work, friends communicate and universityfaculty teach, do research and share information and knowledge. As aresult of this ongoing revolution, scholarship in every academic disci-pline from anthropology to zoology is being refined, enhanced anddisseminated at an unprecedented pace. In order to prepare gerontolo-gy students for the workplace in the 21st Century, universities mustintegrate Internet based resources and communication opportunities atboth the undergraduate and graduate levels of gerontology education.

There are several ways to incorporate the Internet in gerontologyinstruction. The integration of technology, and the Internet specifical-ly, into university courses is occurring at a rapid pace and ‘‘tradition-

Carl Renold is Associate Director of Distance Learning Programs, Andrus Ger-ontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089.

Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, Vol. 20(4) 2000E 2000 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 17

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al’’ university instruction that involves professors lecturing and stu-dents taking notes is fast becoming an obsolete educational paradigm.The traditional lecture format of instruction no longer meets the needsof a technologically sophisticated student body, nor does it take advan-tage of the tremendous power of the Internet, email, and personalcomputers. Today, instruction that does utilize such technology canalso combine electronic chat rooms, audio and video lectures deliveredvia the World Wide Web, links to sites relevant to ‘‘fluid’’ course content,and up-to-the-minute access to current global events (Huntley & Mather,1999).

There are still relatively few ‘‘players’’ in Web-based gerontologi-cal instruction. While the number of Web-based programs is growingin business, engineering, and computer and information sciences,there are still relatively few Web-based gerontology programs(McDonnell, 1999). But, this is changing fast. Several Web-basedgerontology programs are in start-up phase and will likely soon beavailable online in graduate gerontology education. Several universi-ties already have Web-based instructional programs in some fields andwill likely use this experience and knowledge to enter the onlinegerontology education market.

An increasing body of evidence points to the fact that online in-struction is becoming a mainstream instructional delivery system inhigher education (Blumenstyk, 1998). Moreover, according to UnitedStates Department of Labor statistics, the fastest growing occupationsin the United States between 1992 and 2005 will be in fields that servethe elderly, such as home health aides, human service workers, andphysical and occupational rehabilitation therapists (U. S. Bureau ofLabor Statistics, 1999). These facts, coupled with the dramatic in-crease in the older adult population in the future and an increasingpublic interest in aging-related issues, make online gerontologycourses an attractive alternative for students seeking course credit forprofessional gerontology education and others interested in learningmore about aging. Online gerontology programs can efficiently andeffectively train future administrators, researchers and practitioners(Roblyer, 1999). Moreover, those studying gerontology will likelywork in fields where professional networking and technology skillsare important and the ability to effectively use this new medium is anattractive, ancillary benefit.

Gerontology is a rapidly evolving field. Unlike other disciplines

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where content remains somewhat static, the humanities for example,knowledge regarding gerontology theory and practice is more dynam-ic in nature. An online approach to teaching gerontology allows forinformation to be updated very quickly and allows for bibliographicreferences to be more current than previously possible. Thus, it makesgood sense for faculty to consider offering gerontology online courses.

This article describes the process by which technology can be in-fused into undergraduate and graduate gerontology education. It out-lines eight basic steps necessary to create and implement a basicgeneration gerontology Web course. It should be noted that whilethese steps can be used to develop a course delivered entirely via theInternet, they can also serve as components to enhance a traditionalcourse taught on a campus. These steps assume a simple, ‘‘bottom-up’’ approach to creating an online course. In this scheme, the educa-tor designs, implements and administers the course with minimal ad-ministrative support. This approach is contrasted with a ‘‘top-down’’approach where significant levels of support and technical assistanceare provided to faculty teaching on line. In short, this presents a‘‘do-it-yourself’’ guide for gerontology educators that should be par-ticularly helpful for those developing their first gerontology Webcourse. Each step affects the overall quality and functionality of thecourse.

EIGHT STEPS IN THE BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

Step 1: Determine Which Course

Before designing a new Internet course it is important to carefullyconsider which course to offer online. There are several key issues thatmust be considered, including whether or not there will be enoughdemand for the course to attract sufficient enrollment. (Strategies formarking an online course are covered in Step 8.) Department chairsand university administrators are acutely aware of the need to offercourses that are attractive as either major or elective credit courses.Because Web courses by their nature have higher start up costs than dotraditional courses, it is important to attract a sufficient number ofstudents when the course is initially offered. Unfortunately, educatorsdo not always consider this reality. There are currently several Web-

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based gerontology courses offered by a variety of institutions simplysitting on Web sites for lack of sufficient student enrollment. Gerontol-ogy faculty should select a course that will be likely to attract interestamong gerontology majors, minors, and those in other areas seekingelective credit in order to assure adequate enrollment.

An introductory or survey course in gerontology may be a goodchoice for developing a first online course since it can make effectiveuse of the Web and its resources. The Web is an outstanding source ofarchival and secondary data. It is now relatively easy to design acourse that includes information on population aging, health care,retirement and the economics of aging using data available on govern-ment and non-profit Web sites. From a practical and an academicstandpoint, it makes sense to take advantage of this online informationby integrating it into a course.

However, faculty should try to avoid offering a first Internet coursethat requires the more complex type of technology, such as intensivegraphics, programming, and sophisticated downloads or plug-ins. It isimportant that online students, as well as faculty, feel comfortable withthe required course technology as quickly as possible. The goal is forthe technology, as the medium, to become background and the courseinformation to become foreground–much as the chalkboard simplyserves as a medium to convey information and content. This goal canmost likely be accomplished with the use of the simpler, basic commu-nication tools, such as online lectures, links to Web sites, email exer-cises.

Step 2: Assessing Available Resources

After determining which course to be developed for online presen-tation, it is worthwhile to carefully evaluate the institutional and per-sonal resources that will be available. Resources required for this typeof endeavor will generally fall into the categories of support andassistance, and software and hardware.

Support and Assistance. It will be necessary to identify the type andlevel of computer support the university provides to faculty. Whilemost universities offer some level of computer support, it is a goodidea to become familiar with the university’s information servicesdepartment and enlist the assistance of interested personnel. Suchassistance will usually come in the form of a staff member on thetechnical support team or an undergraduate student majoring in any of

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the several technologically intensive disciplines. With such help, itshould be possible to experiment with the university’s standard FTP(File Transfer Protocol) used. The FPT program allows faculty topublish to the Web and is an essential part of implementing an onlinecourse. If technical assistance is available, it may be beneficial todirect others to the task of gathering relevant course information fromthe Web, identifying useful Web-sites and links for your course, andsearching for other course resources. This is typically one of the moretime intensive aspects required in the design stage and one that caneasily be delegated to student workers or a teaching assistant.

Software. Faculty members developing an online gerontologycourse should check out the many Web publishing software programsthat are now on the market. Each program has advantages and disad-vantages. It is also possible to simply use Page Composer from aNetscape browser, which may be the easiest and cheapest way topublish on the Web. You can create pages and save them on a personalcomputer and directly publish them to the Web using a FTP program.Somewhat more sophisticated Web publishing tools are the Microsoftproducts, Word, and PowerPoint. These allow an instructor to createprofessional looking lectures and upload them to the Web, and theyare usually widely available on most campuses. Or, one may wish topurchase an ‘‘off-the-shelf’’ computer program like FrontPage 2000, aprogram which allows the user to construct elaborate Web pages andcreate discussion webs. One drawback to this program however, is thatin order to utilize all of its functions, a NT (NetWork) server is neededthat supports Microsoft products. If your university does not offer thisservice, it is possible to rent ‘‘space’’ from a private vendor for anominal fee. Many educators do this and have been successful atbypassing their university’s computer network.

Hardware includes the computer equipment that is required forimplementing online courses. This includes the institution’s computerswhich allow for online capability which is available for instructors,equipment operated by other computer systems accessed, and personalcomputers and/or workstations that are usually provided to facultymembers. In addition, many faculty members own their own computerequipment and often work from home.

Step 3: Designing the Course Syllabus

A properly designed course syllabus that contains several essentialelements will help save time and resources. The syllabus created for a

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gerontology Internet course is the ‘‘portal’’ through which studentsenter the class each week and is therefore quite different than a tradi-tional syllabus. The Web course syllabus needs to be considerablymore detailed and provide comprehensive course information as wellas specific instructions on how students are to communicate amongthemselves and with the instructor. Each of the following elementsshould be included in an effective Web syllabus.

Introductory Note and Pictures. It is important for students to seeand read about the course instructor. A picture of the instructor, and ofthe teaching assistant if there is one, will reassure students that a real,live faculty member is in charge of teaching the online course. Theinstructor should also introduce himself or herself and provide infor-mation about his or her professional background, educational philoso-phy and personal interests. It may also be helpful to include a briefword about a general interest in Web-based education and technology.Critics of Web-based instruction often refer to the ‘‘canned’’ nature ofdistance learning and liken Web-based instruction to professionallydeveloped, asynchronous, professorless, video courses such as thegerontological series, Growing Old in An Aging Society, produced bythe Public Broadcasting System. An introductory note with theinstructor’s picture should help make it clear that the online course isnot a ‘‘canned’’ course.

Contact Information. It is essential that students feel that they canreach the online course instructor when they have questions or con-cerns about the course. Contact information should be provided at thetop of the syllabus, including email address, phone number, campusaddress, campus office hours and cyber office hours, if they are avail-able. Cyber office hours are times in which you ‘‘open’’ a synchronouschat room for a pre-selected period of time during which students areable to communicate with you.

Overview of the Course. Information regarding the specific coursecomponents should be listed on the syllabus. These would includesuch things as readings from the required text, electronic reserve read-ings, Web lectures, online instructor’s questions, Web navigation exer-cises, discussion in a Cyber classroom, a weekly critical skills essay,and access to a glossary.

It is also recommended that detailed information be included re-garding what is expected of students in the course, and how they areexpected to interact with each other and with the instructor. It should

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be stressed that student interaction is paramount and that passive par-ticipation is unacceptable.

Communication Tools. In order for a Web course to be successful, itis necessary to facilitate meaningful interaction. This will depend inlarge part on the types of communication tools employed. Regardlessof whether a synchronous or asynchronous communication format isused, it is necessary to provide detailed information on how to utilizethe tools that will be required, and to note how often, and what type ofinteraction is expected. It is important to be specific, such as noting:‘‘You will need to be in the chat room from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.Pacific Standard Time, every Tuesday.’’ Include times, dates and Webaddresses when necessary.

Required Texts, Evaluation Components, Semester at-a-Glance. TheWeb course syllabus should list required texts with links to their pub-lishers and how to purchase them, links to the library and university,and a link to an online university student manual, if one is available.Include information on how students will be graded, course expecta-tions, and course objectives. As in a traditional class, it is important toinclude a course calendar listing dates, topics, assignments, readings,and exam dates. Including this in the Web syllabus for the course willsave time and avoid confusion.

Instructors may want to include a concluding note on the syllabusabout the need for each student to practice Web etiquette. It is helpfulto provide information concerning plagiarism, use of Web sources,common courtesies, and warnings against excessive emailing. Whencreating a Web syllabus, it is important to remember that students willtypically need more information than that which is provided in atraditional classroom course syllabus.

Step 4: Moving the Lectures Online

There are actually several ways to move a lecture onto the Internet.There is considerable flexibility in this process, as noted in othercontributions to this issue of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. It isup to the instructor to determine how simple or sophisticated to makethe lecture. The most basic type of Web lecture is that which utilizessimple HTML (HyperText Markup Language) programming andtransfers a text lecture to the Web. This type of lecture would allow thestudents to read the lecture and lecture notes and answer instructor’squestions related to the lecture via email.

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When an instructor is ready to use more complex technology, onlinelectures may be enhanced. The next level of difficulty would be to addgraphic images to the text lecture whereby images are either createdusing a graphics program, scanned, or are purchased graphic imageswhich are available in most retail software stores. Purchased graphicsmight include images of older adults, human biology, older adultactivities, and several other useful categories.

Yet another level of sophistication would be to add audio to alecture. Although the prospect of adding voice lectures to a Webcourse seems complicated, it is really rather straightforward. Thisprocess is best accomplished using Microsoft PowerPoint (1999)along with Real Presentation (1999) software.

Step 5: Adding Communication Tools

How the instructor communicates with the students and how theycommunicate with each other is a critical component of an effectiveonline learning environment. There are currently several excellentoptions available that allow instructors to easily add communication toa Web course. Choosing to communicate in an online course synchro-nously (chat rooms) or asynchronously (discussion webs and email),or mixing both methods, needs to be determined based on class sizeand scheduling issues.

Chat Rooms. The easiest way to incorporate a chat room into agerontology Web course is to use a commercial site that allows usersto create ‘‘private’’ chat rooms. Examples of this function are avail-able at Yahoo.com, CollegeClub.com, MSNBC.com and CNN.com onthe Internet. Each of these Web sites now offer, no cost, easy to use,private chat rooms that can be easily adapted for academic purposes.Instructors will simply need to log on to the site and briefly experi-ment with the chat rooms to understand their functionality and generaluse issues.

Discussion Webs. This asynchronous communication tool can becreated using Microsoft FrontPage 2000 (1999). Discussion webs areWeb pages that allow students to participate in a discussion (usually inresponse to a question) over an extended period of time. Discussionwebs are useful in drawing out participation from all students. Every-one must actively engage in the discussion and post responses andcomments online. This tool is especially useful in graduate levelcourses where thoughtful discussion of material is an important part of

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the learning process. For an example of this, the reader can refer to anAgeworks Web site (University of Southern California, 1999a).

Step 6: Prepare the Students

It is important for instructors to have contact with the students priorto the start of the course, and they should contact students as early aspossible. A course roster with student email addresses and, more im-portantly, phone numbers, will need to be compiled. This process canbe problematic since many students’ home phone numbers are listedin university directories (as opposed to where they live on campus andcan be contacted) or students may have no phone number listed. Thus,instructors may need to contact a student’s home department to obtaininformation necessary for reaching the student. Once the students havebeen contacted and some of the basic course elements discussed, youmay find it helpful to direct them to a Web page where you haveplaced frequently asked questions, detailed course information, helpnumbers and additional information related to course procedures.

Step 7: Course Administration

Teaching an Internet course is obviously quite different than teach-ing a course in the traditional classroom. In spite of profound differ-ences, most educators will find online teaching provides exciting chal-lenges as well as rich rewards for both instructors and learners.Although most instructors will likely encounter unique and challeng-ing problems with their Web courses, once a course is underway, it canfollow a common weekly pattern.

For example, the weekly pattern for the author’s Internet courses issomething like this. Usually around noon on Monday I email studentsand let them know that the week’s schedule is online and ready to go.I notify them of the day and time they are expected to have everythingcompleted and to let the instructor know if they have any questions orconcerns. This is a good time to remind students of my schedule,office hours, and how to contact me or my teaching assistant, if need-ed. I also remind students that they can address technical questions tothe appropriate help desk.

Tuesday is a good day for me to organize and begin to grade workfrom the previous week. I print everything out. It is helpful to use a

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spreadsheet or database that lists the work that is expected of eachstudent and then check to make sure that all students are keeping up.On Wednesday, I check the CyberClass for student comments andrespond to any posted comment. Students’ email should be answered,particularly when a student has a pressing concern or question.

On Thursday, I Check the CyberClass for additional students’ com-ments. As students begin to participate in the CyberClass, it is impor-tant for the instructor to keep track of the activity and note who hasparticipated and who has not. Sometimes I may want to send out agroup email reminding the class to participate in the CyberClass forthe week. For example, ‘‘there is a really great discussion going on theCyberClass 3, please join in.’’ On Friday, I again check the CyberClass for student comments and respond to email as needed. I begin toprint out student assignments as they are received. I also double checkthe next lecture to make sure it is up and ready for the coming week.

About every two or three weeks during the course, I send out aprogress report that lists grades and a comment or two on how studentsare doing. I also mail back hard copies of graded work to students.

Step 8: Marketing Internet Courses

Not all instructors will be interested in marketing the course theydeveloped for the Internet. For many educators, the idea of marketinga class in search of prospective students is a foreign concept. Howev-er, as more courses and programs in gerontology are developed, stu-dents have more alternatives and thus, competition for students willcontinue to grow. This eighth step is directed at those who want tomarket their online courses. Educators and administrators can considerseveral advertising strategies. The extent to which one chooses amongthe alternatives will depend to a great extent on the resources dedi-cated to the marketing efforts. Educators may find it necessary toinclude several different marketing components in order to reach abroad cross section of students. The following describes some adver-tising and marketing components that may be considered.

The Web Site. Since the online gerontology course that is developedwill be offered via the Internet, it is important to have an institutionalWeb site that serves several purposes. First, a college or universityWeb site will be the likely ‘‘portal’’ through which students can learnabout the institution, access course lectures and materials, obtain in-formation about academic programs, communicate via discussion

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webs, and possibly even access university resources such as the libraryand bookstore. However, the institutional Web site will also serve animportant marketing function. A well-constructed Web site can pro-mote a course or program, highlight important features and serve as asolid marketing tool. Three good examples of Web sites from universi-ties with Internet based programs, although not necessarily gerontolo-gy programs, that serve one or more of these functions include:

S University of Southern California (1999b); AgeWorks,http://www.usc.edu/dept/gero/AgeWorks/

S Pepperdine University (1999), Graduate School of Education,http://www.pepperdine.edu/gsep

S Duke University (1999), Fuqua School of Business,http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/index_40.html

Each of these sites contains detailed program information, sections forfrequently asked questions, student testimonials, tuition and financialaid information and most importantly, contact information.

The Web site will, in many instances, be the first point of contact forprospective students for an online gerontology course and it is there-fore important to construct and maintain an effective site. Educatorsmay also find it necessary to purchase what is known as a ‘‘seedservice’’ to promote their Web sites. With a seed service, you areessentially paying someone to ‘‘promote’’ your Web site to the varioussearch engines on the Internet. This is another important issue. Manyprospective students will simply access a popular search engine (suchas Yahoo) and type in the terms ‘‘online gerontology programs.’’ Itwill be important therefore, for a course or program to appear as a‘‘result’’ in these searches, and one effective way to assure this isthrough a seed service. Fees vary for this service and range from$1,000 to $2,000 per year depending on the extent and frequency ofthe service.

Educators may find it necessary to contract out for the design andconstruction of their Web sites. Larger universities typically have theability to draw on students, many with work-study grants, from thecomputer science, graphic arts, engineering and even architecture de-partments on campus for assistance. If these resources are not avail-able, and if university staff or faculty is either unable or unwilling toconstruct the Web site, several alternatives are available. Most local

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Yellow Pages now include several pages of ‘‘Web designers’’ and thismay be a good place to start for instructors who lack other resources.

Direct Mail. Direct mail is an important and basic component ofany marketing effort. A typical and effective way to undertake a directmail campaign is to collect a mailing list (on labels) of gerontologyprograms around the nation, and perhaps even internationally. A per-sonalized letter is composed introducing the course or program whichshould include information about the unique characteristics of theoffering and the ‘‘anytime, anywhere’’ aspect of Internet learning.Again, important contact information is included and the gerontologyprogram recipient is asked to place an enclosed poster, brochures, orflier in prominent areas where prospective students will see them.

Posters, with or without mail-in cards, should provide detailed in-formation regarding registration, tuition, requirements, special com-puter skills and hardware and software required to access and com-plete the course. Self-addressed, postage paid pull cards can beattached to posters for interested students to request additional infor-mation. This also helps in the construction of a database of interestedstudents.

Some online course educators may have both the time and resourcesto create and mail out a brochure that includes more detailed informa-tion about the course, degree options and departmental resources.Brochures can be expensive to design, print and mail but can be usedin a variety of ways. An instructor may wish to mail students bro-chures only after they have initially called or emailed requesting addi-tional information. Brochures can also be distributed at conferences,professional meetings and student career days. It may be cost effectiveto contract out the design and printing of brochures as this worktypically involves graphic design and production skills that are readilyavailable in the private sector for nominal fees. Again, there may besufficient student resources available on campus that can be employedin the creation of a brochure.

The most inexpensive informational item to include in a directmailing for a Web course, along with a cover letter, is a flier. A fliercan be designed, constructed and printed using desktop technology,taking very little know-how and scant resources. A flier should in-clude detailed information about the course and most importantlyinformation on where prospective students can obtain additional infor-mation. This may include phone numbers; email addresses or even theURL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the instructor’s Web site.

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Advertising in Trade Publications

There are several agencies and organizations that will likely beinterested in an Internet course in gerontology. In general, you willfind the allied health professionals, which include occupational, physi-cal and speech therapists, registered nurses and physician assistants,provide ‘‘fertile grounds’’ for marketing such a course. All of theprofessional organizations for these health care providers have news-letters and journals that provide appropriate advertising venues. Ad-vertising rates in these journals varies greatly and it is important tostrategically choose where and what types of advertising is appropri-ate. It has been found that advertising in professional newsletters canbe an effective way to reach prospective students.

Conferences and Conventions

Professional conferences and conventions offer a simple and fairlyeffective marketing venue. Gerontology educators may find that con-ferences emphasizing practitioner issues are better places to recruitstudents for online gerontology courses than those where scientificissues are discussed. If abundant resources are available, ‘‘boothspace’’ can be purchased where literature can be distributed and whereit is even possible to provide ongoing demonstrations of courses andactivities using a laptop computer.

CONCLUSION

Gerontology education is indeed in the midst of an exciting revolu-tion. Universities around the world recognize the tremendous potentialof online education. Educators should utilize and harness the techno-logical advances that are transforming higher education in general,and gerontology in particular. In order to create and provide the mosteffective learning environment, gerontology educators must make theeffort to systematically integrate this state-of-the-art technology intotheir courses in order to prepare gerontology students for work in thenext millennium. The eight steps for developing and delivering anonline gerontology course described in this article contribute to thiseffort.

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Huntley, M., & Mather, M. A. (1999, September). Distance Learning gathersspeed and depth. Technology & Learning: Dayton, 20(2), 75

McDonnell, S. (1999, October, 6). SUNY classes throw a wide net: Online learn-ing lures students from around the world, around the clock. Newsday, p. C3.

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University of Southern California. (1999a). Ageworks, Andrus Gerontology Cen-ter, Los Angeles, CA. [Online]. Available: http://www.ageworks.com/5009931b/

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2014