ENHANCING B

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I. Department of eLearning: online course design in Blackboard Learn

Essential tips and best practices to Improve Design and Development of Online Courses

Basic Techniques in making content available in 3-click

1. Course Design Format – 3 click layout, chunking

2. Text Box Editor: syllabus, schedule, introduction, objectives

3. Multimedia: Use PDF: MS PowerPoint, MS Word Use 15-30 minute intervals: audio, video, animations

1. Have you had problems finding simple information online while browsing websites? Share your experience.

2. Is anybody aware of Zeldman’s 3-Click Rule?

NO content should be more than three mouse clicks away (Zeldman, 2001).

Advantages of using the 3-Click Rule: Participants can find content easily in an online environment Participants feel less confused Participants are in control of their learning Participants can maximize the learning time and interaction with other learners and their ideas.

(Chikatla & Bitrus-Ojaimbo, 2011)

As a result, the Department of e-Learning at Wallace State established the best practices for teaching in Blackboard Learn.

Institutional Uniformity

POV: Online Learning Today: What Works, What Doesn’t

a. WSCC Layout

Home Page to Week 4 is an example for WSCC Layout

Home Page

Coffee/Break/FAQ Room

Course Syllabus

Course Schedule

Course Resources

Welcome/Begin Here

Week 1Week 2Week 3Week 4

Supplementary Navigation

Click 1: Course Lesson

Click 2: Learning Module – Image, Objectives

Click 3: Lesson Topics

Stable Module Navigation

Lesson Navigation

Content Navigation

ContentDevelopme

ntSpace

Supplementary Navigation

simple, consistent, organized

C. Avoid Folder Nesting: NO nesting of folders into folders into folders in folders

C. AVOID FOLDER NESTING

You have to Click 4 Times just to get to a content

Click 3Click 3

Click 4Click 4

Click 1Click 1

Click 2Click 2

Content PowerPoint

Content PowerPoint

Type or cut and paste into the Text Box Editor

B. Course Setup Techniques – Text Editor Tool

1.Simple Blank Page OR 2.Content Area then Item OR

Course Syllabus

Semester, Year Course ID and Title

Instructor Name: Office Location: Office Phone: Email: Skype:

Emergency Contact

Emergency Phone: Alternative E-mail:

Office Hours Mondays and Thursdays 10 am to 12 pm

(Strictly by appointments)FAQ Office Hours Mondays and Thursdays 12 pm to 1 pmPrerequisite  Credits  3 semester hoursGeneral Information

This is an online course.  All lectures will be available in Blackboard for all students.  All assignments and test will be available online and will be submitted through Blackboard unless indicated. Please follow all instructions provided in “Syllabus, Schedule, and Resources.”

Course Description 

The Microsoft Word 2010 software application is used to develop skills in keying and formatting documents. Beginning and intermediate procedures for processing documents on the microcomputer are examined. The student will be introduced to procedures for completing tasks by using step-by-step concepts, sequential material, and hands-on activities.

Weeks Date Topics Activities, Readings, Assignments

(All due by Monday at 11:00 p.m.)

Total Points

Begin Here Jan 9 Introduction Introduction (Counts for Financial Aid attendance verification)

 

 Introduce YourselfUpload Your picture(s)Comment on 3 peers

101010

Lesson

1

Jan

10-17

Creating/Editing Documents

Read Lesson 1  Exercise: 1-29 1-30 1-31

Quiz 1 (Choose 10 out of 15)100

402 Jan

18-23

Formatting Characters

Read Lesson 2  Exercise: 2-21 2-22 2-23

Quiz 2 (Choose 10 out of 15)

Group Discussion

100

40

103

 

 

Jan

24-30

Writing Tools Read Lesson 3  Exercise: 3-16 3-19 3-21

Quiz 3 (Choose 10 out of 15)

EXAM 1

100

40

100

1.1. .PDFs: .PDFs: Convert .PPT and .DOC/.DOCX files

2.2. VideoVideo – – Use YouTube if you create 1-4 videos per lesson (14-30 minute intervals)

3.3. AnimationsAnimations - - 2D/3D, games and other activities

.PPT Files.PPT FilesTo get to the power point in 3-4 clicksPowerPoint's are copy write material students should not have access to it.

Save as .PDF

.DOC Files.DOC FilesTo download a word document it takes 5-6 clicks

Save as .PDF

Examples of Audio/Video

Goal is to keep them 10-15 minutes long PowerPoint presentations in Tegrity

Produced by Russell Gann/ Graphics by Marisa Ring

Animations

Produced by Russell Gann/ Graphics by Marisa Ring

Animations

Produced by Russell Gann/ Graphics by Marisa Ring

Questions