Instructional design checklist v1 by dougdar

Fundamental Criteria PART OF COURSE DEVELOPMENT Expectations for student interaction and communication turnaround time are clearly stated (i.e., netiquette, grade weighting, models/examples, and timing and frequency of contributions, hearing a response within X hours during the business week). Course uses Adaptive Release settings to limit access to course materials until the student has completed specific “getting started” tasks. Instructions for all course activities are complete and are written clearly. How and when students are to submit assignments is clearly stated. Criteria for assessment are clearly articulated (rubrics, exemplary work).

STUDENT CONSIDERATIONS Course includes orientation content that tells students how the course will work, how to navigate the course, and how to get started. (This can be an intro video, a document with links, or another format.) Course includes a student support area with content and/or links to relevant techical support contacts (ƚŚŝƌĚͲƉĂƌƚǇ techŶŽůŽŐǇ͘ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ͕ ĞƚĐ͘Ϳ͕ ĂŶĚ ĂŶǇ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ŵĞƚŚŽĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ ĨŽƌ accessing and participating in the course (i.e., mobile devices, apps, peripherals, etc.). Course setup configuration allows for students to access the course a key preparatory sections, resources, and information ahead of the scheduled start date.

MARKED FOR INSTRUCTOR INCLUSION Course provides contact information for the instructor (and the department, and program, if applicable), and an indicator of a preferred method of communication and best times to attemtp contact.

Online Pedagogy Authentic Tasks: Learning activities, discussion topics, and points of reflection involve tasks, contexts, and strategies that requires students to apply knowledge and skills to address real life problems and challenges. Collaboration: The environment encourages and requires varying levels of collaboration to generate peer learning, foster subject analysis, and build transferable critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Learner-Centered Environments: Course focuses on activities that provide degrees of freedom, decision-making, reflection, and self-regulation. Built-in options enable deeper student ownership in process. Engagement: Learning activities challenge learners and provide experiences for practicing skills, testing ideas, and building learning scaffolding. Motivational and immersive actions sustain attention and interest. Reflection: Provides students with opportunities for active reflection throughout each module, through the use of discussions, journals, blogs, group work, vlogs, etc. Assessments: Meaningful, authentic evaluations of student achievement and understanding relative to objectives. Multiple methods are integrated to broaden knowledge demonstration opportunities.

Information Architecture CHUNKING

Present in course?

Yes No

/ŶƐƚƌƵĐƚŝŽŶĂů ĞƐŝŐŶ ƌŝƚĞƌŝĂ ŚĞĐŬůŝƐƚ The following list provides key instructional design strategies for course development that foster engagement and effective learning opportunities. Text: Minimizes the need to scroll down the page vertically—one screen is ideal. Break large blocks of text into Fundamental Criteria smaller chunks with hyperlinks, and include graphics, pictures, or symbols. Audio and Video (A/V): Uses "Talking head" videos sparingly and limited them to apx. 3 minutes. Try to keep all AV content concise to ensure students attention and interest is maintained. Avoid runtimes over 15 minutes. Activities: Includes short, interactive learning activities as catalysts for reflective, skills practice, and other constructive engagements. Provide diversity in the types and dynamics of the activities. Presentations (PowerPoints, Prezi, etc.): Uses clean design with layout, colors, and fonts appropriate for online. Well organized having 15-20 slides and lasting under 5 minutes (with narrative). Primarily visual using a variety of audio/visual elements. Only key relevant concepts are conveyed through concise textual points. Not text heavy.

SEQUENCING Each module provides an introduction or overview of the topical focus and its contextual purpose, learning objectives, required resources, and expectations of student participation for the given section. Includes an “attention-grabbing” exercise such as a scenario, case study, story, etc.

Students have opportunities to review their performance and assess their own learning throughout the course.

Uses learning activities and practice exercises that correspond to course objectives and assessments, to promote knowledge of course content.

CONSISTENCY The sequencing and internal structure (i.e., the number and names of subfolders within each learning module) remains the same in ALL learning modules. The formatting of items/documents (i.e., type size, heading styles, and other page elements) is consistent.

Content is error-free with no grammatical or spelling errors.

A consistent naming convention is used for both documents and icons, and if a document or item is referred to in one part of the course, the correct title or terminology is used so the student knows exactly what to look for.

Instructional Materials Course offers access to a variety of internal and external resources that support course content, by taking full advantage of the capabilities of the Internet. Course materials and resources include copyright and licensing status, clearly stating permission to share where applicable. The course content is represented in multiple ways (i.e. text, audio, video, images, graphs, etc.), to meet the varied needs of diverse learners.

Experiential Learning Course provides activities for students to develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills, such as critical reflection and analysis.

Present in course?

Yes No

Present in course?

Yes No

Course provides activities that emulate real world applications of the discipline, such as experiential learning, case Fundamental Criteria studies, and problem-based activities. Course offers social learning opportunities.

Course uses a variety of learning activities to facilitate communication and collaboration, deliver content, and support student learning and engagement. The course offers multiple ways for students to interact and to demonstrate knowledge. Assignments and activities are designed to be flexible to meet the varied needs of diverse learners. Helps learners access prior knowledge or identify knowledge gaps in preparation for the new concepts and content to be presented, through analogies, flowcharts, diagrams, graphic organizers, video reviews, pre-tests, etc. Students are encouraged to bring in knowledge from diverse perspectives and sources of information in their course interactions, and are reminded to be open to others’ perspectives.

Communication and Collaboration INSTRUCTOR-BASED Set up for instructor to post a personal welcome, written in their own “voice,” rather than just the “policy-speak” of the syllabus. This could include a bio, photo, audio, or video of them, etc.). Helps establish a friendly, informal tone for the online class environment. Course facilitates "humanizing" the instructor by including placeholders on the Home Page for assets and content that provides association of the instructor’s digital self with a face and voice, by way of a video introduction, and personal perceptions of the course topic and suggestions for successful learning that they generate. Multiple opportunities for the instructor's to express personal insights or share prior relevant experiences (i.e., an instructor's introduction on the discussion board, a synchronous computer-mediated discourse session, etc.), are factored into the courses overarching engagement strategy.

CLASS-BASED Provides opportunities and support for peer-to-peer feedback and review, and encourage students to help fellow students. Uses discussion boards as a way for students to share their progress on homework, assignments, or projects.

Designs thought-provoking questions that inspire in-depth responses as well as exchanges among students and enable students to demonstrate their understanding of the material.

PEER-BASED (not considere applicable or relevant within all subjects of study) Incorporates group projects, analysis, and/or problem-based learning assignments that require collaboration where possible. Uses group-oriented tools available through the Learning Management System (LMS), or through external tools such as wikis, blogs, chat rooms) to build student collaboration, Provides specific guidelines for group work such as defining roles, responsibilities, and expectations, as well as timelines and grading criteria.

Instruction Design Course Development Checklist v 1.0

June 2016