Learning Design

Effective practice: Learning Effectiveness

Curriculum and course design and conduct

• Personalized, Student-Centered Life-Long Learning for Adult Learners
  University of Phoenix's online courses are designed for adults to learn efficiently through interactive discussions. -- more
  
• Flexible Enrollment Options Offer Students Control of Learning
  Flexible enrollment options offer learners choices and control of their pace of learning at Washington State University. -- more
  
• Learning and Cost Effectiveness in an Elementary Algebra Redesign
  Riverside Community College's elementary algebra course, redesigned to incorporated student interaction, helps students to learn more effectively. -- more
  
• Open Source CMS based on Social Constructionist Pedagogy
  Moodle is an open-course course management system (CMS) designed to help educators create quality online courses with emphasis on social constructivist pedagogy. -- more
  
• A New Methodology for Evaluation: The Pedagogical Rating of Online Courses
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology's pedagogical effectiveness index provides a simple yet mutlidimensional tool to the learning effectiveness of the online courses based on media, learning models and interactivity elements. -- more
  
• Blended Learning Chemistry Course
  Harper College's blended learning chemistry course delivers instructions effectively through thoughtful course design. -- more
  
• Integrated Assessment System for Courses, Overall Program and Post-Program Career Impacts
  This practice outlines a system of planned evaluations that together firmly support a process of continuous improvement for a distance degree program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Key elements include: an evaluation of each course by students and faculty; an evaluation of the overall program at graduation; and a follow-up survey of alumni, their co-workers, and their family members to measure the impact of the program upon professional and personal development of alumni. -- more
  
• The Unique Value of Online MBA Course Syllabi
  The course syllabus serves as a useful communication tool primarily between students and faculty as it concisely outlines expectations. We are able to provide students and other interested parties with timely and consistent information on courses and we are able to provide details on key university policies. -- more
  
• Combining Effective Individualized and Group Instruction
  This practice combines individualized (self-regulated) learning with collaborative problem-based learning to reap the benefits of both approaches in a single, completely online, graduate course in Educational Psychology. -- more
  

• Strategies for Mentoring Online Adult Learners in a Competency-Based Degree Program
  Western Governors University develops useful mentor strategies to help students progress through online degree programs timely and successfully -- more
  

Effective practices: Cost Effectiveness

Evaluation of re/design, relating costs and outcome

• Substitutions of Technology for Labor
  The Course Redesign Project is a large-scale initiative intended to increase access, achieve cost savings, and utilize technology to facilitate learning. -- more
  
• Balancing Efficiency & Effectiveness
  In a mixed delivery model Freshman Composition course, Brigham Young University finds a mechanism for balancing efficiency and effectiveness, two goals of most higher education institutions. -- more
  
• Virtual Biology Laboratory
  By replacing lab instructors with graduate tutors, West Chester University is able to increase student satisfaction, and reduce costs. -- more
  

• Interactive Faculty Training CD-ROMs
  At the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) standardized, affordable, and accessible online faculty training CD-ROMs provide a high-quality, flexible, and reusable delivery mechanism. -- more
  
• Enhancing Quality and Reducing Costs in the Teaching of Computer Literacy courses: A High-Tech, High-Touch Approach
  Western Kentucky University uses a Web-based, self-paced computer literacy course to increase access and reduces costs. -- more
  

Effective practices: Access

Access to a variety of programs, courses, and learning resources

• Open Source E-learning Platform (Uni Open Platform)
  FernUniversitat Hagen developed Uni Open Platform, which is a complete e-learning environment tailored for educational institutions. -- more
  
• Facilitating Access by Reducing the Need for Plug-ins
  University of Illinois - Springfield uses Impatica to eliminate the need for plug-ins by converting PowerPoint lectures into streaming Java presentations. -- more
  
• Course Information Access for Prospective Students
  Northern Virginia Community College employs several strategies to provide online course information for prospective students. -- more
  
• Continuous Enrollment and Expandable Course Sections
  Northern Virginia Community College offers continuous enrollment throughout the semester and expandable course sections to improve access. -- more
  
• Flexible Enrollment Options
  Flexible enrollment options at Washington State University offer learners choices and control of their pace of learning. -- more
  
• Using Streaming Technologies to Publish Course Descriptions, Faculty Bios and Student Testimonials
  Washington State University's Distance Degree Programs unit produces and publishes course previews, faculty bios and student testimonials in close-captioned streaming audio with revolving photos, allowing students an opportunity to quickly and easily see and hear the fine details of WSU-DDP online courses. -- more
  

• An Online Foundation for Course Content: Virtual Textbooks, Web Hot Spots, and Weekly Newsflashes
  University of Massachusetts Lowell offers The Virtual Textbook (VT), which provides valuable online resources to the students. -- more
  
• Modeling Experiential Learning and Exemplary Standards
  Harvard University illustrates that modeling experiential learning and exemplary standards can provide effective learning experiences. -- more
  
• A Consortial Approach to Providing Online Electronic Library Resources
  Maryland Digital Library (MDL) helps Maryland higher education institutions by providing access to essential library services and information. -- more
  
• Discipline-Specific Online Writing Lab with 24/7 Access and Asynchronous Peer Tutoring
  The Rogue Community College Online Writing Lab is a unique, multi-discipline, online writing assistance resource designed to equalize access for all students, across all digital boundaries. Its design and content is flexible and transferable, and provides a cost-effective vehicle for addressing a variety of needs at myriad institutions. -- more
  
• Open Access to Scientific Journals Online = More Equitable Access
  At Davidson College, open-access scientific journals provide improved and more equitable access to primary research papers as learning resources. Using primary published research results can enhance student learning by supporting instructional strategies which emphasize development of critical and other higher-order thinking skills. -- more
  
• Creating Skilled Lifelong Global Learners: Fairleigh Dickinson's Distance Learning Initiative
  Fairleigh Dickinson University requires all of its undergraduates to take one online course per 32 credits of study. -- more
  
• Faculty-Staff-Student Partnerships Support Production of Learning Objects
  Atlantic Cape Community College trains Digital Media Assistants to produce reusable and shareable learning objects for online courses. -- more
  
• Integrated Laboratory Network: Better Access to Scientific Instrumentation
  Western Washington University's Integrated Laboratory Network (ILN) provides access to scientific instrumentation and expertise anytime, and from anywhere by allowing students and researchers to operate instruments located at different campus locations from any Internet-equipped computer. The ILN also enables direct exchange of information, data, access to expertise, and classroom material. The ILN is conceived as a model for the virtual laboratory of the future, enabling learners and teachers to apply the philosophy that science is a dynamic, iterative, ongoing, and collaborative process. -- more
  
• Used Books: Buying and Selling Made Easy
  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's undergraduate course list page allows students to buy or sell back their books online. -- more
  
• Preparing Students to Succeed: Online
  Boise State University's IPT Department's "boot camp" is an asynchronous online training program that teaches students the technical and asynchronous learning skills. -- more
  
• Chemistry Laboratories for Science Majors in Distance Learning Courses
  Northern Virginia Community College's distance chemistry courses use home laboratories, computer exercises, field trips, and college laboratories to improve access and learning experience. -- more
  
• Virtual Electronics Laboratories
  The virtual microelectronics laboratory at the University of Virginia uses visual representations of microelectronics devices to help students internalize concepts. -- more
  
• Virtual ChemLab
  Brigham Young University's Virtual ChemLab simulates a complete instructional laboratory environment to provide learners with effective laboratory learning experiences. -- more
  
• Electronic Portfolios in a Teaching Credential Program
  The University of California-Riverside (UCR) Graduate School of Education uses ePortfolios in its teaching credential program. -- more
  
• Online Case-Based Role Play: The Doctor's Dilemma
  The Doctor's Dilemma interactive medical ethics program uses text- and photo-based material to explore "complex or controversial issues found in contemporary medical practice." -- more
  
• Connecting Graduate Students to Virtual Guests Through Asynchronous Discussions
  At a Rice University graduate-level College of Education course titled "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum," virtual guest speakers/experts were invited to address a variety of educational needs through web-based conferencing and discussion forums, providing unique opportunities for higher education faculty to rethink the resources that are available to them and re-envision their pedagogical techniques. The virtual guests hosted asynchronous interactive discussions with students in the course for a specified period of time. These technologies provided students with the ability to interact with guests in new ways by expressing individual concerns and discussing them without time and place constraints. -- more
  
• Courselets: Improving Learning Resource Access
  Stanford University offers courselets, self-contained, integrated sets of learning materials, to enhance the learning experience for students and reduce the demand for faculty time. -- more
  
• University System-Wide Access to Online Learning Communities
  State University of New York Learning Network's courses emphasize the importance of interactions between student and faculty and increase student access to available learning resources. -- more
  
• Anytime Anywhere Chemistry Experience
  Home-based science laboratories enable The University of Colorado at Denver (UCD) to offer lab-based science courses in online and hybrid formats. -- more
  

• Graduate Engineering Certificate Programs Online: University/Association Partnership
  Stevens Institute of Technology, in partnership with several scholarly global organizations, offers several online engineering certificate programs. -- more
  
• mLearning: Mobile Learning: A University In Your Pocket?
  Two pilot projects at the University of Helsinki demonstrate the potential of mobile learning to increase access to learning opportunities and resources. -- more
  
• University/Industry Partnership
  Pace University formed a partnership with CAEL and the telecommunications industry and collaborated on a degree that benefits telecommunications employees, their employers, and the University. -- more
  
• Access Means A Smooth Connection to Information, Programs, and Services.
  Pennsylvania State University World Campus website responds appropriately to users, emphasizes service, and projects a distinctive identity. -- more
  
• Instructor-Led Online Learning for Adult Voluntary Learners
  Rochester Institute of Technology demonstrates that instructor-led online learning is an effective way for "non-traditional responders" to acquire "just in case" job-related knowledge. -- more
  
• Visualizing the Enrollment Procedure
  By summarizing the enrollment procedure in a flowchart, Boise State University simplifies the registration process. -- more
  

• Re-Creating the Studio-Based Model Online for Art and Design Education
  Minneapolis College of Art and Design's Distance Learning Initiative creates online design education courses that retain the essential elements of traditional studio courses. -- more
  
• Web-Based Doctor of Pharmacy Pathway: Expanding Access to Underserved Populations
  Creighton University's web-based Doctor of Pharmacy Pathway provides a new full-time educational method to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. -- more
  
• Establishing Engineering Technology Online Degree Programs
  The University of Toledo's collaborative partnering approach enables UT to offer engineering technology degree programs online statewide. -- more
  
• Applying an Instructor-Led, Cohort-Based Model to Corporate Online Learning
  FCIB, an association of executives in finance, credit, and international business, and Michigan State University Global (MSU Global) recently formed an innovative partnership to create a new online certification program in international credit and risk management. -- more
  
• E-Service: Creating Experiential Service Learning Opportunities for Online Courses
  Bemidji State University's Distributed Learning in Teacher Education (DLiTE) program infuses Service learning opportunities into its online courses, enabling students to make connections between service and academics. -- more
  
• Library and Information Science
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers LEEP3, a site-independent distance education scheduling option for the Master of Science degree, to create a significant difference in the way students participate in a rapidly changing profession. -- more
  
• Offering Environmental Studies Online
  The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Extension offers several environmental education courses in online and hybrid formats. -- more
  
• MA in Historic Preservation: Off-Campus Program w/Hybrid Courses
  Goucher College's distance education program in Historic Preservation is a hybrid program course that requires one in-person introductory meeting. -- more
  
• Distance Learning Faculty Specialists Bridge the Gap between Faculty and Administration
  The Distance Learning Faculty Specialist (DLFS) model, developed by Eastern Oregon University, is an effective way to involve faculty in distance education. -- more
  
• Summer Online Courses
  James Madison University's(JMU) Center for Instructional Technology developed fully online summer courses that have increased the number of online course being offered by the university, as well as increase revenues. Additionally, through the creation of a Faculty Summer Institute Program that is the catalyst for the development of these summer online courses, JMU faculty have enhanced their online teaching skills. -- more
  
• Professional Design Education and Opt-in Hybrid Course Migration Model
  Boston Architectural Center has utilized various innovative approaches to incorporating online delivery into the core work of studio-based learning. -- more
  

Effective practices: Faculty Satisfaction

Governance and quality control

• North Carolina State University Distance Education and Learning Technology Applications (DELTA) RFP Program
  The Delta RFP program, created by North Carolina State University, funds the faculty in development of distance education programs. -- more
  
• Guiding Principles for Faculty in Distance Learning
  Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education creates guidelines that institutions can use to help faculty members teach courses online. -- more
  
• Peer review of online teaching-learning materials
  The Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching (MERLOT) peer review process evaluates, reviews, and publishes online learning materials. -- more
  
• Online Access to Learning Resources and Activities via Project Synergy
  Maryland Online's Project Synergy provides technology training opportunities to higher education faculty. -- more
  

• Including Technology Scholarship in the Faculty Reward Structure
  Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis rewards faculty for scholarship in the use of technology for teaching and learning. -- more
  
• New and Improved Accountability
  The University of Maine at Fort Kent's effective practice involves three simple steps: 1) Annotating the syllabus during course delivery, 2) Reflecting/evaluating/planning ahead, and 3) Documenting and sharing the improvements made to a course. -- more
  
• Transforming the Tenure and Promotion Process
  Auburn University has fundamentally changed its reward structure to recognize faculty outreach contributions. -- more
  
• Student-Nominated Faculty Awards for Effective/Innovative Technology Use
  Northeastern University's Effective Or Innovative Use Of Technology In Teaching Awards program enables faculty to find out what students find valuable about faculty use of course management systems and other technology. Faculty receive recognition for effective or innovative use of technology to support good teaching and learning; students feel empowered by nominating examples of effective practice. -- more
  
• Multidimensional Model for Review of Scholarly Activity
  The UniSCOPE model, created by Pennsylvania State University, recognizes and awards faculty for online activities. -- more
  

Effective practices: Student Satisfaction

Academic and administrative support services

• Online Support Services -- Focus on Student Satisfaction
  To enable a robust and continuous improvement process, Pace University surveys its online students extensively to determine their satisfaction level with the support services. -- more
  
• Online Library Materials and Services
  Frederick Community College (FCC) provides a comprehensive array of online library services to better serve its students. -- more
  
• Course Wizards: Successful Students as Tutors, Facilitators, and Role Models
  Mercy College uses "course wizards" to make its students more comfortable about asking for assistance. -- more
  
• Student/Faculty HelpDesk
  Pennsylvania State University World Campus uses HelpDesk, an online customer service, to make online experiences more satisfying for faculty and online students. -- more
  
• Online Learning Resource Center
  Each Rochester Institute of Technology's online course has a customized page to help students to be more prepared. -- more
  
• Getting Started With Customized Online Course Pages
  Each Rochester Institute of Technology's online course has a customized page to help students to be more prepared. -- more
  
• Telephone Student First Day of Class
  Professor Mustard at Charter Oak State College telephones students on the first day of class to establish communication. -- more
  
• Capella University's Online Writing Support Center
  Capella University offers a variety of services to improve student writing skills. -- more
  
• Pennsylvania State ePortfolio
  Pennsylvania State University uses ePortfolios to help leaners to evaluate their learning experiences and to share their reflections with peers and potential employers. -- more
  
• Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Website Design
  Embry Riddle Aeronautical University uses thoughtful web design to welcome visitors. -- more
  
• Tuition Discounts for Alums
  U.C. Berkeley offers Alums discounts on online courses. -- more
  
• A Comprehensive Plan for Preparing Online Students
  To prepare its students for their online course experience, Berkeley College has included an orientation site for its online degree students, a required online preparatory courses that prepares online students to understand the particulars of online learning and navigate the course management system, an online library orientation, a special one-stop shopping center online degree site with messages from advisors and students services, an online tutoring site that is always available to help students with course material and writing assistance, and ongoing faculty and technical support. -- more
  
• How to Manage Your Online Week
  At University of Massachusetts Lowell a professor provides an explicit schedule for each day of each week for completion of readings, lecture notes, activities, discussion posts, and so on, that if followed, gives students an evenly paced online workweek. Using this schedule of paced workload/assignments, students would not find themselves overwhelmed for one or two days, or find that a due date has slipped by without noticing it. -- more
  
• Building online community through a course Community & Resource Website
  At the University of Massachusetts Lowell, a Community & Resource Website in Information Technology (IT) course allows for community building through sharing of student pictures, current and past student work and extensive resources. -- more
  
• Pause and Post: A method for improving the frequency and quality of discussion board posts
  In graduate online courses in Education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, reflection and application of readings and concepts are weekly expectations of students. To help keep the discussion focused around certain key topics a method of Pause and Post is used to improve the frequency and quality of asynchronous discussion board postings. -- more
  
• Proactive Academic Advising for Distance Students
  Saint Joseph's College of Maine uses proactive outreach to guide and support distance students. -- more