Introduction to Online Learning

Course Description

Learners who are engaging in online coursework have high expectations for their learning experience. And many institutions try to develop online coursework as a way to reduce cost and control the content of the training, but without regard for the complexities of the technology. This course introduces the major models, tools, and techniques for creating and delivering online learning. It reviews the fundamentals of general learning theory and how it can be applied in practice to online design and instruction.

This course was developed by the National Institute of Online Learning (NIOL), which was founded in 2012 with the goal to improve the quality and effectiveness of online learning, especially for adult learners, by promoting best practices and innovation in the field.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe key trends in online learning
• Differentiate between the constructivist and transmission models of learning
• Devise techniques for active learning
• Identify the steps common to course development processes and their roles in creating effective learning
• Explain how learning objectives may be used to ensure that a course is meeting the need it was designed for
• Identify the condition, performance, and qualification components of measurable learning objectives
• Describe Bloom's Taxonomy and explain its application in instructional design
• Describe the use of blended learning
• Explain the benefits of narrative, adaptive, peer, and social learning
• Discuss the instructional design needs specific to adult learners
• Describe how to employ Whole-Part-Whole learning techniques
• Recognize how worked examples advance learning
• Describe instructional scaffolding and explain its use
• Explain the 5E Learning Model
• Explore the need for variety in online learning
• Identify ways to incorporate video in online learning
• Describe how to measure for success in online learning