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Our course shells are essentially websites for our courses. Though their use is restricted to registered students, and doesn’t involve much actual web development, they are used by students like websites. This layout can have an impact on the overall quality of the course.[1]
Reflection
The Goal: Creating a Learner-Centred Shell
We are all familiar with the learning outcomes that drive our course content and our assessments. But what is our goal when we are designing the structure of the course?
In a basic sense, the goal of a learning management system is to facilitate the transmission of course content and learning activities. We might say that a successful course structure is one that involves the least time spent finding things, and the most time spent engaging with learning materials. Instructors should aim to create course shells that are clear and easy to navigate.
A recorded lecture, no matter how good, is useless if students can’t find it. A discussion thread is only engaging insofar as students can easily participate in it. As a result, the goal of the LMS is to be learner-centred. We are creating a structure for students, and its success is dependent on how well students are able to find the materials they need, participate in activities, and engage in learning.
How to create a learner-centred course shell?
One thing we can do is put ourselves into our students’ shoes. Pretend that you are the student who is logging in for the first time and navigating your course. Look back at the reflection activity that you’ve just completed, and then take a look at your course. Would your course be enjoyable or frustrating to navigate? Is your course easy to use? Is everything laid out clearly? Would you find everything easily if you were logging in for the first time?
Tip: Your LMS should have a “Student View” or similar feature that displays the course from the student’s perspective. This is a great way to evaluate your own course design.
Activity: Course Scavenger Hunt
Pick one of your courses (an old course works well), and ensure that all content items and assignments are visible. Turn on Student View and find a partner/friend/child (don’t ask a fellow instructor!) Ask them to navigate through your course. They should have no trouble finding anything, even if they haven’t been in school for years or have never used this LMS. See if they can locate the following items. They are not allowed to ask you any questions.
If you don’t have anyone to ask, enter Student View and try your best to emulate a user entering the course for the first time.
Basics:
- the course’s schedule
- the date of the final exam (if applicable)
- the first assignment: what is it, when is it due, and where can they submit it
- the instructor’s email
- the location of the first week’s material (if synchronous, where can they find the virtual classroom; if asynchronous, where are the learning materials)
- the topic taught in week five
Advanced:
- the weighting of all assign