qm standards 1 & 7: course beginnings and syllabi
TRANSCRIPT
Quality Matters Boot Camp 2016
Use the Quality Matters rubric and Standard 1 & 7 to help guide your course development
Map out your objectives and course content Use Folders, Learning Modules, Files, and Items
where appropriate to promote readability and a student-friendly course
Use descriptions in Items and other parts of your course to add visual interest and get students’ attention
Construct a course sidebar menu that is easy to follow
You probably already know it is a rubric for course design
It is also a subscription for institutions to support professional development and program growth
Applies for any type of course, including online or hybrid
You can become certified to review courses at institutions nationwide
Standard 1 looks at the structure of the course and how students are able to get around
Most of the information that is addressed by Standard 1 is typically found in the syllabus
Syllabus templates: http://www.pnc.edu/distance/webaccessibility
Description of the course
Objectives Orientation to
technical elements Explanation of grading
and assessment Description of
communication expectations
Relates to instructions related to student services and support
Also important to include in the syllabus
Relates to areas including accessibility, technical help, and academic support
Of course, students need to be able to find the syllabus
Placing it in a clearly labeled spot, like “Start Here!” indicates its importance
Remember that students are not likely to read such a long document more than once
Provide shortcuts to important information like the calendar for the semester in an easily accessible place
A
There is no easy answer – every course is different
But, there are some fundamentals that will help students find their way: Syllabus
Course Calendar with due dates
“Class Café” or Q&A discussion board for general help
Lecture notes or introductions to units
Assignments and/or quizzes
Links to useful resources or readings
It might be helpful to draw out the structure for your course on paper first
Plan where students should go first, second, third, and so forth
A paper concept map can help you visualize the structure you want
Use Items to provide information/directions right on the page
Use Content Areas, Folders, and Learning Modules to categorize and separate information logically
Orient students to the course
Use headings and descriptions to aid
organization
Name files (or label) so they have meaning to
the learner
Be consistent in the organization of lessons
Bundle related activities, assignments,
interaction, assessments in one place – keep
them in context
Using the Rich-Text Editor
Text Options
Formatting Options
Hyperlinks
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