{"id":150,"date":"2021-12-14T05:31:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T10:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-3-structuring-your-course\/"},"modified":"2023-07-07T23:06:18","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T03:06:18","slug":"3-3-structuring-your-course","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/chapter\/3-3-structuring-your-course\/","title":{"raw":"3.3 Structuring your course","rendered":"3.3 Structuring your course"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>Introduction to online course structure<\/h2>\nIn online course design, structure matters<span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW51153400 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW51153400 BCX0\">\u2014<\/span><\/span>a lot. There are two levels of structure we need to consider when designing an online course: <strong>the overarching structure<\/strong> of the course and <strong>the structure of individual modules, units, or weekly topics<\/strong>. (Please note that we will be using \u201cmodules\u201d as the weekly organizational unit in this course, but your institution\u2019s choice of nomenclature might be different.)\n\nAt the course level, structure is typically conveyed via\n<ul>\n \t<li>a <strong>course outline and\/or course schedule<\/strong>, which provides an overview of topics, learning activities, assessments, and due dates; and<\/li>\n \t<li>the <strong>navigation structure<\/strong> in the learning management system (LMS) or other system that is used to deliver the course.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAt the module\/content level, structure is typically conveyed via\n<ul>\n \t<li>a <strong>module overview page<\/strong>, or other representation of the overall module content, which provides an overview of the topics, links to content, learning activities, and assessments pertinent to that module; and<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>concept maps<\/strong> and <strong>organizational visuals<\/strong>, which convey how concepts are related to each other, and provide learners with important information about content structure both between and within modules.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWe will consider all of these ways to structure your course and modules in this section.\n<h1>Why structure matters<\/h1>\n<h2>Why making <em>course structure<\/em> visible is important<\/h2>\n<strong>For instructors<\/strong>, mapping out your course (for example, in a course schedule) is a great way to determine the length of topics, when to schedule assessments, and when feedback should be provided to learners (i.e., ideally prior to when subsequent assessments are due). It helps to make your organization of topics, and the relevance of associated assessments, visible to your learners.\n\n<strong>For learners<\/strong>, a clear course structure helps them understand what to expect in the course, and what is expected of them every week. This helps to reduce their anxiety and allows them to better organize and manage their time. Good structure also increases findability, which is important to online learners.\n<div class=\"learner\">\n\n<strong>What learners have to say\u2026 <\/strong>\n\nI liked that all the assignments were well-organized in a clean section that was easy to find with their respective units and dates listed, so I didn\u2019t have to write that down myself\u00a0 . . .\u00a0 I really hated when I had to search and hunt for information.\n<p class=\"cite\">(Troop et al., 2020)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<img class=\"size-large wp-image-134\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\">\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Credit: FluxFactory\/iStock\/Getty Images (Copyrighted image. Do not copy, modify, or redistribute.)<\/p>\n&nbsp;\n<h2>Why making <em>content structure<\/em> visible is important<\/h2>\nAs described in Module 1.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/chapter-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Nine Events of Instruction framework<\/a>, it can be challenging for learners who are new to a field of study to conceptualize how the various elements of that field are connected. Research has shown that novice learners often experience new fields of knowledge as a series of isolated facts or formulas to master, and don't have the background knowledge to perceive the structure of the discipline. Without this kind of knowledge structure, it is difficult for them to process, comprehend, and retain new information (Ambrose et al., 2010; Bransford et al., 1999).\n\nMaking the structure of a field of knowledge explicit can help by providing a framework or schema into which learners can fit new knowledge, so that \u201cnew material is integrated not into an aggregate of facts and terms but into a pre-existing organization of learned knowledge\u201d (Nilson &amp; Goodson, 2018, p. 41). An effective way of doing this is to create a concept map or other organizational visual indicating how course topics are connected to each other.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-135 size-full\" title=\"Integrating new knowledge into a pre-existing framework of knowledge\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle.png\" alt=\"A visual of 2 puzzle pieces side by side. The puzzle piece on the left depicts an organizational chart labelled &quot;Disciplinary knowledge&quot; with a puzzle piece missing from one of the branching cells. The puzzle piece on the right presents the phrase \u201cprior knowledge\u201d and connects with the puzzle piece on the left.\" width=\"830\" height=\"284\">\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: Making the structure of a field of knowledge explicit helps learners fit new knowledge into pre-existing disciplinary structures, which helps them retain it better and connect it to prior knowledge.\nCredit: University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Integrating-new-knowledge-into-a-pre-existing-framework-of-knowledge.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n\n<h1><a id=\"How-to-create-a-coherent-course-structure-for-your-learners\" href=\"\"><\/a>How to create a coherent <em>course structure<\/em> for your learners<\/h1>\n<h2>Start with backward design<\/h2>\nIn Module 1.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-2-event-2-inform-learners-of-the-objective-a-closer-look-at-backwards-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Using backward design<\/a>, we introduced the concept of backward design, which provides an excellent starting point to a coherent, well-structured course. Taking the time at the planning stage of course design to think carefully about your course learning outcomes and to align these with your content, activities, and assessments will go a long way toward creating a clear and well-organized course.\n<h2>Create an organizational visual outlining the course structure<\/h2>\nOrganizational visuals like concept maps can help you to <strong>sequence your content<\/strong> into <strong>logical<\/strong> and <strong>meaningfully related sections\/modules<\/strong>. They are also an excellent way to make the structure of your course visible to your learners, which can help them visualize the relationships between topics and <strong>provide them with a \"big picture\" view<\/strong> of how knowledge is structured in your discipline. Your modules may map directly onto the number of weeks in your course (so that Module 1 occurs in week 1, etc.), or your modules may span across several weeks. Use the structure that makes the most sense for your course, and make sure it is presented to learners clearly.\n<h3>A (meta)example of how to make course structure visible with an organizational visual<\/h3>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this course<\/h3>\nOne of the ways we signalled the structure of this course was through the course pathways organizational visual in the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/front-matter\/about-this-course-start-here\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">About This Course \u2013 Start Here!<\/a> section. The visual presents a high-level overview of the course structure, which is organized according to the stages of development of an online course (left column). The visual also includes an interactive element (right column), which provides information about the things learners will create for their own course in each module, so that they can navigate directly to the course development task they\u2019re currently working on and need assistance with.\n\n<\/div>\n[h5p id=\"1\"]\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: The course pathways organizational visual in High-Quality Online Courses helps orient learners to the structure of the course.\nCredit: University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC-course-map-d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"advanced\">\n\nQuality Advanced\n<h3><a id=\"Example-of-how-to-make-course-structure-visible-with-an-organizational-visual\" href=\"\"><\/a>Example of how to make course structure visible with an organizational visual<\/h3>\nIn a fourth-year undergraduate course, learners are presented with complex neuroscience information, which many have likely never encountered before. To help guide these learners, the course instructor created a simple visual flow chart\u2013type \"map\" of the course in PowerPoint, showing how all the concepts across the course will be developed and connected. This type of visual is sufficient on its own, but the instructor also chose to record a screen capture where she elaborates on how all these ideas will be connected. Watch the video to see this strategy in action.\n\n[embed]https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/355374682?h=04b7d9bbfc[\/embed]\n<p class=\"copyright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/NSCI-483-Module-2-General-Introduction-to-Multiple-Memory-Systems-transcript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transcript<\/a>\u00a0 | Video length ~ 5:30 mins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr Susan Boehnke, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen\u2019s University<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create clear module titles<\/h2>\nLearners benefit from descriptive module titles that make the weekly content focus visible. Titles like <strong>Week 3<\/strong> or <strong>Module 3<\/strong> convey nothing about the topic covered in that week\/module. The following example is much better\u2014it aids findability and tells learners exactly what to expect in the module.\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this module<\/h3>\n<img class=\"alignnone wp-image-136\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of module 3 title, Module 3: Quality Course Structure and Content\" width=\"800\" height=\"71\">\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: The Module 3 title in <em>High Quality Online Courses<\/em> clearly describes the content focus.\nCredit: University of Waterloo<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create a course schedule<\/h2>\nA course schedule is an indispensable planning tool for learners, providing an overview of topics, learning activities, assessments, and due dates for each week of the course.\n<div class=\"note-box\">\n\n<strong>Key questions:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n \t<li>Are the module names meaningful?<\/li>\n \t<li>Have you listed the subtopics you will address in each module?<\/li>\n \t<li>Are the subtopics sufficiently segmented?<\/li>\n \t<li>Have you added learning activities (including readings) and due dates\/weightings for work due?<\/li>\n \t<li>Are the workload expectations reasonable for learners?<\/li>\n \t<li>Are activities and assessments well-paced? Is the grading well-distributed across term, with sufficient time to provide learners with feedback before they progress to their next assessment?<\/li>\n \t<li>Do assessment deadlines and weightings adhere to any institutional policies?<\/li>\n \t<li>If you plan to use synchronous sessions in your course, are they scheduled strategically to address common sticky points\/bottleneck concepts, assessment Q&amp;As or debriefs, or exam reviews?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\nYou may find it useful to use an <strong>assessment planning table<\/strong> like the one below to get a sense of how frequently your assessments occur across the weeks of the course. Remember that assessments aren\u2019t required every week\u2014depending on your outcomes, you may choose a few (scaffolded) major assessments rather than weekly lower-stakes assessments (see Module 2.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/2-4-eliciting-learner-performance-event-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eliciting Learner Performance<\/a> to learn about scaffolded assessments). The assessment schedule should be manageable for you, your TAs (if applicable), and for your learners.\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Assessment<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 30.6641px\">Wk 1<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 2<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 3<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 4<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 5<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 6<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 7<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 8<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 9<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 10<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 11<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 29.5938px\">Wk 12<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 54.7656px\">Weight (%)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: quiz<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">2% x 5 = 10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: discussion<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\">0% (ungraded practice)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">10% x 3 = 30%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: reflection<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">5%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: instructor check-in\/oral assessment<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">5%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: presentation (2-stage pre-work + final submission)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">10 %<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\">30%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">10% + 10% + 30% = 50%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Total<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 551.742px\" colspan=\"12\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">100%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<span class=\"copyright\">Caption: Example of a completed assessment planning table. <\/span>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n\nQuality Essential\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-course-schedules-could-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how course schedules could work<\/h3>\nBelow, we\u2019ve provided a few examples of course schedules across various instructional contexts.\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Example 1:<\/strong> GNED 1026, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Health Psychology Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Laura Shannon, Loyalist College<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Example 2:<\/strong> GPHY 227, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_Queens_University_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cities: Geography, Planning, and Urban Life Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Dan Cohen, and Betsy Donald, Queen\u2019s University<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Example 3:<\/strong> DEI 616, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_University_Of_Waterloo_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Multimedia Storytelling Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Dr Daniel Harley, Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, University of Waterloo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box\">\n<h2><a id=\"Activity-Create-a-course-schedule\" href=\"\"><\/a>Activity: Create a course schedule<\/h2>\n<strong>Learning outcomes:<\/strong>\nThis activity is directly aligned with <strong>Course Learning Outcome (CLO) 6<\/strong>: Structure and present your online content and assessments in ways that facilitate student learning and foster a sense of community.\n\n<strong>Instructions:<\/strong>\nEquipped with the above examples to guide you, and building on the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-2-event-2-inform-learners-of-the-objective-a-closer-look-at-backwards-design\/#Module-LevelAlignmentChartDocument\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module-Level Alignment Chart<\/a>\u201d activity in Module 1, create a <strong>course schedule<\/strong> for your online course. You may use the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_M3_Create_a_Course_Schedule_Worksheet.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Course Schedule template<\/a> (DOCX) we\u2019ve created for you, or a version that you\u2019ve adapted for your own context.\n\nDownload the <strong>Course Schedule Template.docx<\/strong> worksheet to create a Word version to complete offline. <strong>An in-line version has not been made available<\/strong> for this activity, since the table format doesn't translate well to the tool used for in-line interactions.\n\nFor planning purposes, you may find it helpful to create an assessment planning table first. If so, we\u2019ve provided an <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/09\/HQOC_M3_Assessment_Planning_Table_Template.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assessment Planning Table template<\/a> (DOCX) for you to use or modify to suit your context.\n\n<\/div>\n<h1>How to create a coherent <em>module structure<\/em> for your learners<\/h1>\n<h2>Create Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages<\/h2>\nModule Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages are a good way to orient learners to what is expected of them in any given module or week. A Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction page should include the following elements:\n<h3>A short introduction<\/h3>\nProvide a brief overview of the topic, make connections to prior learning, capture your learners\u2019 attention\/pique their curiosity, and establish relevance. See Module 3.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-4-gaining-learner-attention-event-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaining Learner Attention<\/a> and Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4#Strategies-for-increasing-engagement-and-motivation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strategies for Increasing Engagement and Motivation<\/a> for more information.\n<h3>Module learning outcomes<\/h3>\nSee Module 1.6 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/1-6-how-to-write-learning-outcomes-event-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Effective Learning Outcomes<\/a> for more information about why module learning outcomes matter and how to write them.\n<h3>A diagnostic assessment<\/h3>\nIf relevant, include a link to a diagnostic assessment to surface misconceptions or gaps in your learners\u2019 understanding. See Module 1.7 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-3-event-3-stimulate-recall-of-prior-learning-a-closer-look-at-our-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning About Your Learners<\/a> for more information about creating diagnostic assessments.\n<h3>Key terms<\/h3>\nMaking key terms available at the start of a new topic of study is a pre-training technique designed to reduce cognitive overload by offloading some of the cognitive processing learners have to engage with in the content, to the pre-training episode. See Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Presenting the Content<\/a> below for more information about pretraining and other strategies to avoid cognitive overload in your presentation of content.\n<h3>Links to weekly resources, activities, and assessments<\/h3>\nLast but not least, the findability of course materials is greatly improved when your Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages include links to the following:\n<ul>\n \t<li>segmented <strong>topic\/content sections<\/strong> for that module;<\/li>\n \t<li>an overview or list of the <strong>activities<\/strong> (including readings) that learners are expected to complete that week;<\/li>\n \t<li>an overview or list of <strong>assessments<\/strong> that learners are expected to complete that week, together with a link to the <strong>course schedule<\/strong>, which outlines due dates; and<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>supplementary resources<\/strong> related to the module topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a id=\"A-meta-example-of-how-to-make-content-structure-visible-with-a-Module-overview-page\" href=\"\"><\/a>A (meta)example of how to make content structure visible with a Module Overview page<\/h3>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this course<\/h3>\nWe created <strong>Module Overview<\/strong> pages for each module in this course, which include a short introduction to the module, an organizational visual to remind learners of how the course is organized, the module learning outcomes, a list of key terms, and quick links to the module sections and activities:\n<ul>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 1 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/module-overview-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 2 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-1-module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 3 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/4-1-module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 4 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box\">\n<h2><a id=\"Activity-Create-a-module-overview-page\" href=\"\"><\/a>Activity: Create a Module Overview page<\/h2>\n<strong>Learning outcomes:<\/strong>\nThis activity is directly aligned with<strong> Course Learning Outcome (CLO) 6<\/strong>: Structure and present your online content and assessments in ways that facilitate student learning and foster a sense of community.\n\n<strong>Instructions:<\/strong>\nEquipped with the above examples to guide you, create a <strong>Module Overview<\/strong> page for one module, using the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_M3_Create_a_Module_Overview_Page_Worksheet.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module Overview template<\/a> (DOCX) we\u2019ve created for you, or a version that you\u2019ve adapted for your own context.\n\n<strong>Option 1<\/strong>: Download the <strong>Module Overview Template.docx<\/strong> to create a Word version to complete offline.\n\n<strong>Option 2<\/strong>: Complete the activity in-line below. If you wish to save your in-line results, be sure to download your work by clicking the <strong>Export<\/strong> tab at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar in the activity before moving on.\n\nPlease note, this activity is intended for your own reflection and learning. <strong>Your responses are private and are deleted when you refresh or navigate away from this page<\/strong>.\n[h5p id=\"41\"]\n\n<\/div>\n<h2>Use learning management system (LMS) templates<\/h2>\nMany postsecondary institutions have created online course templates, available through the institution\u2019s LMS, which are easy for instructors to access and adapt for their courses. Where available, these are a simple and effective way to structure and organize your course, as they often include templates for <strong>course schedules<\/strong> and <strong>Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages<\/strong>, so that you don\u2019t have to start from scratch.\n\nWhen applied across all online courses at an institution, these templates provide a <strong>consistent and familiar navigation experience<\/strong> for learners. As Jakob Nielsen explains in his \u201cLaw of Internet User Experience,\u201d familiarity is an important aspect of good user experience:\n<blockquote>Users [or, in our context, online learners] spend most of their time on other [course] sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. <strong>Design for patterns for which users are accustomed<\/strong>.\"\n<p class=\"copyright\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/videos\/jakobs-law-internet-ux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nielsen, n.d.)<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nWhen we \u201cdesign for patterns for which users are accustomed,\u201d we <strong>reduce cognitive load<\/strong> for our learners, as they\u2019re not spending valuable processing time trying to figure out the course structure, or the LMS interface, or locating where things are in the course. Instead, they can focus on their learning. (To learn more about cognitive load, see Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Presenting the Content.<\/a>) As much as possible, we want to ensure that the experience of navigating an online course is intuitive for learners; when it isn't, this can become a source of frustration and interfere with learning. For more information about designing intuitive online courses, take a look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cms.cel.uwaterloo.ca\/honeycomb\/intuitive.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UXDL Honeycomb: How Do We Create Intuitive (Findable and Usable) Learning Experiences?<\/a>\n\n<img class=\"size-large wp-image-137\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\">\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Credit: Wavebreakmedia\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus (Copyrighted image. Do not copy, modify, or redistribute.)<\/p>\n&nbsp;\n\nWhere available, LMS templates often include the following adaptable pages:\n<ul>\n \t<li>Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages,<\/li>\n \t<li>basic HTML-content pages with prestyled headings and subheadings,<\/li>\n \t<li>Course Outline\/Syllabus page,<\/li>\n \t<li>Course Schedule page,<\/li>\n \t<li>various Activity or Assignment pages with instructions,<\/li>\n \t<li>Course and University Policies page, and<\/li>\n \t<li>Required Readings page (if applicable or not otherwise included on a content page).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBelow, we\u2019ve curated a partial list of LMS templates available on common LMS vendor sites, and at some Ontario PSE institutions. Check to see whether your institution has LMS templates available to help you structure your course!\n<div class=\"essential\">\n\nQuality Essential\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-LMS-templates-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how LMS templates work<\/h3>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/community.brightspace.com\/s\/article\/HTML-Template-Version-3-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brightspace HTML Template (version 3.0)<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Canvas<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1zqDWq_jaPOGozbg0vCsOhhmLydg9cLbRMKAHvXlZfYw\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Humboldt State University: Designing Your Course with Modules and Pages<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Moodle<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/moodle.org\/plugins\/local_course_templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moodle Course Templates<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Queen's University, Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.queensu.ca\/onqsupport\/instructors\/create-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Create a Course<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>Trent University, Blackboard<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trentu.ca\/it\/services\/user-guides\/blackboard-faculty-template\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blackboard \u2013 Faculty \u2013 Template<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>University of Toronto, Canvas<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/q.utoronto.ca\/courses\/81302\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Example Remote\/Online Course Template \u2013 University of Toronto<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><strong>University of Waterloo, Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uwaterloo.ca\/keep-learning\/resources\/course-templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Online Course Templates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create an organizational visual outlining the <em>content<\/em> structure<\/h2>\nMuch like course-level organizational visuals, <strong>module-level organizational visuals<\/strong> are a useful <strong>planning tool<\/strong> for you and make the relationships between concepts within a module transparent to learners. This helps them better <strong>retain new knowledge<\/strong> and <strong>connect it to prior knowledge<\/strong>. As Nilson and Goodson (2018) explain,\n<blockquote>Students learn new material better and can remember it longer when they receive it in an organized structure or when they organize and structure it themselves (if they are ready to do so). In fact, the only way people remember anything long term is in a coherent, logically organized structure based on patterns and relationships among interconnected parts\" (p. 81).<\/blockquote>\nAs Nilson and Goodson suggest, <strong>having your learners create concept maps<\/strong> of the content in a module is also a good way to help them learn the structure of the discipline (e.g., as an assessment or other learning exercise). If they\u2019re not quite ready to do this, Darby and Lang (2019) suggest providing your learners with a partially completed concept map or other structure document such as a note outline (p. 189). Take a look at Darby's <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Section-6_PG2_Skeletal-Outline_CFIN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skeletal Outline Example<\/a> (PDF), posted on the Association of College and University Educators\u2019 Online <a href=\"https:\/\/acue.org\/online-teaching-toolkit\/#sec3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Teaching Toolkit site<\/a>, as an example of this approach.\n<div class=\"list-box-history\">\n<h3>Connection to prior learning<\/h3>\nIn Module 1.7 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-3-event-3-stimulate-recall-of-prior-learning-a-closer-look-at-our-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning About Your Learners<\/a>, we learned that asking your learners to create concept maps that they share with you and\/or their peers in low-stakes assessments or ungraded course discussions at various points throughout your course is also a good way to gain insight into their developing understanding of the course material, and to surface any gaps or errors that you might subsequently usefully address.\n\n<\/div>\nBelow we provide some examples of organizational visuals across a variety of disciplines and course contexts.\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-organizational-visuals-could-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how organizational visuals could work<\/h3>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n\nQuality Essential\n<h4>Example 4: Organizational visual from an introductory psychology course<\/h4>\nThe following example of an organizational visual from a module on Freudian and Humanist Theory helps learners visualize how personality theories and theorists relate to one another.\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-138\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101.png\" alt=\"image description found below\" width=\"862\" height=\"961\">\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr. Paul Wehr, Department of Psychology and the Centre for Extended Learning, University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Carl-Jung-and-Alfred-Adler-Approaches-to-Personality-d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n\nQuality Essential\n<h4>Example 5: Using key terms to present a course's organizational structure<\/h4>\nIn a second-year introduction to immunology course, learners are presented with the same grid of key terms at the start and end of each module, with the terms pertinent to each module highlighted. This provides learners with a bird\u2019s eye overview of the entire course's key terminology, while contextualizing where each module\u2019s terms fit into the bigger conceptual framework of the course.\n\nLearners are encouraged to use these focused terminology lists to create their own study aids to ensure they understand and do not miss any concepts in preparing for their final exam. This helps them to build their study skills, which is a key outcome in the course, given that the course topic is often overwhelming for first-time learners.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-139\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-1024x536.png\" alt=\"Screenshot showing a concept map of a list of immunology terminology. \" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\">\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr. Prameet Sheth, Queen's University | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Concept-map-of-a-list-of-immunology-terminology.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"edii-box\">\n<h2>An EDII perspective: How course &amp; module structure enhance accessibility<\/h2>\nThis section has emphasized the importance of creating a clear course and module structure, not only as a way to help instructors stay organized, but also <strong>to set clear expectations, enhance findability, and provide comprehension support for learners<\/strong>, all of which are vital to ensuring an equitable learning experience.\n\nConsider a learner who\n<ul>\n \t<li><strong>is the first in their family to attend a postsecondary institution<\/strong>: Research shows that first-generation students have a steeper learning curve in terms of acclimatizing in this new environment, in addition to navigating their course(s), which may be organized in different ways. A clear course structure can help alleviate one potential source of stress;<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>uses assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to support their learning<\/strong>: They will appreciate a well-organized learning space so they can quickly find and identify where important information is located;<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>has an accessibility accommodation (e.g., mental health challenges)<\/strong>: From day one of the course, they can understand the course and assessment expectations and work to organize their workload and schedule to enable them to appropriately manage their personal situation. With this plan in place, and no unexpected events occurring during the semester, they may not end up reaching out to you to implement elements of their accommodation (e.g., requesting an extension for an assignment submission); and<\/li>\n \t<li><strong>is taking a course that is not in their first language<\/strong>: A clear course page and module outline will help reduce additional, often unnecessary, barriers to understanding and help them prioritize their learning approach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAs you can see, a well-organized learning environment can do a lot to reduce barriers and create an inclusive learning space, no matter the background of the learner. Courses designed for accessibility benefit all learners. Conversely, anecdotally, the authors of this resource have known learners to drop online courses for the sole reason that it was extremely difficult and frustrating for them to find the information they needed, such as due dates and assignment requirements\/descriptions or the content to cover in a particular week!\n\n<\/div>","rendered":"<h2>Introduction to online course structure<\/h2>\n<p>In online course design, structure matters<span class=\"TextRun MacChromeBold SCXW51153400 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW51153400 BCX0\">\u2014<\/span><\/span>a lot. There are two levels of structure we need to consider when designing an online course: <strong>the overarching structure<\/strong> of the course and <strong>the structure of individual modules, units, or weekly topics<\/strong>. (Please note that we will be using \u201cmodules\u201d as the weekly organizational unit in this course, but your institution\u2019s choice of nomenclature might be different.)<\/p>\n<p>At the course level, structure is typically conveyed via<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a <strong>course outline and\/or course schedule<\/strong>, which provides an overview of topics, learning activities, assessments, and due dates; and<\/li>\n<li>the <strong>navigation structure<\/strong> in the learning management system (LMS) or other system that is used to deliver the course.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At the module\/content level, structure is typically conveyed via<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a <strong>module overview page<\/strong>, or other representation of the overall module content, which provides an overview of the topics, links to content, learning activities, and assessments pertinent to that module; and<\/li>\n<li><strong>concept maps<\/strong> and <strong>organizational visuals<\/strong>, which convey how concepts are related to each other, and provide learners with important information about content structure both between and within modules.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We will consider all of these ways to structure your course and modules in this section.<\/p>\n<h1>Why structure matters<\/h1>\n<h2>Why making <em>course structure<\/em> visible is important<\/h2>\n<p><strong>For instructors<\/strong>, mapping out your course (for example, in a course schedule) is a great way to determine the length of topics, when to schedule assessments, and when feedback should be provided to learners (i.e., ideally prior to when subsequent assessments are due). It helps to make your organization of topics, and the relevance of associated assessments, visible to your learners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For learners<\/strong>, a clear course structure helps them understand what to expect in the course, and what is expected of them every week. This helps to reduce their anxiety and allows them to better organize and manage their time. Good structure also increases findability, which is important to online learners.<\/p>\n<div class=\"learner\">\n<p><strong>What learners have to say\u2026 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I liked that all the assignments were well-organized in a clean section that was easy to find with their respective units and dates listed, so I didn\u2019t have to write that down myself\u00a0 . . .\u00a0 I really hated when I had to search and hunt for information.<\/p>\n<p class=\"cite\">(Troop et al., 2020)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-134\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1051412050-350x233.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Credit: FluxFactory\/iStock\/Getty Images (Copyrighted image. Do not copy, modify, or redistribute.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Why making <em>content structure<\/em> visible is important<\/h2>\n<p>As described in Module 1.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/chapter-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Nine Events of Instruction framework<\/a>, it can be challenging for learners who are new to a field of study to conceptualize how the various elements of that field are connected. Research has shown that novice learners often experience new fields of knowledge as a series of isolated facts or formulas to master, and don&#8217;t have the background knowledge to perceive the structure of the discipline. Without this kind of knowledge structure, it is difficult for them to process, comprehend, and retain new information (Ambrose et al., 2010; Bransford et al., 1999).<\/p>\n<p>Making the structure of a field of knowledge explicit can help by providing a framework or schema into which learners can fit new knowledge, so that \u201cnew material is integrated not into an aggregate of facts and terms but into a pre-existing organization of learned knowledge\u201d (Nilson &amp; Goodson, 2018, p. 41). An effective way of doing this is to create a concept map or other organizational visual indicating how course topics are connected to each other.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-135 size-full\" title=\"Integrating new knowledge into a pre-existing framework of knowledge\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle.png\" alt=\"A visual of 2 puzzle pieces side by side. The puzzle piece on the left depicts an organizational chart labelled &quot;Disciplinary knowledge&quot; with a puzzle piece missing from one of the branching cells. The puzzle piece on the right presents the phrase \u201cprior knowledge\u201d and connects with the puzzle piece on the left.\" width=\"830\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle.png 830w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle-300x103.png 300w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle-768x263.png 768w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle-65x22.png 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle-225x77.png 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/prior-knowledge-puzzle-350x120.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: Making the structure of a field of knowledge explicit helps learners fit new knowledge into pre-existing disciplinary structures, which helps them retain it better and connect it to prior knowledge.<br \/>\nCredit: University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Integrating-new-knowledge-into-a-pre-existing-framework-of-knowledge.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n<h1><a id=\"How-to-create-a-coherent-course-structure-for-your-learners\" href=\"\"><\/a>How to create a coherent <em>course structure<\/em> for your learners<\/h1>\n<h2>Start with backward design<\/h2>\n<p>In Module 1.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-2-event-2-inform-learners-of-the-objective-a-closer-look-at-backwards-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Using backward design<\/a>, we introduced the concept of backward design, which provides an excellent starting point to a coherent, well-structured course. Taking the time at the planning stage of course design to think carefully about your course learning outcomes and to align these with your content, activities, and assessments will go a long way toward creating a clear and well-organized course.<\/p>\n<h2>Create an organizational visual outlining the course structure<\/h2>\n<p>Organizational visuals like concept maps can help you to <strong>sequence your content<\/strong> into <strong>logical<\/strong> and <strong>meaningfully related sections\/modules<\/strong>. They are also an excellent way to make the structure of your course visible to your learners, which can help them visualize the relationships between topics and <strong>provide them with a &#8220;big picture&#8221; view<\/strong> of how knowledge is structured in your discipline. Your modules may map directly onto the number of weeks in your course (so that Module 1 occurs in week 1, etc.), or your modules may span across several weeks. Use the structure that makes the most sense for your course, and make sure it is presented to learners clearly.<\/p>\n<h3>A (meta)example of how to make course structure visible with an organizational visual<\/h3>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this course<\/h3>\n<p>One of the ways we signalled the structure of this course was through the course pathways organizational visual in the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/front-matter\/about-this-course-start-here\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">About This Course \u2013 Start Here!<\/a> section. The visual presents a high-level overview of the course structure, which is organized according to the stages of development of an online course (left column). The visual also includes an interactive element (right column), which provides information about the things learners will create for their own course in each module, so that they can navigate directly to the course development task they\u2019re currently working on and need assistance with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"h5p-1\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Pathways through the course\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: The course pathways organizational visual in High-Quality Online Courses helps orient learners to the structure of the course.<br \/>\nCredit: University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC-course-map-d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n<div class=\"advanced\">\n<p>Quality Advanced<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"Example-of-how-to-make-course-structure-visible-with-an-organizational-visual\" href=\"\"><\/a>Example of how to make course structure visible with an organizational visual<\/h3>\n<p>In a fourth-year undergraduate course, learners are presented with complex neuroscience information, which many have likely never encountered before. To help guide these learners, the course instructor created a simple visual flow chart\u2013type &#8220;map&#8221; of the course in PowerPoint, showing how all the concepts across the course will be developed and connected. This type of visual is sufficient on its own, but the instructor also chose to record a screen capture where she elaborates on how all these ideas will be connected. Watch the video to see this strategy in action.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"NSCI 483 - Module 2: General Introduction to Multiple Memory Systems\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/355374682?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/NSCI-483-Module-2-General-Introduction-to-Multiple-Memory-Systems-transcript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Transcript<\/a>\u00a0 | Video length ~ 5:30 mins.<\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr Susan Boehnke, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen\u2019s University<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create clear module titles<\/h2>\n<p>Learners benefit from descriptive module titles that make the weekly content focus visible. Titles like <strong>Week 3<\/strong> or <strong>Module 3<\/strong> convey nothing about the topic covered in that week\/module. The following example is much better\u2014it aids findability and tells learners exactly what to expect in the module.<\/p>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this module<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-136\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of module 3 title, Module 3: Quality Course Structure and Content\" width=\"800\" height=\"71\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title.png 747w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title-300x27.png 300w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title-65x6.png 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title-225x20.png 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/m3-title-350x31.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Caption: The Module 3 title in <em>High Quality Online Courses<\/em> clearly describes the content focus.<br \/>\nCredit: University of Waterloo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create a course schedule<\/h2>\n<p>A course schedule is an indispensable planning tool for learners, providing an overview of topics, learning activities, assessments, and due dates for each week of the course.<\/p>\n<div class=\"note-box\">\n<p><strong>Key questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are the module names meaningful?<\/li>\n<li>Have you listed the subtopics you will address in each module?<\/li>\n<li>Are the subtopics sufficiently segmented?<\/li>\n<li>Have you added learning activities (including readings) and due dates\/weightings for work due?<\/li>\n<li>Are the workload expectations reasonable for learners?<\/li>\n<li>Are activities and assessments well-paced? Is the grading well-distributed across term, with sufficient time to provide learners with feedback before they progress to their next assessment?<\/li>\n<li>Do assessment deadlines and weightings adhere to any institutional policies?<\/li>\n<li>If you plan to use synchronous sessions in your course, are they scheduled strategically to address common sticky points\/bottleneck concepts, assessment Q&amp;As or debriefs, or exam reviews?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>You may find it useful to use an <strong>assessment planning table<\/strong> like the one below to get a sense of how frequently your assessments occur across the weeks of the course. Remember that assessments aren\u2019t required every week\u2014depending on your outcomes, you may choose a few (scaffolded) major assessments rather than weekly lower-stakes assessments (see Module 2.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/2-4-eliciting-learner-performance-event-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eliciting Learner Performance<\/a> to learn about scaffolded assessments). The assessment schedule should be manageable for you, your TAs (if applicable), and for your learners.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Assessment<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 30.6641px\">Wk 1<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 2<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 3<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 4<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 5<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 6<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 7<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 8<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 9<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 25.6328px\">Wk 10<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 26.6719px\">Wk 11<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 29.5938px\">Wk 12<\/th>\n<th style=\"width: 54.7656px\">Weight (%)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: quiz<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">2%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">2% x 5 = 10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: discussion<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\">0% (ungraded practice)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">10% x 3 = 30%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: reflection<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">5%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: instructor check-in\/oral assessment<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">5%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Example: presentation (2-stage pre-work + final submission)<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 30.6641px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\">10 %<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\">10%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 25.6328px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6719px\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 29.5938px\">30%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">10% + 10% + 30% = 50%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 92.3828px\">Total<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 551.742px\" colspan=\"12\"><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 54.7656px\">100%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span class=\"copyright\">Caption: Example of a completed assessment planning table. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n<p>Quality Essential<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-course-schedules-could-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how course schedules could work<\/h3>\n<p>Below, we\u2019ve provided a few examples of course schedules across various instructional contexts.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Example 1:<\/strong> GNED 1026, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Health Psychology Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Laura Shannon, Loyalist College<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example 2:<\/strong> GPHY 227, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_Queens_University_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cities: Geography, Planning, and Urban Life Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Dan Cohen, and Betsy Donald, Queen\u2019s University<\/li>\n<li><strong>Example 3:<\/strong> DEI 616, <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_Course_Schedule_University_Of_Waterloo_Example.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Multimedia Storytelling Course Schedule.<\/a>\u00a0Credit: Dr Daniel Harley, Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, University of Waterloo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box\">\n<h2><a id=\"Activity-Create-a-course-schedule\" href=\"\"><\/a>Activity: Create a course schedule<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Learning outcomes:<\/strong><br \/>\nThis activity is directly aligned with <strong>Course Learning Outcome (CLO) 6<\/strong>: Structure and present your online content and assessments in ways that facilitate student learning and foster a sense of community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instructions:<\/strong><br \/>\nEquipped with the above examples to guide you, and building on the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-2-event-2-inform-learners-of-the-objective-a-closer-look-at-backwards-design\/#Module-LevelAlignmentChartDocument\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module-Level Alignment Chart<\/a>\u201d activity in Module 1, create a <strong>course schedule<\/strong> for your online course. You may use the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_M3_Create_a_Course_Schedule_Worksheet.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Course Schedule template<\/a> (DOCX) we\u2019ve created for you, or a version that you\u2019ve adapted for your own context.<\/p>\n<p>Download the <strong>Course Schedule Template.docx<\/strong> worksheet to create a Word version to complete offline. <strong>An in-line version has not been made available<\/strong> for this activity, since the table format doesn&#8217;t translate well to the tool used for in-line interactions.<\/p>\n<p>For planning purposes, you may find it helpful to create an assessment planning table first. If so, we\u2019ve provided an <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2021\/09\/HQOC_M3_Assessment_Planning_Table_Template.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assessment Planning Table template<\/a> (DOCX) for you to use or modify to suit your context.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h1>How to create a coherent <em>module structure<\/em> for your learners<\/h1>\n<h2>Create Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages<\/h2>\n<p>Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages are a good way to orient learners to what is expected of them in any given module or week. A Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction page should include the following elements:<\/p>\n<h3>A short introduction<\/h3>\n<p>Provide a brief overview of the topic, make connections to prior learning, capture your learners\u2019 attention\/pique their curiosity, and establish relevance. See Module 3.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-4-gaining-learner-attention-event-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaining Learner Attention<\/a> and Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4#Strategies-for-increasing-engagement-and-motivation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strategies for Increasing Engagement and Motivation<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n<h3>Module learning outcomes<\/h3>\n<p>See Module 1.6 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/1-6-how-to-write-learning-outcomes-event-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Effective Learning Outcomes<\/a> for more information about why module learning outcomes matter and how to write them.<\/p>\n<h3>A diagnostic assessment<\/h3>\n<p>If relevant, include a link to a diagnostic assessment to surface misconceptions or gaps in your learners\u2019 understanding. See Module 1.7 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-3-event-3-stimulate-recall-of-prior-learning-a-closer-look-at-our-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning About Your Learners<\/a> for more information about creating diagnostic assessments.<\/p>\n<h3>Key terms<\/h3>\n<p>Making key terms available at the start of a new topic of study is a pre-training technique designed to reduce cognitive overload by offloading some of the cognitive processing learners have to engage with in the content, to the pre-training episode. See Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Presenting the Content<\/a> below for more information about pretraining and other strategies to avoid cognitive overload in your presentation of content.<\/p>\n<h3>Links to weekly resources, activities, and assessments<\/h3>\n<p>Last but not least, the findability of course materials is greatly improved when your Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages include links to the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>segmented <strong>topic\/content sections<\/strong> for that module;<\/li>\n<li>an overview or list of the <strong>activities<\/strong> (including readings) that learners are expected to complete that week;<\/li>\n<li>an overview or list of <strong>assessments<\/strong> that learners are expected to complete that week, together with a link to the <strong>course schedule<\/strong>, which outlines due dates; and<\/li>\n<li><strong>supplementary resources<\/strong> related to the module topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><a id=\"A-meta-example-of-how-to-make-content-structure-visible-with-a-Module-overview-page\" href=\"\"><\/a>A (meta)example of how to make content structure visible with a Module Overview page<\/h3>\n<div class=\"example\">\n<h3>How we did this in this course<\/h3>\n<p>We created <strong>Module Overview<\/strong> pages for each module in this course, which include a short introduction to the module, an organizational visual to remind learners of how the course is organized, the module learning outcomes, a list of key terms, and quick links to the module sections and activities:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 1 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/module-overview-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 2 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-1-module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 3 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/4-1-module-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module 4 Overview page<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"box\">\n<h2><a id=\"Activity-Create-a-module-overview-page\" href=\"\"><\/a>Activity: Create a Module Overview page<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Learning outcomes:<\/strong><br \/>\nThis activity is directly aligned with<strong> Course Learning Outcome (CLO) 6<\/strong>: Structure and present your online content and assessments in ways that facilitate student learning and foster a sense of community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instructions:<\/strong><br \/>\nEquipped with the above examples to guide you, create a <strong>Module Overview<\/strong> page for one module, using the <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_M3_Create_a_Module_Overview_Page_Worksheet.docx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Module Overview template<\/a> (DOCX) we\u2019ve created for you, or a version that you\u2019ve adapted for your own context.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Option 1<\/strong>: Download the <strong>Module Overview Template.docx<\/strong> to create a Word version to complete offline.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Option 2<\/strong>: Complete the activity in-line below. If you wish to save your in-line results, be sure to download your work by clicking the <strong>Export<\/strong> tab at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar in the activity before moving on.<\/p>\n<p>Please note, this activity is intended for your own reflection and learning. <strong>Your responses are private and are deleted when you refresh or navigate away from this page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"h5p-41\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-41\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"41\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Activity: Create a module overview page\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Use learning management system (LMS) templates<\/h2>\n<p>Many postsecondary institutions have created online course templates, available through the institution\u2019s LMS, which are easy for instructors to access and adapt for their courses. Where available, these are a simple and effective way to structure and organize your course, as they often include templates for <strong>course schedules<\/strong> and <strong>Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages<\/strong>, so that you don\u2019t have to start from scratch.<\/p>\n<p>When applied across all online courses at an institution, these templates provide a <strong>consistent and familiar navigation experience<\/strong> for learners. As Jakob Nielsen explains in his \u201cLaw of Internet User Experience,\u201d familiarity is an important aspect of good user experience:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Users [or, in our context, online learners] spend most of their time on other [course] sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know. <strong>Design for patterns for which users are accustomed<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/videos\/jakobs-law-internet-ux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nielsen, n.d.)<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When we \u201cdesign for patterns for which users are accustomed,\u201d we <strong>reduce cognitive load<\/strong> for our learners, as they\u2019re not spending valuable processing time trying to figure out the course structure, or the LMS interface, or locating where things are in the course. Instead, they can focus on their learning. (To learn more about cognitive load, see Module 3.5 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/3-5-presenting-the-content-event-4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Presenting the Content.<\/a>) As much as possible, we want to ensure that the experience of navigating an online course is intuitive for learners; when it isn&#8217;t, this can become a source of frustration and interfere with learning. For more information about designing intuitive online courses, take a look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/cms.cel.uwaterloo.ca\/honeycomb\/intuitive.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UXDL Honeycomb: How Do We Create Intuitive (Findable and Usable) Learning Experiences?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-137\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/GettyImages-1297086354-350x233.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright-caption\">Credit: Wavebreakmedia\/iStock\/Getty Images Plus (Copyrighted image. Do not copy, modify, or redistribute.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Where available, LMS templates often include the following adaptable pages:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Module Overview\/Weekly Introduction pages,<\/li>\n<li>basic HTML-content pages with prestyled headings and subheadings,<\/li>\n<li>Course Outline\/Syllabus page,<\/li>\n<li>Course Schedule page,<\/li>\n<li>various Activity or Assignment pages with instructions,<\/li>\n<li>Course and University Policies page, and<\/li>\n<li>Required Readings page (if applicable or not otherwise included on a content page).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Below, we\u2019ve curated a partial list of LMS templates available on common LMS vendor sites, and at some Ontario PSE institutions. Check to see whether your institution has LMS templates available to help you structure your course!<\/p>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n<p>Quality Essential<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-LMS-templates-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how LMS templates work<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/community.brightspace.com\/s\/article\/HTML-Template-Version-3-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brightspace HTML Template (version 3.0)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Canvas<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1zqDWq_jaPOGozbg0vCsOhhmLydg9cLbRMKAHvXlZfYw\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Humboldt State University: Designing Your Course with Modules and Pages<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Moodle<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/moodle.org\/plugins\/local_course_templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Moodle Course Templates<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Queen&#8217;s University, Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.queensu.ca\/onqsupport\/instructors\/create-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Create a Course<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Trent University, Blackboard<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trentu.ca\/it\/services\/user-guides\/blackboard-faculty-template\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blackboard \u2013 Faculty \u2013 Template<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>University of Toronto, Canvas<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/q.utoronto.ca\/courses\/81302\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Example Remote\/Online Course Template \u2013 University of Toronto<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>University of Waterloo, Brightspace<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uwaterloo.ca\/keep-learning\/resources\/course-templates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Online Course Templates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Create an organizational visual outlining the <em>content<\/em> structure<\/h2>\n<p>Much like course-level organizational visuals, <strong>module-level organizational visuals<\/strong> are a useful <strong>planning tool<\/strong> for you and make the relationships between concepts within a module transparent to learners. This helps them better <strong>retain new knowledge<\/strong> and <strong>connect it to prior knowledge<\/strong>. As Nilson and Goodson (2018) explain,<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Students learn new material better and can remember it longer when they receive it in an organized structure or when they organize and structure it themselves (if they are ready to do so). In fact, the only way people remember anything long term is in a coherent, logically organized structure based on patterns and relationships among interconnected parts&#8221; (p. 81).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>As Nilson and Goodson suggest, <strong>having your learners create concept maps<\/strong> of the content in a module is also a good way to help them learn the structure of the discipline (e.g., as an assessment or other learning exercise). If they\u2019re not quite ready to do this, Darby and Lang (2019) suggest providing your learners with a partially completed concept map or other structure document such as a note outline (p. 189). Take a look at Darby&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Section-6_PG2_Skeletal-Outline_CFIN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skeletal Outline Example<\/a> (PDF), posted on the Association of College and University Educators\u2019 Online <a href=\"https:\/\/acue.org\/online-teaching-toolkit\/#sec3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Teaching Toolkit site<\/a>, as an example of this approach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"list-box-history\">\n<h3>Connection to prior learning<\/h3>\n<p>In Module 1.7 <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/hqoc\/chapter\/section-3-event-3-stimulate-recall-of-prior-learning-a-closer-look-at-our-learners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learning About Your Learners<\/a>, we learned that asking your learners to create concept maps that they share with you and\/or their peers in low-stakes assessments or ungraded course discussions at various points throughout your course is also a good way to gain insight into their developing understanding of the course material, and to surface any gaps or errors that you might subsequently usefully address.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Below we provide some examples of organizational visuals across a variety of disciplines and course contexts.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"Examples-of-how-organizational-visuals-could-work\" href=\"\"><\/a>Examples of how organizational visuals could work<\/h3>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n<p>Quality Essential<\/p>\n<h4>Example 4: Organizational visual from an introductory psychology course<\/h4>\n<p>The following example of an organizational visual from a module on Freudian and Humanist Theory helps learners visualize how personality theories and theorists relate to one another.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-138\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101.png\" alt=\"image description found below\" width=\"862\" height=\"961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101.png 862w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101-269x300.png 269w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101-768x856.png 768w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101-65x72.png 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101-225x251.png 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/carl-jung-MASTERPSYCH101-350x390.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr. Paul Wehr, Department of Psychology and the Centre for Extended Learning, University of Waterloo | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Carl-Jung-and-Alfred-Adler-Approaches-to-Personality-d.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"essential\">\n<p>Quality Essential<\/p>\n<h4>Example 5: Using key terms to present a course&#8217;s organizational structure<\/h4>\n<p>In a second-year introduction to immunology course, learners are presented with the same grid of key terms at the start and end of each module, with the terms pertinent to each module highlighted. This provides learners with a bird\u2019s eye overview of the entire course&#8217;s key terminology, while contextualizing where each module\u2019s terms fit into the bigger conceptual framework of the course.<\/p>\n<p>Learners are encouraged to use these focused terminology lists to create their own study aids to ensure they understand and do not miss any concepts in preparing for their final exam. This helps them to build their study skills, which is a key outcome in the course, given that the course topic is often overwhelming for first-time learners.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-139\" src=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-1024x536.png\" alt=\"Screenshot showing a concept map of a list of immunology terminology.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-65x34.png 65w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-225x118.png 225w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap-350x183.png 350w, https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/HQOC_KeyTermsOrganizationalStructure_ImmunologyConceptMap.png 1290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"copyright\">Credit: Dr. Prameet Sheth, Queen&#8217;s University | <a href=\"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2023\/07\/Concept-map-of-a-list-of-immunology-terminology.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Image Description<\/a> (PDF)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"edii-box\">\n<h2>An EDII perspective: How course &amp; module structure enhance accessibility<\/h2>\n<p>This section has emphasized the importance of creating a clear course and module structure, not only as a way to help instructors stay organized, but also <strong>to set clear expectations, enhance findability, and provide comprehension support for learners<\/strong>, all of which are vital to ensuring an equitable learning experience.<\/p>\n<p>Consider a learner who<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>is the first in their family to attend a postsecondary institution<\/strong>: Research shows that first-generation students have a steeper learning curve in terms of acclimatizing in this new environment, in addition to navigating their course(s), which may be organized in different ways. A clear course structure can help alleviate one potential source of stress;<\/li>\n<li><strong>uses assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to support their learning<\/strong>: They will appreciate a well-organized learning space so they can quickly find and identify where important information is located;<\/li>\n<li><strong>has an accessibility accommodation (e.g., mental health challenges)<\/strong>: From day one of the course, they can understand the course and assessment expectations and work to organize their workload and schedule to enable them to appropriately manage their personal situation. With this plan in place, and no unexpected events occurring during the semester, they may not end up reaching out to you to implement elements of their accommodation (e.g., requesting an extension for an assignment submission); and<\/li>\n<li><strong>is taking a course that is not in their first language<\/strong>: A clear course page and module outline will help reduce additional, often unnecessary, barriers to understanding and help them prioritize their learning approach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, a well-organized learning environment can do a lot to reduce barriers and create an inclusive learning space, no matter the background of the learner. Courses designed for accessibility benefit all learners. Conversely, anecdotally, the authors of this resource have known learners to drop online courses for the sole reason that it was extremely difficult and frustrating for them to find the information they needed, such as due dates and assignment requirements\/descriptions or the content to cover in a particular week!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-150","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":123,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/150\/revisions\/251"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/123"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/150\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=150"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=150"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/openstudio.pub\/qualitycourses\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}