Design Document for

Operationalizing Your Online Course

By Susan Rowland
Purpose of the Course The purpose of this course is to prepare all faculty to follow the same
process in setting up their online courses in order to provide students with
the tools they need to begin learning on the first day of the course.
Audience Description

The primary audience for this training will be full-time and adjunct
faculty teaching online courses in the GPS program. The secondary
audience includes full-time and adjunct faculty teaching ground-based
courses as well as faculty support staff who work closely with the
faculty in an advisory capacity. The training is optional for this group

Terminal Objective 1: Explain the importance of consistency and structure

Major Course
Objectives (Terminal) in online courses for adult students, based on established research.
Terminal Objective 2: Prepare each online course in the LMS given
established guidelines and standards.
Course Enabling
Objectives

TO1:
At the end of this course, learners will be able to:
Identify five characteristics of adult learners.
Explain five ways in which adults can be motivated.
Defend the need for adult learners to experience consistency and
structure in online education.
TO2:
At the end of this course, learners will be able to:
Modify course settings in the LMS.
Post a personal welcome message to students.
Post a course syllabus.
Create and post an assignment/activity schedule which includes due
dates and deadlines.
Post weekly discussion questions.

RLO Enabling
Objective
Learning Assessment
for Course

Identify at least five characteristics of adult learners.

The following assessments will be used to measure the learners
achievement of each terminal objective:
TO1:
Writing assignment: This assignment will consist of a 300-400-word
essay justifying the need for adult students to experience consistency
and structure in online courses.
TO2:
Prepare documents and information for a course they will be teaching:
Learners will prepare a personal welcome message to students, a
syllabus, assignment/activity schedule, and discussion questions.
Sequence questions: This will be a test to assess the learners ability to
prepare a course following the process recommended in the module.

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Learning Assessment
for RLO

This lesson will include two knowledge checks:

1. The first one will include a branching scenario.

2. The second will include an assessment on the characteristics of adult
students using matching list questions.
The course will be a self-paced training offered in the online modality using
Instructional Delivery
the Moodle LMS.
method for Course
(overall)
Instructional Strategy The instructional strategy will include a tutorial followed by a case scenario
and assessment.
for RLO
Media

This course will use the following media:

508 Accommodations

Text
Graphics

There will be no audio used at this time.

The following accommodations will be provided to comply with Section
508:

Course Structure
Description

Alternative text will be provided to describe non-text elements.

Color coding will not be used solely to convey important information.
Sufficient contrast will be achieved by bolding, italicizing, and/or
underlining of text.
Users will have control over the timing of content changes by being
able to proceed through the content at their own pace.
The course will be composed of two modules:
Module 1: Characteristics, Motivations, and Needs of the Adult Learner
Module 2: Methods for Improving the Online Learning Experience

Module 1 will consist of two lessons. Lesson One will be devoted to the
characteristics of adult learners (RLO) and Lesson Two will pertain to
the motivational characteristics of adult learners.

Module 2 will consist of three lessons: Lesson One will include

instruction on how to modify course settings in the LMS as well as how
to post a personal welcome message to students. Lesson Two will
include instruction on how to create and post a course syllabus and
developing and posting an assignment schedule. Lesson Three will
cover the process of posting weekly discussion questions

Seat Time of Course

Participants will be allowed one week to complete the course. The

estimated total time for course completion is 35-40 hours.

Seat Time of RLO

The seat time for this lesson will be 15-20 minutes.

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RLO Outline

I.
II.
III.

IV.
V.
VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.
X.
RLO Flowchart

Title Slide
Lesson Introduction
a. Overview of the training topic
Review of the objective
a. Given, the materials presented, learners will identify at least 5
characteristics of adult students.
Adult Learning Theory
a. Malcolm Knowles
Who are Adult Learners?
How are Adult Learners Different?
a. Traditional learners
b. Adult Learners
Knowledge Check #1
a. Branching scenario describing a real-life example of an adult
student.
i. Single mother with 2 small children
ii. Pursuing a bachelors degree in order to get a better-paying
job
Knowledge Check #2
a. Assessment Matching list questions on the characteristics of
adult students
Conclusion
End Slide

The RLO Flowchart is included as an attachment to this Design Document..

Screens/Pages in RLO There are 23 screens/pages in this RLO.

Knowledge Checks or There are two knowledge checks in this RLO.
Other Assessments or
____Dichotomous (T/F, Y/N, etc.)
Practices for RLO
____Multiple Choice
____Multiple Select
__1_Matching List Assessment
____Custom describe; if appropriate, supply flowchart in an Appendix
and reference it here.
__1_Other Case scenario in which learner must select one out of two
options available,
Rollovers/click events

__0_Rollovers
__8_Click Events

RLO Navigation

The navigation process in this lesson will include the following buttons:

Susan@NC_CBT_Design-Document

Home, Next, Previous, Help, Glossary, Exit

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Screen Layouts for

RLO

Title Screen

Instructional Content Screen

Instructional Content with Graphic

Knowledge Check: Matching List

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Development Tools
for RLO

The following tools will be used in the design and development of this
course:

Microsoft Word
Microsoft Powerpoint
Articulate Storyline 2

Ownership

Susan Rowland, Director of Curriculum Services for Distance Education,

will develop the initial course and will also maintain the course. The course
is being developed for Averett Universitys Graduate & Professional Studies
Program.

Development Time of
entire course and
RLO

For the entire course including the RLO, it is estimated that the development
time will be approximately 435 hours. This is taking into consideration the
total instruction time (2 hours) as well as limited experience with Articulate
software. The estimated development time for the RLO is 62 hours given
that it will be 15-20 minutes in length with moderate interactivity and
limited animations

Support requirements I will be serving as the principal designer on this project, so there will be no
additional support required.
for RLO and course
Project
Sign-off [optional]

Please sign below indicating agreement with the proposed course plan and
approving start-up of the storyboard and development phases.

Instructional Designer

Date

Project Manager/Sponsor

Date

Susan@NC_CBT_Design-Document

6/22/2016

Attachment RLO Flowchart

Title
Slide

Introduction and Overview

Review of the Objectives

i
t
l
e
S
l
i
d
e

Adult Learning Theory

Who Are Adult Learners?

How Are Adult Learners Different?

Knowledge Check #1
Scenario

Option 1

Option 2
p
t
i
o Check #2
Knowledge
n
Assessment
p
t
i
o
Conclusion
n

p
t
i
o
n
2

End
Slide

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