Two Principles - Marie Varner

Principles of Online Design

Principle #2. Interaction and Feedback

It is often hard to make a student feel included in the course when taking it through an online program. Since the instructor has relatively little or no face to face contact with the student, they cannot always individualize the learning environment. Some students may not be familiar with all media used within the course. Therefore, it is always important to get an idea of how familiar the students are with using technology by starting them out early in using the technology to be used throughout the course. It is also important to make sure that the student knows where to seek help if necessary, either through an online instruction manual or through a help center. It is also necessary to elicit feedback from the student throughout the course to make sure that they are all keeping up with the coursework, since it is so easy to fall behind in an online program. In the same manner, it is important for the instructor to provide feedback to the student on assignments to know that they are on the right track.

Principle 3. Instructional Media

It is important to make the online media as appealing as possible to the learner. If they have problems viewing the content because it is disorganized they are likely to get frustrated and fall behind. It is also important to keep things simple, but also to challenge the student to push a little further past their comfort zone. If the program is too simple, the student will get bored, but adding a little challenge will keep them interested. Making the navigation of the course consistent and intuitive can assist the student to get to the necessary information in a simple manner and keep their attention as well as controlling their frustration. Using too many graphics or audio can cause overstimulation. Use these types of media only when necessary or when it adds to the learning.