Conquering the Content by Smith, Robin M.;

Short description:

As the sixth volume of the Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning series,
Conquering the Content provides a highly-practical blue-print for course development and content presentation for web-based courses.

Long description:

As the sixth volume of the Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning series,
Conquering the Content provides a highly-practical blue-print for course development and content presentation for web-based courses. While providing guidance for incorporating learning theory into online courses, this book primarily furnishes online instructors with the practical templates, learning guides, and sample files to construct and manage their course content.

Unlike other books about online instruction that cover theories of teaching and learning, instructional design, or even graphic design this book gives the "how to" of preparing an online course by focusing on content. The much needed step-by-step guidance in this book will result in fully formed courses where high-quality content is the central feature.

Conquering the Content

Conquering the Content is a practical resource for faculty who tackle overwhelming amounts of course content that must be tailored for Web-based learning. This important guide offers step-by-step instructions for creating online learning experiences that are manageable, effective, and of the highest quality.

Written by Robin M. Smith, an expert on online learning, Conquering the Content provides guidance for incorporating learning theory into practical online courses. Designed for online instructors at all levels of experience, the book is filled with the templates, learning guides, and sample files that can be easily applied to construct and manage course content.

Comprehensive in scope, Conquering the Content helps instructors

• Identify learning outcomes




• Create an easily updateable course




• Address assessment issues and challenges




• Develop a well-designed learning guide




• Design courses that are "information transfer"-based




• Avoid common pitfalls




• Focus on issues of navigation

The ideas and methods contained in this resource have been successfully applied in a wide variety of disciplines from institutions across the United States.

Conquering the Content is the fifth book in the Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning series, which offers concrete and practical resources to help higher education practitioners meet the challenges of the online learning environment.

Table of Contents:

Preface.

The Author.

1 Design with Learning in Mind.

Learning in the Twenty-First Century.

Advantages to Having a Course Online.

How Web-based Learning Is the Same as Classroom Learning.

Learning Styles.

Think Learning, Not Teaching .

The Online Student s Environment.

How Web-Based Learning Is Different from Classroom Learning.

Action Steps.

2 Design with the Future in MindIt s Okay to Be Uncomfortable.

The Future Will Be Here Sooner Than You Think.

Creating the Outline.

The Learning Guide.

The Modules.

File Systems.

Managing Course Structure.

Action Steps.

3 Design with Assessment in Mind.

Self-Assessment.

Authentic Assessments.

Quizzes.

Teaching for the Long Term.

Questions for First-Time Web-Based Instructors.

Action Steps.

4 Design with Organization in Mind.

Learning Guide Development.

Elements of the Learning Guide.

Prioritizing in Creating Your Course.

Resource Gathering.

Web-Based Aspects of the Course.

Choosing the Most Important Topics.

Instructional Guidance.

Action Steps.

5 Design with Content in Mind.

Introduction to Chunking.

How the Brain Processes Information.

Chunking for a Text-Based Lecture or Content Presentation.

Bridges.

Active Learning Opportunities.

Prioritizing Course Development and Revisions.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Chunking.

Action Steps.

6 Design with Process in Mind.

Best Practices.

Design Using Someone Else s Mind.

Action Step.

7 Design with Navigation in Mind.

Student Access to Module Components.

Continuous Improvement.

Documenting for Revisions.

Link Rot.

Where to Go from Here.

Action Steps.

What You Have Conquered!

Appendix A: Forms.

Appendix B: Action Steps.

Appendix C: American Association for Higher Education s Nine.

Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning.

Appendix D: Design and Development Tasks.

Notes: Ideas for Application.

References.

Index.