Chapter 1

Examining the Concept of eCourses

IN THIS CHAPTER

Looking at types of online courses and reasons to create one

Choosing a topic and nailing the necessities

Recognizing the reality of online course development

If you are reading this book, then your curiosity has been piqued regarding what an online course is and the effect it can have on your life. The market for online learning is projected to continue reaching hundreds of billions in revenue in future years.

Being a teacher for 22 years and teaching in the online realm for 18+ years, I can say I have seen many things — some good, some exceptional, some bad, and some horrific. I have evolved as a teacher, and when I look back at what I did in 2005 versus what I do now, it’s a different realm of reality.

For example, my first course online was just a shell with my notes and slides posted. I can almost guarantee the material was not accessible, as I did not know what that meant in 2005. There were no low-stake assessments, few if any practice materials, and all grades were based on high-stake exams. Immediately after my first semester, I started to make drastic changes to support student success. I knew I could never have learned in that environment, so I had to make an effort to change my outlook, my direction, my vision, my material, my presence, my support — essentially, my everything. Are my courses perfect 18+ years later? No. Are they good courses? Yes. I would state that they are great courses, but they constantly change, shift, evolve, and are under scrutiny by myself, and honestly, I’m sure, by my peers.

It's impossible to know everything, but over time and through certifications, professional development, researching, or continuing education, you can learn. As a student in different programs, I found out about, and now implement, differentiated learning, authentic assessments, learner’s choice, scaffolded learning, and more.

Through experience, I now create more compelling course experiences, which, though they may be considered rigorous and difficult, are not dull. Throughout this book you’ll find real examples, templates, and ideas to build a course from scratch or to modify and convert material you’ve already created.

What Is an Online Course?

An online course is taught over the internet, usually via a learning management system (LMS). The LMS is the storage unit for content, assessments, course documents, communication tools, and more.

The topic of online courses is a broad one, as a range of delivery methods and interaction types exist. Understanding your options can help you determine the direction you may want to explore and how to focus your vision.

Types of online courses

Online courses are typically structured as one of the following three types:

• Synchronous courses: Students have the flexibility to take these courses from anywhere, but live meetings are an integral part of the program. Students are required to attend these meetings via phone, web platforms, or in person. Often there are preset meeting times that students will be made aware of prior to enrolling. Some instructors will survey students for the best meeting times, and others will offer a few options for all students to choose from and attend as they can.
• Asynchronous courses: These courses don’t entail any planned live interaction with the instructor or peers. They are self-paced and provide material to review and assignments to complete for students to achieve their goals. The course may be chunked into learning units or modules with due dates throughout the length of the course, or there may be just one due date, at the end of the course. Some courses may have no due date at all but rather are purchased for lifetime access.
• Hybrid courses: These courses are a combination of synchronous and asynchronous work. The institution, company, or teacher determines how the course is delivered.

Any type of online course can end with a certificate being awarded by an accredited organization or a professional business.

Why should I consider creating an online course?

There are many reasons to create an online course, but you need to make sure your reasons and approach build on your expertise, trustworthiness and can support the process of designing, developing, and delivering an online course. All of these are addressed in detail throughout the book.

• Diversify and increase income by monetizing your expertise. This income is supplemental at first but can become a sustainable, profitable career path.
• Establish yourself as an expert and build your brand to create your mark in the industry. Focus on information that is most important and relevant to your audience. Avoid boring, unrelated information that may be considered nice to know, but not necessary. Focus on the interesting part, trim the fat, and capture the learner. This can be a branding opportunity (see Chapters 13 and 14 for more on this).
• Create a community of practice, a group of fellow teachers or individuals who share common interests. An online class offers the opportunity to connect with similar scholars and potential collaborators (check out Chapter 6).
• Share your knowledge with a global audience. Even if it is not your career, if you are passionate and have the skill set, teach what you love. With the internet, access to people is at our fingertips. Because your aim is global, language and cultural differences need to be addressed too, but geographical barriers are removed.
• Have a direct impact on making education accessible.Accessible means that the course is not only available to learners, but that the material also meets the digital requirements to be usable by individuals with disabilities. You can have an impact on learners’ lives and can be a part of their achievements (turn to Chapter 4 for more on accessibility).

As a creator, you are responsible for digital accessibility to ensure that users with different abilities can enjoy and participate in the online experience.

A simple search on the internet will provide you with thousands of websites stating it is easy and lucrative to build an online course. I want to be transparent and state that “easy” is a relative term, and financial benefits depend on your dedication, niche, business prowess, and commitment to growth and success. If you are a veteran teacher, then creating content, aligning objectives, using a variety of technology, and understanding pedagogical processes will be simpler. “Easy” is not a term I use because creating a course is a lot of work. However, the work is doable for anyone willing to invest time in learning tools, theories, best practices, and needs of the community.

As a veteran online teacher, I constantly reflect, evolve, and tweak the content to meet the needs of the learner and to keep up with technological advancements.

Focusing on Creating a Great Product

Many online courses are available, so what will make yours different? First, you picked up this book, which means you are eager to discover tips and tools to successfully design, develop, and deliver an online course.

Information is everywhere, and there is so much of it that sifting through it all can be overwhelming. This is why an online course focusing on the necessities is appealing. So don’t focus on selling information; focus on selling the learner on the transformation that will occur from taking your course (see Chapter 9).

To begin the transformation, the learner must interact with the material in a sensible manner — think intuitive navigation, clear directions, and engaging activities. This requires you to organize the content in units with defined...