{"id":2341,"date":"2024-11-18T06:00:06","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T14:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2341"},"modified":"2024-11-18T06:34:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T14:34:38","slug":"high-quality-online-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/high-quality-online-course\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a good online course?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2515\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/course-quality.jpg?resize=744%2C419&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A person's hands rest on a laptop keyboard with a colorful geographic map displayed on the screen.\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/course-quality.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/course-quality.jpg?resize=320%2C180&amp;ssl=1 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 744px) 100vw, 744px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Here are 3 ways Oregon State University stands out as a national leader in online course design<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Pop quiz:<\/strong> How many weeks does Oregon State University dedicate to developing a single online course?<\/p>\n<p>If you answered 26 weeks, that\u2019s correct (and oddly impressive).<\/p>\n<p>For the better part of six months, faculty and staff at Oregon State will take an idea for a new online class and turn it into a learning experience that is built top-to-bottom on quality and meaningful engagement.<\/p>\n<p>This in-depth development process is true of all courses delivered online by Oregon State Ecampus. Each one is <strong>designed specifically for the online classroom<\/strong> in a partnership between Oregon State faculty and expert Ecampus instructional designers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur rigorous, collaborative approach to course development enhances student learning because it ensures that <strong>students are receiving high-quality learning experiences online<\/strong>,\u201d said Karen Watt\u00e9, the OSU Ecampus senior director of course development and training.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA carefully developed course helps students understand how each part of the course fits into overall learning goals. Students have well-designed opportunities to engage with the content, the instructor and each other, which helps ensure their success in the course.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the benefit of spending 26 weeks meticulously developing a course in order to meet the highest standards in online teaching and course design. But what does that entail? Allow us to explain the basics.<\/p>\n<h3>Research shapes everything<\/h3>\n<p>When we say OSU Ecampus courses are \u201chigh-quality learning experiences online,\u201d it\u2019s not based on an arbitrary definition we\u2019ve created for ourselves. <strong>It\u2019s backed by extensive research and industry best practices<\/strong>. We don\u2019t want to get too technical, but here\u2019s the gist:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Every Oregon State online class is informed by the research-based, 44-standard rubric developed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/qualitymatters.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quality Matters organization<\/a>. If you\u2019re wondering how well-respected Quality Matters is in the world of online course design, think of it this way: If QM were a rock band, it would be the Beatles.<\/li>\n<li>At a minimum, each Ecampus course meets the standards outlined in the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/standards-principles\/ecampus-essentials\/\">Ecampus Essentials<\/a>, which are based on the QM rubric. We then apply the rubric to further strengthen the course design. \u201cOur instructional designers work closely with faculty to ensure that the course developments adhere to our long-standing, research-based design standards,\u201d Watt\u00e9 said.<\/li>\n<li>And all faculty members who teach online are introduced to OSU\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/faculty\/standards-principles\/online-teaching\/\">Online Teaching Principles<\/a>. These principles are \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 also derived from research-based best practices. They offer instructors guidance on how to communicate clearly and quickly, be present, support students, foster community and more. (These OTPs are also <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/quality-matters-endorses-oregon-state-online-teaching-principles\/\">endorsed by Quality Matters<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s a lofty standard to create high-quality learning experiences online. At Oregon State, we commit to clearing the bar with every course.<\/p>\n<h3>Faculty expertise + course design and multimedia excellence<\/h3>\n<p>To build a class specifically for the online environment, the instructor and Ecampus staff begin by carefully examining the course learning outcomes. The result is a design in which <em>every element<\/em> of the course aligns with those outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the beginning and end of the process. In the middle, Ecampus supports faculty in creating engaging content and activities, ensuring that <strong>each component included in the course supports student learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFaculty have the opportunity to work with the award-winning Ecampus multimedia team to create content that is highly engaging, and that helps students understand the most complex topics being covered,\u201d Watt\u00e9 said. Oregon State has twice won <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/virtual-chemistry-lab-olc-award\/\">national awards<\/a> for developing <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/virtual-microscope-award\/\">innovative multimedia experiences<\/a> that make learning more accessible for students around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Not every online course includes ground-breaking technology, but all course content is designed for the online classroom. This a key reason why learning online with Oregon State is significantly different \u2014 and more enriching \u2014 than the remote learning many students experienced on Zoom during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<h3>Students say quality and support go hand in hand<\/h3>\n<p>Ask Oregon State Ecampus students about the quality of their online courses, and you\u2019ll likely notice a theme: They often mention challenging coursework in the same breath as the support system around them \u2014 from instructors to classmates to student services professionals like the <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/services\/student-services\/success\/\">Ecampus success coaches<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was very impressed by the level of difficulty but also the support,\u201d said Rachel Handy, who earned a Professional Science Master\u2019s in Fisheries and Wildlife Administration online. \u201c<strong>I was always challenged, but if I did have any issues, there was plenty of support<\/strong> from the professors and my fellow students.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an ideal environment: You challenge yourself to learn more, and when you need someone to help push you toward your goals, a team lends its support and keeps you moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like the quality of education I received online was equal to the quality I would have received if I were in person,\u201d said MacKenzie Sharp, a political science graduate from Toronto, Canada. \u201cHaving professors who would be willing to answer any questions you might have or walk you through something \u2014 it was fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Start your journey today<\/h2>\n<p>At Oregon State University, we maximize our resources \u2014 time, energy and expertise \u2014 to develop the best online courses so learners like you can advance your career. To learn more, you can have a one-on-one conversation with a member of our enrollment services team by phone, email or chat.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/\">Connect with our enrollment specialists<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>Pop quiz: How many weeks does Oregon State spend developing an online course? If you answered 26 weeks, that\u2019s correct (and oddly impressive). For six months, OSU faculty and staff take an idea for a new online class and turn it into a learning experience that is built on quality and meaningful engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,679,684,657],"tags":[662],"class_list":["post-2341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-leadership-and-innovation","category-online-teaching-resources","category-resources","tag-division-of-educational-ventures"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/course-quality.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-BL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1461,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/faculty-spotlight-james-howard\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":0},"title":"Faculty Spotlight: Building a network for student success","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"October 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"James Howard is an award-winning Oregon State Ecampus campus partner. He is part of a network of folks working to help students both on- and off-campus.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/james-howard-744-478-1.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/james-howard-744-478-1.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/james-howard-744-478-1.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/james-howard-744-478-1.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1389,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/k-12-remote-instruction-guides\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":1},"title":"OSU Ecampus publishes resources to help K-12 teachers, parents with remote instruction","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"May 5, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University\u2019s nationally ranked online Ecampus program has published a collection of resource guides to assist K-12 teachers, administrators and parents in helping students learn remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collection of\u00a0quick reference guides\u00a0is available to the public online and was developed by the Oregon State Ecampus course\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aerial image of Austin Hall on the Oregon State University campus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/austin-hall-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/austin-hall-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/austin-hall-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/austin-hall-oregon-state.jpg?fit=744%2C495&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1175,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/pushing-the-boundaries-of-online-education\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":2},"title":"Out there: Pushing the boundaries of what\u2019s possible in online education","author":"Heather Doherty","date":"April 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State Ecampus is home to national award-winning multimedia developers and videographers who partner with OSU faculty to create custom media to be used in Oregon State\u2019s online courses, including videos, animations, virtual field trips, augmented reality, 3D scanning and virtual reality.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The augmented reality sandbox used in Permaculture Design and Theory course online shows how landscape design affects water flow.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Oregon-State-Ecampus-course-media-reel-image.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1473,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/faculty-spotlight-charlotte-wickham\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":3},"title":"Faculty Spotlight: Open Source and Open Minded","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Meet Charlotte Wickham. OSU Ecampus instructor by day, advocate for open source course materials... also by day. Students love her. See why.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oregon-state-logo-600x400.png?ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2131,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-course-development\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":4},"title":"What are the keys to effective online course development?","author":"Karen Watt\u00e9","date":"September 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"How do you create robust and engaging online courses that bring Oregon State's faculty expertise to students worldwide? A deep dive into the course development process reveals a number of things. Each course development is a custom build, and we pursue quality throughout every stage, ensuring that students are presented\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A person holding a dry erase marker writes on a white board, which has various sticky notes placed on it.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/instructional-design-news-220919-G72A9476.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/instructional-design-news-220919-G72A9476.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/instructional-design-news-220919-G72A9476.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/instructional-design-news-220919-G72A9476.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1270,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/innovative-online-courses\/","url_meta":{"origin":2341,"position":5},"title":"Innovation in online courses at Oregon State University","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"September 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Studying online with Oregon State University Ecampus gives you the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty members who infuse their courses with cutting-edge educational technology. These innovative methods and programs bring lessons to life and give distance students the ability to engage with course content \u2013 as well as their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screenshot of instructor Andrew Millison's hands over Oregon State's augmented reality sandbox","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ar-sandbox-innovative-courses-video.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ar-sandbox-innovative-courses-video.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ar-sandbox-innovative-courses-video.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ar-sandbox-innovative-courses-video.jpg?fit=744%2C419&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}