FINAL BLOG FOR ONTL 7201 – PRODUCING DIGITAL CONTENT

The certificate program has been a great learning experience for me.  The four courses designed for the online certificate program connected effectively and resulted in a comprehensive and rigorous learning experience.  As a result of this experience, I have no doubt that I will be an effective online instructor.

As I reflect on my learning experience in the Producing Digital Content course, one of the key steps during my journey was to become knowledgeable and skilled in the use of the Blackboard course management system.  I was unaware of the multi-dimensional Blackboard System.  Now following the course in this program and after taking and completing a number of tutorials, I feel very proficient using, explaining and trouble-shooting the Blackboard System.

Producing Digital Content was the most challenging course of the four in the program.  The course required a significant amount of time and effort.  We were instructed through a “trial and error” processing for building the shell of a new course.  During the early stages of the Producing Digital Content course it was apparent, a lack of knowing the “short cuts” to effective course development were lacking for me.  Although this course was challenging and at times frustrating it has been rewarding as the result of my hard work, which resulted in a functional online course.

Dr. Joy Bensiger, the instructor was very knowledgeable, accessible and tireless in his attempts to provide a collaborative group and “one-on-one” assistance throughout the course.  His accessibility and guidance was critical to my success with the course.

Sometime in the future, "Analyzing Exemplary Teaching Strategies for Elementary and Secondary Teacher”, may be offered at Governors State University.  I hope to be the instructor for this course.  The certificate program and the Producing Digital Content course has given me the necessary foundation to build a functional course from the "ground up".  If I have an opportunity to teach the Analyzing Exemplary Teaching Strategies course, I will develop the remaining eight lessons for the course.

According to the research, the Quality Matters rubric sets the standard for the online teaching and learning field.  We reviewed and used the Quality Matters rubric to measure how effective our course was developing.  The general standards include the following items:

 #1 The overall design of the course is made clear to the student at the beginning of the course. The course introduction sets the tone for the course, lets students know what to expect, and provides guidance to ensure they get off to a good start.  Instructions make clear how to get started and where to find various course components.

#2) Learning objectives are measurable and are clearly stated.  The learning objectives establish a foundation upon which the rest of the course is based. Assessment strategies are designed to evaluate student progress by reference to stated learning objectives; to measure the effectiveness of student learning; and to be integral to the learning process.

#3 Instructional materials are sufficiently comprehensive to achieve stated course objectives and learning outcomes. The instructional materials form the core of the course, and these standards respect the instructor’s prerogative in selecting them. The focus of this standard is on supporting the course objectives and competencies, rather than on qualitative judgments about the materials.

#4 The instructional materials contribute to the achievement of the stated course and module/unit learning objectives.

#5 Forms of interaction are incorporated in the course to motivate students and promote learning. Engaging students to become active learners contributing to the learning process and to student persistence.

#6 Course navigation and technology support student engagement and ensure access to course components. The technology enabling the various course components facilitates the student’s learning experience and is easy to use, rather than impeding the student’s progress.

#7 The course facilitates student access to institutional support services essential to student success.  In the learner support standard, four different kinds of support services are addressed: technical support, accessibility support, academic services support, and student services support.

#8 The course demonstrates a commitment to accessibility for all students. The accessibility standard incorporates the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and is consistent with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

In summary, this course and the Online Teaching and Learning Certificate program not only provided me information to be an effective online instructor and has improved my effectiveness teaching in the face to face environment.  I plan to continue to increase my knowledge of online teaching and I look forward to teaching online.  I extend my sincere appreciation for Janet Engle, Barbara Mandel and Nikki Rosebourgh who were instructors in the online teaching and learning program.  They have been outstanding role models and examples of exemplary teachers.  I would also like to thank my fellow peers who were very helpful along my journey.