Devlin 1

For my internship I am working at the Center for Teaching Excellence at

the University of South Carolina. My supervisor Dr. Haynes is the
Program Manager for the Distributed Learning department. One of
the tasks she assigned me was to create a training module based on
the Quality Matters Rubric. Additionally I am to research
information to include on the Distributed Learning Website. The two
assignments intersect at the design of effective online courses. You
begin by creating effective courses ensuring that you focus on
Engagement, Best Practices, and Accessibility. Quality Matters can be
used an effective tool to ensure you have met your goals. This
bibliography will focus on creating and evaluating online courses.
Best Practices
Abel, R. (2005). Implementing Best Practices in Online
Learning. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 28(3), 75-77.
http://tinyurl.com/mdqoqud
Many institutions are still unclear about how new technology fits with
their mission, and have found that achieving widespread adoption by
faculty is difficult. They have also found it challenging to achieve
faculty use that truly enhances the learning interaction between
faculty and students as opposed to simply posting materials online.
This paper identified some possible causes of success or failure. The
author provides information on 11 ingredients for success
Characteristics
Executive Leadership and Support
Faculty and Academic Leadership Commitment
Student Services
Technology Infrastructure
Course/Instruction Quality
Financial Resources
Training
Adaptive Learn as you go attitude
Communication
I was not surprised by information presented in this article especially
when you review the first two characteristics pertaining to Leadership.
If the leadership is all-in instructors feel more motivated about
implementation. In this way, faculty can gain support rather than
being told to do as I say not as I do.

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Bento, R. F., & White, L. F. (2010). Quality Measures that

Matter. Issues In Informing Science & Information Technology,
761-72. http://tinyurl.com/pgmggqy
This article focused on the increasing number of courses offered online
by universities and other institutions of higher education and the need
for reliable standards to evaluate the quality of the course design. This
paper reviewed the Quality Matters (QM) Rubric, which is becoming the
national standard for evaluation of the quality of online courses in the
United States. The ease of use and difficulties associated with applying
the QM rubric are discussed, and potential benefits to faculty and
students from the implementation of QM standards are highlighted.
Based on this case study, from the faculty viewpoint, the main
potential benefit from QM implementation is the alignment of learning
objectives with the selection of assessment instruments and
instructional materials. From the student viewpoint, the main potential
benefit is the increased clarity in the presentation of faculty
expectations and the improved access to course components. The
article discussed the principles of the QM certification they are
Centered Based on Research
Collaborative Peer Review
Collegial Non-Judgmental Evaluation
Continuous Improvement Continually Reviewed and Revised.
The article discussed another advantage of the QM review process in
that it provides a clear set of guidelines for faculty charged with
creating a course. With the help of the QM rubric, faculty can rely on
research-based standards to design new online courses. Over the
next several weeks I will continue to study the QM rubric as I prepare
my learning module on the subject. The rubric is slightly complicated
but if it is broken down into the eight dimensions it can be easily
chunked which has been shown to improve retention.
Koszalka, T., & Ganesan, R. (2004). Designing online courses: A
taxonomy to guide strategic use of features available in course
management systems (CMS) in distance education. Distance
Education, 25(2), 243-256. http://tinyurl.com/nywcnbw
Course management systems make it easy to produce slick-looking,
interactive online courses that incorporate a variety of informational,
instructional, and learning elements. CMS features allow developers
to easily incorporate text, graphics, animations, sounds, and other
types of information into meaningful and organized procedures and
content for learners. The information may be placed inside a course
or may be information that is outside the course but integrated into the
course through hyperlinks However, integrating such elements does
not necessarily enhance the learning process. A taxonomy of basic

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CMS features was constructed to help distance education developers

think about the choices and purposively integrate active and social
elements into online courses to enhance the teaching and learning
processes.. Using learning goals and an understanding of the value of
CMS features can help to inform distance education in ways that are
more likely to support learning, rather than impede it. Each feature
has unique characteristics that can be used to engage learners with
course content in multiple ways. Used appropriately, these features
can facilitate, rather than confuse and impede, learning
Irlbeck, S. A. (2008). Implementation of best practices for
online teaching and learning in an online institution.
Performance Improvement, 47(10), 25-29.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/246180889/Implement
The article documents the creation of and rationale behind best
practices to maintain high performance for teaching and learning at an
online university. Best Practices help inform teaching-learning
processes and performance improvement, while technology helps
enhance that relationship. The concept presented in this article is that
best practices should be focused on and related to performance
improvement as it relates to teaching and learning, rather than the
technology being used. The article goes on to discuss the best
practices and foundational statements used by Capella University.
Faculty-Learner Relationships regular communication with
students
Learning Process Effective facilitation
Professional Expertise Continual professional development
Assessing Learning and Teaching Diverse Assessment
I really liked the authors explanation of the best practices currently
used at Cappella. I am to develop best practices for a variety of
components of online learning. These best practices, which focus not
on technology but rather effective teaching, are excellent examples.
Moore, Michael, (2007) Web 2.0: Does It Really Matter?.
American Journal of Distance Education 21:4, pages 177-183.
http://tinyurl.com/kdekwx3
This editorial ponders the discussion regarding the use of Web 2.0 In
education. He states that unless one is able to relate what a
technology can contribute to learning and to what is needed by
teachers to facilitate learning, any new device can dazzle, if only
because of its noveltya vulnerability that vendors of such devices are
expert at exploiting!

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Song, L., Singleton, E. S., Hill, J. R., & Koh, M. H. (2004).

Improving online learning: Student perceptions of useful and
challenging characteristics. The internet and higher education,
7(1), 59-70. http://tinyurl.com/kedlyq7
The researchers sought to explore learners perceptions of useful and
challenging components in learning on line. The constant growth of
the Web influences and changes how online courses are designed and
implemented. This, in turn, may also change the students perceptions
of their online experience. This study indicated that most learners
agreed that course design, learner motivation, time management, and
comfortableness with online technologies impact the success of an
online learning experience. Participants indicated that technical
problems, a perceived lack of sense of community, time constraints,
and the difficulty in understanding the objectives of the online courses
as challenges.
Although most of the participants liked the flexibility of
completing tasks at anytime in the asynchronous courses, some
participants had experienced synchronous online courses as well.
Some participants indicated that meeting at a specific time on line
each week also had strengths. By meeting each week at a set time, the
participants indicated they were able to form connections with the
instructor and other classmates. Participants indicated that the
connections formed among the learners and the instructors were
important in that they assisted with the formation of a community
within the online learning environment.
Thomas, D. A., & Li, Q. (2008). From Web 2.0 to Teacher 2.0.
Computers in the Schools, 25(3-4), 199-210.
http://tinyurl.com/nmwka4n
As designers, developers, and instructors of online courses, the authors
look forward to the day when Web-based teaching and learning
technologies come packaged in seamless, integrated production,
publication, and communication suites that guarantee interoperability
of all technologies, support the use of a broad spectrum of digital
learning objects, and identify their semantic relationships. In Learning
2.0, schools will have the bandwidth, hardware, software, and support
they need to make Web-based teaching and learning an integral aspect
of the curriculum. And teachers will have the training and experience
they need to use these resources to empower, challenge, and
recognize the achievements of their students and to continue their own
professional development.
One of my favorite findings in the current reading is, the authors
believe that the challenge and cost of protecting students from adults

Devlin 5

of questionable character will be justified by the benefits of exposing

students to issues, careers, and individuals who might ignite their
imaginations, challenge their intellects, and induct them, via mentoring
and internships, into communities of thought and practice that will
sustain them personally and professionally throughout their lives.
Using Web 2.0, Teacher 2.0 will be able to help students identify their
true talents and interests and to develop them as they learn the
language, tools, and methods of their future careers.
Welker, J., & Berardino, L. (2005). Blended learning:
Understanding the middle ground between traditional
classroom and fully online instruction. Journal of Educational
Technology Systems, 34(1), 33-55. http://tinyurl.com/mhzmql8
This article is about two researchers trying to comfortably and logically
place blended learning somewhere in the middle of two extremes
traditional classroom at one end and fully online distance learning at
the other end.
They asked the question How does the technology improve the
learning process for the student? As other articles state, using
technology for the sake of technology may not be effective.
Engagement
Artino, A. R., & Stephens, J. M. (2006). Learning online:
Motivated to self-regulate. Academic Exchange Quarterly,
10(4), 176-182. http://tinyurl.com/ojmpdvw
The objective of this study was to investigate how different
motivational components of social cognitive theory relate to students'
use of learning strategies in online courses. This study explores the
linkages between students' motivation and self-regulation in online
learning courses, seeking to determine if the pattern of relationships
are consistent with those that have been found in traditional academic
settings. Findings support the view that students' use of learning
strategies in an online course can be explained, in part, by their
motivational beliefs and attitudes toward the learning task. These
findings suggest that faculty of online courses should design their
instruction and learning requirements in a manner that helps learners
not only appreciate the value or importance of content or skills but also
supports and scaffolds their attempts to master them.
Artino Jr, A. R. (2010). Online or face-to-face learning?
Exploring the personal factors that predict students' choice of
instructional format. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(4),
272-276. http://tinyurl.com/op5j59f

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Recent trends in higher education suggest that online learning will

continue to be an important part of lifelong learning in the modern age.
Despite the central role of online learning, few empirical studies have
examined the personal factors that predict students' preference for
online formats. This investigation addressed this gap in the literature,
and its findings provide researchers and practitioners with a better
understanding of how several personal factors relate to students'
instructional choices. From a practical standpoint, this information may
be valuable for organizations as they work to encourage their
employees' participation in lifelong learning activities via the web.
Bennett, S., Agostinho, S., Lockyer, L,. (2015)Technology tools
to support learning design: Implications derived from an
investigation of university teachers' design practices,
Computers & Education, Volume 81, 211-220.
http://tinyurl.com/ntcofmt
The abstract of this article provides an excellent overview of the study.
The need to improve the quality of higher education has fostered an
interest in technology tools to support effective design for teaching
and learning. Over the past decade this interest has led to the
development of tools to support the creation of online learning
experiences, specifications to underpin design systems, and
repositories to share examples. Despite this significant activity, there
remain unanswered questions about what shapes university teachers'
design decisions and how tools can best support their design
processes. This paper presents findings from a study of university
teachers' design practices that identified teachers' perceptions of
student characteristics, their own beliefs and experiences, and
contextual factors as key influences on design decisions. The findings
extend our understanding of activities fundamental to higher education
teaching and inform thinking about design support tools. The author
goes on to discuss how learning design has been particularly
concerned with how best to support university teachers to design
effective online learning experiences for their students. The author
conducted interviews of teaching professionals. His random sample
was slightly skewed in that many of teachers had more than 10 years
of experience and most had experience teaching online. The author
drew a handful of conclusions from the data gathered however stated
that there is a need for further study related to the understanding of
learning design. Prior to reading this article I was unaware of the
learning design model and I was provided a good overview of the
topic. I intend to study further as I develop my module for best
practices of online learning.

Devlin 7

Landry, B. L., & Hartman, S. J. (2006). Engaging students with

online assignments: a replacement for digital dropboxes and
paper assignments. British Journal Of Educational Technology,
37(5), 803-805. http://tinyurl.com/nshuo3t
I wish I had read the abstract before deciding on this title for my
review. The title of the article leads the reader to believe that the
article will be about digital dropboxes and online assignments.
However, the article focuses on those two options within the
blackboard interface. The author prefers the use of the assignment
feature as it is easier to grade and easier for students to submit work.
I found the material presented interesting as I continue to prepare a
course within blackboard. I have wondered a few times about ease of
grading for the course I am preparing as its enrollment may exceed
100 students.
Bennett, S., Agostinho, S., Lokyer, L,. (2015)Technology tools
to support learning design: Implications derived from an
investigation of university teachers' design practices,
Computers & Education, Volume 81, 211-220.
http://tinyurl.com/ntcofmt
The abstract of this article provides an excellent overview of the study.
The need to improve the quality of higher education has fostered an
interest in technology tools to support effective design for teaching
and learning. Over the past decade this interest has led to the
development of tools to support the creation of online learning
experiences, specifications to underpin design systems, and
repositories to share examples. Despite this significant activity, there
remain unanswered questions about what shapes university teachers'
design decisions and how tools can best support their design
processes. This paper presents findings from a study of university
teachers' design practices that identified teachers' perceptions of
student characteristics, their own beliefs and experiences, and
contextual factors as key influences on design decisions. The findings
extend our understanding of activities fundamental to higher education
teaching and inform thinking about design support tools. The author
goes on to discuss how learning design has been particularly
concerned with how best to support university teachers to design
effective online learning experiences for their students. The author
conducted interviews of teaching professionals. His random sample
was slightly skewed in that many of teachers had more than 10 years
of experience and most had experience teaching online. The author
drew a handful of conclusions from the data gathered however stated
that there is a need for further study related to the understanding of
learning design. Prior to reading this article I was unaware of the

Devlin 8

learning design model and I was provided a good overview of the

topic. I intend to study further as I develop my module for best
practices of online learning.
Dixson, M. D. (2010). Creating Effective Student Engagement
in Online Courses: What Do Students Find Engaging?. Journal
Of The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning, 10(2), 1-13.
http://tinyurl.com/kdoa2e7
The author of this article intended to measure student engagement in
an online setting. They reviewed many already established tools, which
measure engagement in a traditional classroom but had some difficulty
applying them to the virtual world. The author mentions one of the
primary components of effective online teaching is student
engagement. Therefore it is important that we learn what engages
students in order to offer effective online learning environments. The
author modified one of the original surveys to study engagement.
The research he conducted showed there was no significant difference
in performance based upon engagement. However the study
emphasizes the importance of developing real connections in an online
course wherein students can apply what they are learning.
Journell, W. (2010). Perceptions of E-Learning in Secondary
Education: A Viable Alternative to Classroom Instruction or a
Way to Bypass Engaged Learning? Educational Media
International, 47(1), 69-81. http://tinyurl.com/ohwrm5r
This article focused on the perceptions of E-Learning in Secondary
Education. The author conducted several interviews with the teacher,
Mr. Harding, who was an exceptional teacher and teaching his first
online course. Enrolled in his course where 13 students during a
summer session, 11 of them had gained permission to speak with the
researcher about their perceptions. Students in the class were
interviewed about their general perceptions of e-learning and the
ability to effectively learn content online. The findings of the study
show that nearly all participants maintained a belief that e-learning
was best used for information transmission and rote memorization
rather than active or social learning. Further, Mr. Harding seemed to
characterize e-learning students as uninterested in engaging in social
interaction online, a perception that was refuted, at least partially, by
his students. The manuscript concludes with a discussion of the
findings and implications for secondary e-learning programs. Mr.
Harding had an exceptional anecdote that I found interesting. But the
magic of the classroom, where you respond to the moment, when a

Devlin 9

kid's facial expression, the nonverbal expression is the key to the next
step. Interestingly enough students survey almost unanimously
viewed the teacher as unimportant to their learning. Many of the
students seemed to believe that online courses were less rigorous than
traditional classes, which may affect their perception to coursework.
With the increase in online schooling options, we must strive to change
this perception among educators and students. I find this article
particularly interesting as I interview for employment in a brick and
mortar high school and notice the nonverbal reactions from the
interview committee when I mention that I have worked in an online
environment for over ten years. I often go into an explanation
regarding our focus on standards and accountability.
Universal Design

Brunvand, S., & Abadeh, H. (2010). Making Online Learning

Accessible. Intervention In School & Clinic, 45(5), 304-311.
http://tinyurl.com/m28pm47
The complete title of this article is listed as Making Online Learning
Accessible: Using Technology to Declutter the Web, and was indicated
as being published in 2010. During my review of the article and
associated references I began to realize that the information contained
was rather dated. The opening paragraph states that one of the
primary barriers to student use of technology is the lack of access to
computers in the classroom, the author cited research from 2003 to
support this claim. I had difficulty focusing on other information
presented as it too was significantly dated, especially in the technology
field. The article goes on to discuss a series of Web 2.0 tools that can
be used to make web content more accessible. Information was
presented regarding highlighters, sticky notes, and programs to
remove access data on websites. I was most interested in a series of
tools it mentioned like Google Custom Search Engine, which I would
have found helpful in some of the classes I have been substituting in
recently. With Google Custom Search an instructor can set up a list of
websites, which they wish their students to use to conduct research,
rather than having students get lost in the World Wide Web.
Burgstahler, S., & Washington Univ., S. (2001). Real
Connections: Making Distance Learning Accessible to
Everyone. http://tinyurl.com/o2n68lz

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The article discusses design considerations for ensuring that a course

is accessible to potential instructors and students with disabilities.
Thousands of specialized hardware and software products available
today allow individuals with disabilities to productively use computing
and networking technologies. The author provides examples of
challenges in distance learning courses faced by students and
instructors who have access to assistive technology. Planning for
access as the course is being developed is much easier than creating
accommodation strategies once a person with a disability enrolls in the
course or applies to teach it. When universal design principles are
applied, products meet the needs of potential users with a variety of
characteristics. Just as modern sidewalks and buildings are designed
to be used by everyone, designers should create learning
environments that allow all potential students and instructors to fully
participate.
Burgstahler, S. (2002). Equal Access Universal Design of
Instruction. AACE Journal, 10(1), 32-61.
http://tinyurl.com/lcvwlc5
The author of this article provides an exceptional checklist of things to
consider when designing a course. Rather than designing for the
average student, you design instruction for students who potentially
have broad ranges with respect to ability, disability, age, reading level,
learning style, native language, race, ethnicity, and other
characteristics. UDI can be applied to all aspects of instruction,
including class climate, interaction, physical environments and
products, delivery methods, information resources and technology,
feedback, and assessment.
Specifically, the instructor needs to
Identify the course. Describe the course, its learning
objectives, and its overall content.
Define the universe. Describe the overall population of
students eligible to enroll in the course and then consider their
potential diverse characteristics (e.g., with respect to gender;
age; ethnicity and race; native language; learning style; and
abilities to see, hear, manipulate objects, read, and
communicate)
Involve students. Consider perspectives of students with
diverse characteristics, as identified in Step 2, in the
development of the course. If they are not available directly from
students, gain student perspectives through diversity programs
such as the campus disability services office.
Adopt instructional strategies. Adopt overall learning and
teaching philosophies and methods. Integrate these practices

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with universal design guidelines or strategies for learning or

instruction.
Apply instructional strategies. Apply universal design
strategies in concert with good instructional practices (both
identified in Step 4) to the overall choice of course teaching
methods, curricula, and assessments. Then apply universal
design to all lectures, classroom discussions, group work,
handouts, web-based content, labs, fieldwork, assessment
instruments, and other academic activities and materials to
maximize the learning of students with the wide variety of
characteristics identified in Step 2.
Plan for accommodations. Learn campus procedures for
addressing accommodation requests (e.g., arrangement of sign
language interpreters) from specific students for whom the
course design does not automatically provide full access.
Evaluate. Monitor the effectiveness of instruction through
observation and feedback from students with the diverse set of
characteristics identified in Step 2, assess learning, and modify
the course as appropriate.
Pearson, A. F. (2010). Real Problems, Virtual Solutions:
Engaging Students Online. Teaching Sociology, 38(3), 207-214.
http://tinyurl.com/logru4w
In this article, the author explains how she used online blogs over a
period of four semesters in an introductory social problems course. She
describes how she uses blogs to enhance student participation,
engagement, and skill building. Finally, she provides an overview of
students' qualitative assessments of the blog assignments, highlighting
the drawbacks and limitations of integrating technology and, in
particular, blogs as a course-writing requirement. The students in the
course appreciated the opportunity to work on blogs to participate in
class discussions. This form of engagement allowed them to share
their feelings regarding some sensitive topics in the privacy of their
own home. The author stated that by using the blogs the discussions
seemed to have increased participation. For the course I am currently
writing, I have created several assignments that students must
complete using a Weebly. I am interested in feedback from that
course as that approach may be too complex and additional
considerations for things like blogs may need to be discussed.
Pittman, C. N., & Heiselt, A. K. (2014). Increasing Accessibility:
Using Universal Design Principles to Address Disability
Impairments in the Online Learning Environment. Online

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Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 17(3).

http://tinyurl.com/qco29op
With the increasing number of students enrolling in distance education,
there is a need to consider the accessibility of course materials in
online learning environments. Four major groups of disabilities:
mobility, auditory, visual, and cognitive are explored as they relate to
their implementation into instructional design and their impact on
students in online learning, specifically for students with disabilities.
This article highlights the ways in which universal design can assist in
providing increased accessibility, not only for students with disabilities,
but for all students in the online learning environment. The author
goes on to discuss each of disabilities and the challenges that students
may encounter. The meat of the paper focuses on the seven
principles of UDL with an additional explanation on each of the
principles and how the principles can be used in the development of
online coursework. The author theorizes that if UDL is used in course
creation, student success may increase with all students including not
only those with disabilities, but those who are second language
learners, but all students as these principles may help with retention.
Additionally the author states that advanced training may be needed
to explain UDL concepts to instructors. I smiled when I read that
paragraph as that is precisely what I am working on while I am
preparing this learning module for my internship.