Guide to Online Course Design [INFOGRAPHIC]

By: Justin Ferriman • September 17, 2013
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Today there are a countless number of tips and tricks when it comes to effective online course design, that it can become confusing where to start.  These theories can range from actionable steps to philosophical diatribes, both of which provide their use, but equally are confusing as to where to begin.

Enter the “Guide to Online Course Design” infographic by MindFlash.

This infographic outlines some of the key components to creating an online course.  Naturally, not every item is an absolute necessary (many of which will depend on your needs), but they all do provide value for your online courses.

More than ever, it is important that you encourage online interaction and feedback mechanisms for the students in the online courses.  Some platforms make this easier than others, so make sure you do ample research as you select the best one for your situation.

With the “bones” (software) in place, you can then begin the fun part: finding content for your course.  As this inforgraphic details, there are a large range of tools available at your disposal, such as:

  • Blogs
  • Wikis
  • Group Pages (Google)
  • Discussion Boards
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube
  • PowerPoint Presentations
  • Wikis
  • Internet Libraries

Depending on the content being taught, you can certainly find a medium that is best suited for your needs. In fact, it seems like every day there are new tools emerging to make the sharing of information easier and more user-friendly.

Student interaction is also a key component to the success of your online program.  Encourage your users to leave comments on the material, upload assignments, join a discussion forum on the site to share ideas, or even to debate a topic. Why not implement some form of gamification while you’re at it?

Beyond the bells and whistles, you will want to make sure that you make the course accessible to all students through its design.  The user experience should be clean, intuitive, and consistent.

Check out the infographic below for tips on how to start an online program.

online-course-design

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter