What Goes Into an Exemplary Course

Here are five elements that make up exemplary courses at Ball State.

1: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Objectives are the heart of the online course, and all course elements are designed to help students achieve the objectives.

• Include course-level and module-level objectives.
• Objectives are measurable, precise, and clear.
• Objectives are connected to materials, activities, and assessments.

2: ACTIVE LEARNING

Effective online courses give students opportunities to actively engage with the content, with each other, and with the instructor.

• Build community of learners and foster collaboration.
• Schedule frequent opportunities for interaction.
• Use active learning tools, such as discussion boards and groups.

3: INSTRUCTOR PRESENCE

The teacher is an integral part of making an online course come to life. They’re available to their students and facilitate communication.

• Welcome students to the course.
• Facilitate and participate in discussion boards.
• Hold student hours.
• Provide timely and meaningful feedback.

4: STUDENT SUPPORT

Online courses are designed with student success at the foundation of the course.

• Point students to resources that support them.
• Communicate with students who need help.
• Design flexible and inclusive course policies that promote student success.

5: ACCESSIBILITY & USABILITY

Online courses offer an opportunity for all learners to engage on their own terms, and exemplary online courses are designed to be accessible and usable by all.

• Create predictable, stable structures that are easy to navigate.
• Organize course content logically and consistently.
• Provide instructions for students on how to navigate the course.
• Include accessible design elements, such as alt text and OCR.