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.