Online Format

[HigherEd7]

Curious to know what format other teachers are using in their online course shell. I normally just use week by week with the week number and date. I tried using the module folders this semester, which shows the table of contents and it looks crowded. Any tips for developing a clean online course shell?

[ZeChocMoose]

I usually do the week number and topic for each folder and sometimes I have the overarching question(s) that they are learning about for that module.  I also order the folders so that the most recent folder is at the top of the page (instead of the bottom) so students don't have to scroll.  I don't do the date because it makes it easier to repurpose the structure of the course for the next time that I teach the course.

[HigherEd7]

Do you give weekly quizzes or do you wait a couple of weeks?

[Antiphon1]

Check with your chair.  Some places dictate the frequency of grade posting/student interaction.  If you are required to update your grades every Friday or your students must participate in a weekly forum then using a weekly schedule might make sense.  My classes use a unit organization covering several weeks because this method gives me and the students more flexibility. 

There really isn't a set in stone standard.  How do you pace your on campus classes?  Your online classes will probably follow a similar rhythm.  The primary concern should be providing incremental and periodic feedback so the students know how they are progressing in the class. 

[pepsi_alum]

My last place strongly encouraged instructors to group content by modules rather than weeks, because it supposedly makes it easier to convert the course to a different length of time (for example, from 16 weeks to 8 weeks). I get this idea in theory but it often didn't work very well in practice. Thus, I tended to group by weeks as well.

Like  Antiphon1 says, the pacing can vary by course, but make sure you understand campus expectations.

[spork]

Not quite what you asked, but thought it might be helpful:

http://activelearningps.com/2014/07/11/teaching-tips-for-online-courses/.

My university uses Canvas for its LMS. I use modules, organized on the Modules page chronologically, and I make this the course homepage that students land on. I list assignments chronologically on the Assignments page, a page that Canvas creates automatically.

[HigherEd7]

When developing your course do you learning modules or do you develop a content folder and create items in the folder to list your content? I am using blackboard 9.1. I am just trying to develop a nice clean look.

Not quite what you asked, but thought it might be helpful:

http://activelearningps.com/2014/07/11/teaching-tips-for-online-courses/.

My university uses Canvas for its LMS. I use modules, organized on the Modules page chronologically, and I make this the course homepage that students land on. I list assignments chronologically on the Assignments page, a page that Canvas creates automatically.

[Mobius]

Curious to know what format other teachers are using in their online course shell. I normally just use week by week with the week number and date. I tried using the module folders this semester, which shows the table of contents and it looks crowded. Any tips for developing a clean online course shell?

It depends on the class. Modules are better suited for my upper-division courses where the reading load and assignments are more in depth. I organize my lower-division classes by weeks.