The course that I am reviewing is called Roman Architecture. http://oyc.yale.edu/history-art/hsar-252#sessions. According to Kolowich (2011), open courses can be just as valuable to those who are not paying for the class as those who are paying for the class. Moreover, every week in my distance learning course I learn something new because I did not previously know the scale how many free elite-quality courses there are out there. In parallel, the quality of this Roman Architecture course seems to be very high because the course seems to be preplanned and designed for the distance learning environment.
Preplanning is very important while designing a course because it provides a blueprint for the instructional designer so that he or she will not get off task while deciding what content to include and what content to leave out of a course. According to Beldarrain (2006), when a designer plans the blueprint for a course, they must more often than not also plan for what technologies to include and which ones to leave out. This is very important because in current with the ultra rapid growth of technology, it appears that technology is the driving force of education and other facets of society.
In this course, the syllabus is the blueprint for not only what items are included in the course for the instructional designer but also the expectations and the requirements of the course from the students. The technology included in the course is also very basic. The lectures are videos of the professors. It would most like be advantageous to use such simple technologies because then the designer will not have to question whether the majority of students would be able to access the content since minimal computer competencies seem to be an unspoken prerequisite.
According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), there are many facets that are recommended when pertaining to online instruction creation. Some of these items are creating active learning experiences, requiring high expectations of students and allowing many ways for the students and instructors to collaborate online. This can be done by carefully organizing the instruction according to course objectives, as well as by having a clear and concise syllabus. The syllabus is very important in creating online courses because not only does it provide the expectations of the course and the facilitator, but it also ensures communication. Thus, it becomes the governing document should their be a problem that may arise in the course.
In this course, the idea of an active learning environment is entertained because it does allow students to collaborate via an online study group. Assessment is taken care of in two facets because traditional papers and exams are required but it also allows the students to evaluate the course and the instructor as well via the survey link. Also, there is a clear and concise syllabus that is provided should there be any question of course expectations. However, it does not appear that the designer included course activities that would maximize active learning for students because all that appears to be included is the option to join a study group, but other than this option, this aspect of the course is very bland and could be improved.
References
Beldarrain, Y. (2006, August). Distance education trends: Integratingnew technologies to foster studentinteraction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139-153. doi:doi:10.1080/01587910600789498.
Kolowich, S. (2011). Open courseware 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/12/13/stanfords-open-courses-raise-questions-about-true-value-elite-education#.TudTMKHIq1g.email.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.
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