The Open University is pleased to offer a new bite-size course for those tasked with moving teaching and learning online in today’s “new normal”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many organisations and individuals move courses and teaching online at unprecedented speed. With the likelihood of variations of lockdown and remote working remaining for some time, it is clear that demand for technology-enhanced learning and online teaching will also continue.
Follow-up to getting teaching and learning online
The new 12-week microcredential, Online Teaching: Evaluating and Improving Courses is designed for individual educators and trainers as well as learning institutions, to support them and ensure the ongoing success of the various online courses and technology-enhanced learning provision, whatever the sector.
It follows the popular earlier microcredential in this suite, Online Teaching: Creating Courses for Adult Learners. It can be done in tandem with this course or as a standalone course. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and The Open University’s commitment to support best practice for teaching and learning online, there is a price reduction on the microcredential from £675 to £475.
This course will support teachers to create an ethical course evaluation framework, analyse cause and effect relationships in their findings, share appropriate insights with stakeholders, and ultimately improve the impact of their online courses.
Dr Leigh-Anne Perryman, academic lead and one of three OU educators on the course, said:
“With online learning and teaching becoming vital in the new normal for higher education, and across other sectors, this new short accredited course prepares you for evaluating what’s working in your online courses, and what needs to be changed to better meet your students’ needs.
“The course supports you in creating an ethical evaluation plan, identifying the stakeholders for your evaluation, choosing data collection methods, conducting the evaluation, and acting upon the findings.
“You’ll gain knowledge and skills not only from the course content and course educators, but also from discussion with your fellow students, allowing for comparison across sectors and settings.”
Course learners can expect to find out how to identify and interpret what is and is not working in respect of an online course, using best-practice educational evaluation techniques.
They will learn how to create an ethical evaluation strategy that is appropriate to their specific context and setting, and conduct analysis of evaluation findings which can be applied to individual online course design.
Evaluation for online courses is new but essential skill
The global online learning market is projected to be worth $325 Billion by 2025. Moves towards blended learning coupled with COVID-19 social distancing measures driving teaching online, means that studying online is not only becoming commonplace but also being integrated into traditional teaching methods.
As such, the ability to determine the effectiveness of online courses and teaching practices is a new but essential skill for educators.
To get the most from this course, learners should have experience in adult learning settings, though not necessarily in teaching online. It will offer those who have recently moved their teaching online or are considering it, a chance to upskill in this area.
Students can register now for the 12-week course which begins in October.
