Online courses enrollment is growing and growing. In 2018, nearly seven million students enrolled in online courses. In 2020, 82% of K-12 students attended schools that offered some type of remote instruction. What makes a good, quality online course though? We know that there are standards for evaluating good teaching practice, but online is different. It requires the integration of technology, communication and learning which isn’t the same as traditional in classes. Evaluating what makes an effective online course has to be based on different criteria.

How do you decide then what is the model for effectiveness? Is it how many high grades there are or how many students pass? Is it the course that has the best post-course evaluations? Is it the most attractive course or who has the most enrollees per semester? How about the most technical with fancy software or links? We should take-into-account best practice and then design accordingly based on the needs of students and the institution. What makes a good online course should fit into the overarching assessment goals of the school and school strategies.

Opinions about what makes a good and effective course vary. According to some, student faculty contact, technology application, collaborative learning, diversified learning, active learning, expectations, time on task and prompt feedback should be included and reviewed in a quality online course. Others list that is proper pacing for students to learn and work appropriately. Good courses provide a sense of community where students interact with others, ask questions and form peer groups. They also include multimedia such as videos, interactive activities, podcasts and have built-in opportunities for self-directed learning. Courses should be easy to navigate, have alternative exploration routes for students who might want to learn more and appeal to all learning styles and needs.

Is it the technology that makes a good course? It is often tempting to include many high-tech elements in a course. Good courses however avoid having too much technology because it can be overwhelming and actually detract from learning. Some say including videos in your course makes it good. Videos in courses allow an instructor to create a sense of presence in an online course and provide information in useable, smaller retainable chunks. They also encourage designing courses with accessibility and data collection in mind to measure and analyze opportunities for improvement.

Course design is a very important component that influences online student performance and engagement. Some studies show that accessibility, assessment and interaction are highly important. How the instructor chunked or organized material in the course, interacted with students, provided assessment and aligned objectives were rated highly. Courses that include additional readings, quizzes, video lectures and opportunities for reflection and higher order thinking, and utilize many different ways to apply learning were quality courses. Other reports list components for teachers as the most important evaluation method. Teachers should know their material well so that they can answer questions and provide more information if needed. Course design should all learning styles into account.

Communication as well is important. Expectations should be clear and contact information should be provided for technology support and the instructor and resource documents should be provided for how to use discussion forums, social media, chats, and email. The syllabus and other course documents should be easy to find and use with easy course navigation. Yet another study listed course facilitation skills as the most important element for an effective course for engagement. These strategies were intended to enhance instructor presence, connection, engagement, and student learning. Faculty recommended using a variety of assessments, rubrics, course templates, a quality assurance review process, and data collection for analytics.

Timely response and feedback, availability and presence, and periodic communication were some facilitation strategies the award-winning instructors used.

The global pandemic took the world in the clutches of uncertainty. As a result, it gave birth to more viable solutions for humans to carry on our everyday lives. Technology took center stage during this period. It broke all the impediments opening new paths of convenience. The online Education sector was in its nascent stage. However, the rising demand for education even during the pandemic was an impetus that helped reach its peak stage. This sector has witnessed an ascending curve and is still growing.

The blessings of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality have changed the learning scenario. An important question arises here – where is the path headed? Let’s explore.

Learn and Play

The concept of gamification is the new trend. It will make online learning faster. Indeed, an effective way for children to learn. Fun and curiosity will go hand-in-hand. The entertainment factor will inculcate the urge to learn in young minds. There is no doubt educators globally are resorting to this unique learning technique.

Data-Driven Insights

Collecting resourceful data will be the new trend. For instance: studying the demand, patterns, and needs of a specific group helps identify the problems. Educators in this way can create a solution by offering bespoke solutions. Both students and teachers will derive benefit from it.

Use of Chatbots

Chatbots will make online interaction easier. If the students face any difficulty, chatbots will recommend the best solution. The recommendations by chatbots are simple. Just click on the frequently asked questions section, and you can find them easily.

Learning through Video

The days of opening a book and reading the text are gone. The new age of modern technology is all about browsing. Videos will be the primary source of learning for students. They are the most engaging way of learning. One can also save a specific video and watch it later at a convenient time. The option of download is always available in the form of a resource.

Spreading Knowledge through AI

The availability of a teacher every time is a luxury. That’s where Artificial Intelligence comes in. Each chapter is programmed in a way that it can provide answers to the questions of students. Moreover, the use of automated graded systems ensures full transparency to assess a child’s knowledge.

New Way of Learning with VR and AR

Both virtual reality and augmented reality change the learning landscape. It is an easy way to identify the attention span of the student by helping them to avoid distractions. An immersive experience of these technologies grabs the attention of the child. It creates a new visual world taking him away just from the words in a textbook.