Characteristics of Effective Distance Courses and Programs

Effective online courses have been offered in every content area from math to music and from physics to physical education. A review of these courses yields the following four common, essential characteristics: effective course structure and design, engaging learning activities, interactive learning communities, and effective assessment strategies.

Well-Designed and Structured to Support Learning

Just as with any course, effective online courses must be well planned and systematically designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities and constraints of the learning environment. Alley and Jansek (2001) list 10 characteristics of a high-quality online learning environment:

• Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted.
• Students can take full responsibility for their own learning.
• Students are motivated to want to learn.
• The course provides "mental white space" for reflection.
• Learning activities appropriately match student learning styles.
• Experiential, active learning augments the website environment.
• Solitary and interpersonal learning activities are interspersed.
• Inaccurate prior learning is identified and corrected.
• "Spiral learning" provides for revisiting and expanding prior lessons.
• The master teacher is able to guide the overall learning process.

Engaging, Collaborative Activities

Although some students prefer courses to be individual, tutorial-like ones in which they work at their own pace through a sequence of tasks, the most enjoyable courses seem to be those in which students are highly engaged in discussion and collaboration. Many online courses encourage this kind of engagement through the bulletin boards or conferences provided by CMSs. Klemm (1998) described eight ways of achieving more student engagement through online conferences:

• Require participation — Participation in each conference should be a required, graded activity rather than an optional one.
• Form learning teams — If handled properly, collaborative activities can encourage a "team spirit" toward learning.
• Make activity interesting — Consider student backgrounds, experiences, interests, and concerns.
• Don't settle for opinions — Student contributions should be based on their readings and research.
• Structure the activity — Have a specific set of tasks and a definite beginning and end to each.
• Require a deliverable — The activity should revolve around a product to develop and turn in.
• Know what you are aiming for — Set up expectations for adequate participation, and communicate them clearly to students. Instructors should provide consistent, ongoing critiques and feedback to encourage involvement.
• Use peer grading — Ask students to rate each other on their contributions to the conference. (This is the most controversial of Klemm's recommendations; not all experts agree this is feasible.)