COLCommons short course
Preparing Distance Learning Materials
This short course will introduce you to the basic aspects of developing teaching and learning materials for distance and online learning. This course focuses primarily on text-based print and online materials. While it is aimed at teachers in distance teaching institutions, it will also be a useful starting point for anyone who is interested in developing an online course. If you put what you learn into action, you will be able to develop materials that students can use for self-directed learning. The approximate time to complete this course is about 135 minutes. But you will also need another 20-30 hours to develop at least one lesson's worth of distance learning (DL) materials. This is an asynchronous course, so it will not be possible to assess your lesson quality. We recommend that you ask your peers and people who are likely to participate in the course/unit for feedback that you can use to improve your material.
- Duration
- Approx. 135 minutes
- Language
- English
- Access
- No login required
What you'll learn
- describe the history of distance education and why it is important for improving access to education explain the basics of instructional design
- prepare learner profiles for distance education courses
- design courses that help students achieve specified learning outcomes
- write effective course materials for a specific target audience.
Topics covered
- UNIT 1: Distance Education and Instructional Design
- UNIT 2: Understanding Distance Learners
- UNIT 3: Foundations of Self-Learning Materials
- UNIT 4: Course and Unit Design
- UNIT 5: Writing the Introduction and the Objectives
- UNIT 6: Preparing the Content and Activities
- UNIT 7: End Matter and Finalising the Unit
About progress
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