WED 401
Instructor: Mary K. Wallace
Converting Traditional Course to
ONLINE
Adapted from Karen Ravan
Spartanburg Technical College
Objectives
Recognize need for online instruction
Identify changing roles in education
Where and how do you begin?
Develop timeline
TIPS
Why should I develop an online
course!
College enrollment 5%
Instruction & training over Internet 140%
Changing Roles in Education
Instructor is no longer “sage on stage”, but
“guide on side.”
Don’t haul your classroom online
“Web is for doing, not for watching” Jakob
Nielson
Instructor must get of the way of learner
Keep it simple and easy to NAVIGATE
Where to Begin?
Needs Assessment
Why?
Is course suitable for online?
Replacement or supplemental?
Maintenance?
Updates and change?
Who monitors success of course?
Consider Competencies and
Objectives
Define your own personal teaching
preferences, techniques, and talents
What are main goals of course?
Determine tools, methods for each goal
Rethink in-class methods
Organize Current Material
Gather your current course materials
Organize your material into modules
Assess your current materials
Presentations
Communications
Quizzes
Images
Match Tool to Task
Determine your online presentation style
Engagement
Accessibility
Personality
Communication
Audio/Visuals
Use of text
Experiment!
Ask for Instructional Support
Timeline
Step/Time To Do Materials
Research and Gather material for Text, syllabus,
Development course lesson plans,
10 – 15 hours activities,
evaluations, calendar
Map it out!!! Decide what to put All class materials
8 – 10 hours online – Lectures, Websites
activities, tests
Decision Time Peripheral material Websites,
8 – 10 hours that needs to be departmental
added, graphics resources, mentor
WORK!!!! Put material online WebCT
8 – 10 hours and PLAY with it!!!! Time and Patience
Timeline (cont.)
Step/Time To Do Materials
Edit ??? Check spelling, Seek “expert” help if
grammar needed
Look for Ask a coworker to
inconsistencies review
Pilot ??? Take class as a Ask for volunteers
student from traditional class
“ADA Compliant”
What does this phrase
bring to mind?
TIPS
Think about what you want your
students to learn
Examine web-ready textbooks
Map course first (storyboard)
Determine units or modules – break down
into small segments
What delivery method
Decide assessment tools to be used
Have 65 – 100% of course ready before
semester begins.
And More TIPS
Get over the idea that you are “teacher”
and learn to be a “facilitator”
Find friend or mentor to get help from &
to share ideas
Learn from your students
Be FLEXIBLE!!!
“ADA Compliant”
Wheelchair Accessibility
Architectural Renovations
Parking spaces
Sidewalk slopes
Exterior ramps
Automatic doors
Interior elevators
Bathroom stalls & sink fixtures
“ADA Compliant”
Access to Transportation
Buses
Subways
Trains
Airplanes
Ships
“ADA Compliant”
Accessibility to Technology
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 508
Workplace Accessibility
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 508
Section 508 amendment added
1986; expanded 1998 to better
address
technology access requirements.
MANDATORY ACCESS to
TECHNOLOGY, no longer optional
for Federal agencies.
Does not apply to private sector.
ADA
Harris Poll survey found that
Americans with disabilities
spend twice as much time on
Internet as those without
disabilities
National Federation of the Blind
NFB vs. AOL
NFB vs. IRS
NFB vs. banks ATM access
Accessibility Issues
Ability to see, hear, move, or
processing info
Difficulty reading or
comprehending
Use keyboard or mouse
Text-only screen, small
screen, or slow Internet
connection
Accessibility Issues
Earlier version of browser
Different browser
Voice browser
Different operating system
Language
Accessibility Solutions
Provide text equivalents
Captions and headings
Clear and concise language
Provide text version website
Describe data in table cells
Text-Only Version
W3C
World Wide Web Consortium
Universal Access
Semantic Web
Trustworthy Web
Interoperability
Evolvability
Decentralization
Accessible Multimedia
Text Equivalents
“Photos”
“A collage of photos
depicting a student
attending class, a
football team, and the
president of the
university”
tag
Text Equivalents
Select the orbiting
Video of Earth as
Earth rotates on
seen for information
from outer
globe an axis
space
about Earth
Text Equivalents
•Decorative
•Informational
•Illustrative
Color
Color
Three simple rules
1. Lighten light, darken dark
2. Dark against light
3. Avoid contrasting hues
Color
Contrasting Hues
Color
Pink
Greenon Red
Violet on Red
Blue
Yellowon Red
♫The Magnificent Seven♬
Introducing:
Bobby
http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp
Betsie
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/betsie/index.html
Myth about
Web Accessibility
Web accessibility only helps people
with disabilities, therefore
isn’t worth doing.
WRONG!
Web accessibility
helps us
all!
Online Reading
Web
Jakob Nielson & Rolf Molich
1990 & 1994
www.useit.com
EYETRACKING STUDY
OF WEB READERS
Text attracts attention before
graphics
Interlaced browsing
Shallow reading
Straightforward titles
EYETRACKING STUDY
OF WEB READERS
Large pictures will get attention before smaller
pictures
Color pictures will be noted before black-and-
white pictures
Warm colors will attract attention before middle
tones or cooler colors
Sequence of pictures will be noted before
individual pictures
Action illustrations will be seen before still
pictures
EYETRACKING STUDY
OF WEB READERS
• Pictures with people will be looked at
before pictures of products
• Children will attract attention before adults
• Portraits will gain attention before full
pictures of people
• Eyes will be the first item focused upon
• Most often a larger group of people will
gain attention before a smaller group
• Outline illustrations will generally be noted
before square halftones
Web pages have to employ
scannable text using:
Highlighted keywords
Meaningful sub-headings
Bulleted lists
One idea per paragraph
Inverted pyramid style
Half the word count
What Online Readers
Want
Ability to find things
Guidance or advice
Up-to-date, quality content
Relevant and straightforward content
Things to do
Interactivity
Privacy
Usability Issues for
Screen Readers
• Images without alternative text (alt tags)
• Lack of alternative text for image map hot-
spots
• Uncaptioned audio or video
• Lack of alternative information for users
who cannot access frames or scripts
• Tables that are difficult to decipher when
‘linearized’ by a screen reader
• Websites with poor color contrast
Screen Readers
JAWS
Hal
Window Eyes
Lookout
Connect
Outloud
Guide
Usability Issues for
Screen Readers
• Images without alternative text (alt tags)
• Lack of alternative text for image map hot-
spots
• Uncaptioned audio or video
• Lack of alternative information for users
who cannot access frames or scripts
• Tables that are difficult to decipher when
‘linearized’ by a screen reader
• Websites with poor color contrast
The What Not To Do
Page
• Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
• blah,blah,blah,blah,
blah,blah,blah,blah blah,blah,blah,blah
blah,blah,blah,blah blah,blah,blah,blah
blah,blah,blah,blah blah,blah,blah,blah
blah,blah,blah,blah
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/sentstruc/
http://www.wantdontwant.com/contents/site/sell/left.htm
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jean-pierre.aigron/utilitaires/ftp2000.htm
http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~jlidston/Studyguide1.htm
http://www.msu.edu/~bradle69/showmanship.htm
http://www.vr-systems.ndtilda.co.uk/borgtext.htm
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/amada/webquest.htm
http://sesd.sk.ca/teacherresource/webquest/business.htm
http://www.inspire.melb.net/Pages/privacy.php
http://www.google.com/tour/services/index.html
http://www.instructability.com/html/grow.asp
Suggestions not Expectations
• Create “text only version”
• Write museum quality image
descriptions
• Place ADA compliance awareness
message on site
Department of Workforce
Education and Development