Printable PDF Guide
Guide to Transforming Traditional Courses to Blended or Online Courses
Online courses are rapidly growing and becoming a popular platform for learning. If you are interested in transforming your traditional course to a blended or online course, you may need support. This guide will help plan the transition.
Pre-planning
Pre-planning ensures your learning environment is cohesive and effective. Complete the following activities to plan your course transition.
Telecommunications
Before you jump into an online environment, you must make some key decisions. Telecommunications enable learners and instructors to communicate from various locations (Simonson, Smaldino, & Zvacek, 2015). In an online environment, telecommunications become the primary form of communication. Learners must communication through online discussion forms, email, video chat, and more.
| List your telecommunication tools below. |
| Primary Tools:
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| Secondary Tools:
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Essential Content and Expectations
Next, you must determine which content is essential to student learning and appropriate to an online environment (Simsonson et al., 2015). Analyze what content learners need and set explicit goals for student expectations (Boettcher & Conrad, 2016). These expectations should clearly show students what they should learn in the course.
| List your essential content and explicit expectations below. |
| Essential Content:
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| Explicit Expectations:
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Learning Activities
Once you have established learning activities, begin brainstorming learning activities that will help learners meet these goals (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). These activities should be constructivist and problem-based to help learners actively engage.
| List your learning activity ideas below. |
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Rubrics and Reflections
As you develop learning activities, you must develop methods of feedback and reflections to solidify learning (Conrad et al., 2011). Rubrics are a great way to facilitate feedback. Additionally, reflection is important for learners to connect learning to real-world application. Rewrite and edit your learning activities list to categorize the activity as a feedback or reflective activity.
| Categorize your learning activity ideas below. |
| Feedback:
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| Reflective:
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Enhancements for Distance Learning
When transitioning to a blended or online format, not all traditional classroom material is appropriate. These materials must be revised to include more visual representations (Simonson et al., 2015) and all online course content must be digital (Boettcher et al., 2016). When revamping content, you should analyze its usefulness for developing understanding of online tools, building a community or collaborative environment, and facilitating reflection (Conrad et al., 2011). If the content does not enhance learning or meet learners’ needs, then it should not be used.
Course Materials
Make a list of current course materials, then analyze it against the checklist below. If the material meets the criteria, relist it in the keep section. If the material does not meet the criteria, list an idea for a new material to replace it.
| List course materials below. |
| Current Course Materials:
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| Materials to Keep or Add:
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Material Checklist
Material should meet at least 2 of the criteria below to be utilized.
| Checklist |
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Uses digital content (audio, visual) to enhance learning. |
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Helps learners develop understanding of online tools. |
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Builds community or increases collaboration. |
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Requires learners to reflect on learning. |
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Meets the needs of learners. |
Instructor Roles in an Online Environment
In an online course, instructors take a new role of coach and frontline tech support (Simonson et al., 2015). They must help the community of learners grow and guide them to become independent online learners. They must also help learners master the new technology to succeed. The classroom is student-centered unlike traditional classrooms that are often teacher-centered. Brainstorm ideas for supporting and encouraging the community of learners and list them below.
| List ideas for supporting the learning community below. |
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Increasing Communication
Communication can be difficult in an online environment. All communication must be made through telecommunication (Simonson et al., 2015). Activities like icebreakers can help learners feel more comfortable and a part of the learning community (Conrad et al., 2011). In addition, instructors can encourage content connections and increased learning through questioning and expanding discussion (Boettcher et al., 2016). Brainstorm ideas for increasing communication and expanding learning through discussion. Try to list at least one idea for helping unmotivated learners engage in the course.
| List ideas for increasing communication below. |
| Icebreakers:
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| Discussion Expansion:
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Now that you have completed the transition planning guide, you are ready to review and begin developing your blended or online course.
References
Boettcher, J. V., & Conrad, R. (2016). The online teaching survival guide: Simple and practical pedagogical tips (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., & Zvacek, S. (2015). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education.
Exploring Instructional Design 