Learning Development & Innovation (LDI)

Developing an online course is time-consuming especially when you are new to the process.  We recommend that you work with your Instructional Designer to complete the Online Course Syllabus and Online Course Workbook.  The Online Course Workbook helps you outline the learning objectives, course materials, and assessments. The following Online Course Development Timeline helps you plan your course development so that your online course is ready for delivery on time.

Important Notes

How many hours will it take to design and develop an online course? It depends. For example, the preparation and production time for a 15-minute video includes planning, rehearsing, recording and some editing so actual time needed for this 15-minute video will be anything from 1 hour to several hours. Transferring a face-to-face course into an online course is not simply uploading videos in your online course. Typically, lecture time is reduced in favor of other active learning strategies. Video lectures tend to be short, and focused on singular concepts. It takes hours or even days to chunk the content into modules, plan for assessment activities and rubrics before you start developing the course content. Working with an Instructional Designer will save time in the long run. 

To ensure success, we encourage faculty to make an initial contact with LDI at least four months before the online course starts.

In addition to the LDI team, there are other resources available at The University of New Hampshire to help you with online course development:

• Academic Technology Training: schedule an one-on-one training with our LMS trainer or attend a training session that fits your schedule.
• Media and Collaboration: to incorporate rich media or use synchronous web classroom tools in your online course, you can contact Media and Collaboration for help.
• myCourses Support and Technical Help for Instructors: technical support is available three ways:
  • Online Support is available through the ‘Help’ link in the bottom left corner of myCourses. From this menu, instructors are provided with the following three options:
    • Search the Canvas Guides: This links you to the guides provided by Canvas which include step by step instructions and videos on how to use the system. These guides are very thorough and easy to search and it is always recommended you look here before contacting support.
    • Chat with Canvas Support: The chat function is also available 24/7 and allows for real-time assistance with myCourses questions or issues. This is the recommended method to request assistance within myCourses.
    • UNH IT Knowledge Base: This links to UNH help documentation specific to myCourses, as well as, support documentation from other academic departments.
  • Phone Support is available by calling the UNH IT Service Desk at 603-862-4242.  After hours calls can be routed to Canvas support staff.
  • In Person Support is available for instructors on the Durham campus at the ATSC on the main floor of Dimond Library.
• UNH Libraries: UNH libraries provide journal articles, books and media that can be used in online courses.

Work with an Instructional Designer for help ensuring that your course aligns with best practices and accessibility standards. Instructional Designers can thoroughly review your course and consult with you on a revision plan. Our Instructional Designers are all certified online course reviewers.

• Course Review Checklist 2022 with annotations (Word)
• UNH Course Review Accessibility Checklist (PDF)
• Inclusivity Checklists, annotated (PDF)

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Remember to level Apply) are practiced.

Minute Papers (TASLO)

Purpose

• The Minute Paper activity encourages students to reflect on a core concept anytime before, after or during the class.
• All students gain viewpoints of their peers, active  listening skills, awareness of theory and the ability to share verbally.

Approach

• Pose a question, a problem set or  a misconception to the class.
• Have students respond by writing or illustrating within a short period of time (e.g., 1-3 minutes).
• Either break students into small groups or whole class response to share their comprehension of the specific concept. 
• Offer class feedback and clear up any misconceptions of the concept.

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Remember to level Apply) are practiced.

Think-Pair-Share (TASLO)

Purpose

• The Think-Pair-Share activity encourages students to identify the topic, demonstrate their comprehension and share out to their peers. 
• The Think-Pair-Share activity encourages students to listen, observe and understand their peer's knowledge of topic.
• All students collaborate with their peers and gain varied viewpoints, active listening skills along with a better understanding of the concept.

Approach

• Have students individually think about a particular question, scenario, or problem.
• Pair students to discuss their ideas, comprehension or answers to the concept.  Collaboration amongst the pairs will expand the students knowledge of the scenario and promotes clarity.
• Have the students discuss their findings with the whole class and provide feedback as necessary.

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Remember to level Apply) are practiced.

Short Problems (TASLO)

Purpose

• The Short Problem activity encourages students to demonstrate their knowledge of solving problems and sharing with class and instructor.
• All students gain a better understanding of the short problem, actively listen to their peer's findings and the ability to share-out to class.

Approach

• Create time for students to work individually or in small group on problem sets in or out of class.Present the problem sets on screen, written on a white board or available online.   
• Have students share with their peers, the findings and solutions with peer groups.
• Gather students together to offer feedback and clear up any misconceptions.

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Remember to level Apply) are practiced. 

Interactive Learning (TASL)

Purpose

• Instructors recognize what level of comprehension or misconceptions students have of the topic.
• Instructors share feedback visually.
• Students discuss their understanding with peers groups.
• All students are able to actively engage independently or in study groups.

Approach

• Ask students to access an interactive learning platform for anonymous polling or to participate in an interactive game. *Examples of interactive learning platforms for polling or gaming.
• Pose a provoking or guiding question to students and have students answer independently or in groups.  
• Have students discuss their understanding of the topic.
• Repose question to students, share feedback and clear misconceptions.

*Kahoot an interactive tool that easily engages students to create, share and play learning games or trivia quizzes. 

*Polleverwhere an interactive polling tool that engages students to participate in realtime participation with instant feedback.

*Mentimeter an interactive tool that students can respond to questions, contribute to the content and receive visual feedback.

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Remember to level Apply) are practiced. 

iClicker Questions (TASL)

Purpose

• iClicker questions posed at various points throughout a lecture prompt students to identify, relate or interpret instructional material.
• The iClicker activity allows for instructors and students to recognize what level of comprehension or misconceptions they have of the topic.

Approach

• All students use their iclicker to respond to questions before, during and/or at the end of the class.  
• Instructor presents feedback on screen to clear up any misconceptions or to confirm understanding.
• iClicker questions can be graded and imported into myCourses.

Learn more about incorporating iClickers into your course at UNH

In these types of activities, higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Create) are practiced. 

Poster and Gallery Walk (TAS)

Purpose

• The Poster and Gallery Walk activity encourages students to create a visual explanation and demonstration of a concept.
• The Poster and Gallery Walk activity provides students to examine their peers understanding of the concept. 
• All students gain viewpoints of their peers, improve the ability to collaborate and share with each other to produce tangible content.

Approach

• Break students into small groups to work collaboratively to explain a concept, respond to course content  questions or debate a specific topic with one another.  The assignment can be done with using pieces of paper, post-it poster board, shared group computer and screens (e.g., TEAL classroom), web-based applications (e.g., Voicethread) online learning.
• Once students have completed the poster assignment, have them display it, much like at a scientific poster session. One student in each group will stay with the poster and help to explain it as the class circulates to look at all of the posters. Students rotate so that everyone has a chance to visit all the posters.  
• Gather class together to debrief, hear student's feedback and add additional clarification to the concept. 

In these types of activities, higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Create) are practiced. 

Buzz Groups (TASO)

Purpose

• Buzz Group activity generally takes place during a lecture timeframe to encourage student discussion. 
• Buzz Group activity encourages students to listen, reflect and examine their peers understanding of the specific topic.
• All students gain viewpoints of their peers, active  listening skills, awareness of theory and the ability to share verbally.

Approach

• Break the class into small groups consisting of three to four students.
• Each group discusses the topic or guided questions briefly to generate arguments, answers, or ideas. 
• Each small group then shares one idea, answer, or argument with the class. 

In these types of activities, higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Create) are practiced. 

Jigsaw and Expert Groups (TA)

Purpose

• TheJigsaw/Expert Group activity encourages students to work independently becoming experts in a specific chunk of content topic.  
• The Jigsaw/Expert Group activity helps students to become the experts by synthesizing and constructing their comprehension of the content with their peers.
• All students gain viewpoints of their peers, active listening skills and the ability to compile component ideas into a new idea or solution.

Approach

• Put students into small groups (e.g., 4-6 students), this will become their "home group".  
• Divide the content topic into chunks (e.g., 4-6) depending on how many students are in the home groups.  
• Assign each student in the home group one chunk of the content topic.  
• Independently, students gather information and research their content chunk while staying assembled in their home group.  
• Once the allotted time is up, students in each home group find their perspective experts of their assigned content chunk and form  an "expert group". 
• Each expert group shares with one another their findings and they work together to synthesize all the information gathered.
• Instructor assesses and validates each expert group's content knowledge.
• Within the expert group students prepare and create a report, analysis or presentation of materials learned to demonstrate their knowledge of the content chunk assigned.
• Students move back to their original home groups to present to their home group on their assigned content.  
• Assess the students understanding of the content topic or skill.

In these types of activities, lower levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Evaluate) are practiced. 

Four Corners (TASO)

Purpose

• The Four Corners activity builds critical thinking skills.
• The Four Corners activity encourages students to listen, think on their own and defend their understanding of the specific topic.
• All students gain viewpoints of their peers, active listening skills, awareness of differences in thinking and the ability to share verbally.

Approach

• Create four corners within the classroom having each corner display a Likert type responses (e.g., Agree, Strongly Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree). 
• At the beginning, during or end of class share a statement and have students actively move to the corner of the room with the Likert response they most agree with.
• Allow time for students to discuss and write down at least one reason why they choose that "corner". 
• Have each corner share out to class those reasons.

In these types of activities, higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Evaluate) are practiced. 

Socratic Questioning (TASLO)

Purpose

• The Socratic Questioning activity builds critical thinking skills by asking questions, drawing answers to enhance students thinking process.
• The Socratic Questioning activity helps students gain perspectives and viewpoints of a content topic.

Approach

• Instructor poses open-ended questions to students either in groups or as a class.
• Six types of Socratic Questions:
  1. Getting students to clarify their thinking and explore the origin of their thinking
  2. Challenging students about assumptions
  3. Providing evidence as a basis for arguments
  4. Discovering alternative viewpoints and perspectives and conflicts between contentions
  5. Exploring implications and consequences
  6. Questioning the question
• Instructor sets ground rules for active listening, collaborative space and overall respect among students.  
• Students respond to the question posed and contribute to class discussion or group.  
• Once students have contributed in the discussion the instructor offers clarification where needed and affirmation to students responses. 

In these types of activities, higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy (level Understand to level Evaluate) are practiced. 

Social Annotation of Text (TASLO)

Purpose

• The Social Annotation activity prepares students for pre-class readings (e.g., Flipped Classroom).
• The Social Annotation activity supports collaborative learning.

Approach

• Break students into small groups or work independently. 
• Select a content topic for the students to annotate (e.g., ask questions, unknown or difficult words, note taking as independent study).
• Select a social annotation platform, such as Hypothesis. 
• Students share their annotation with the class.