Episode 166: High Structure Course Design for Online STEM Courses
Jul 15, 2024
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Dr. Justin Shaffer, an expert in high structure course design, offers insights into enhancing online STEM education. He emphasizes the importance of structured course design for boosting student engagement and improving outcomes. Strategies like scaffolding and interactive tools are discussed to create a supportive learning environment. Shaffer also advocates for incremental changes in course design, encouraging educators to adapt gradually for better effectiveness. This thoughtful conversation reveals how intentional course design can cater to diverse student populations.
High structure course design enhances online STEM learning by scaffolding experiences, ensuring student engagement and comprehension throughout the educational process.
Intentional course design facilitates successful transitions to online learning environments, maintaining instructor presence and fostering community among students.
Deep dives
Aligning Goals with Structured Learning
Establishing alignment between present actions and future goals is crucial for success in any educational journey. Online programs, such as those offered by UCF, provide flexible pathways for students to achieve their objectives in various fields, including healthcare and engineering. By highlighting the importance of intentional course design, instructors can enhance student engagement and outcomes, ensuring that learners are prepared to meet their academic and professional aspirations. This approach emphasizes the necessity of creating a structured learning environment that supports student development from enrollment to graduation.
High-Structure Course Design
High-structure course design is defined as scaffolding learning experiences to guide students effectively through their educational process. This method involves engaging students through pre-class preparations, active learning during class, and follow-up assessments afterward. By implementing structured activities like formative assessments and collaborative problem-solving, instructors can improve student comprehension and retention of material. As discussed in the podcast, such techniques have shown to be beneficial across various disciplines, especially in STEM fields, where evidence-based practices enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
Emphasizing Adaptability in Online Learning
The transition to online learning has highlighted the need for intentional course design to maintain instructor presence and student engagement. High-structure course design can effectively adapt from face-to-face settings to online environments, allowing for pre-class content delivery, in-class cooperative learning, and after-class assessments. This adaptability ensures that students remain connected and invested in their learning, regardless of the course format. In asynchronous classes, providing clear structure and multiple touchpoints can significantly enhance student success and create a sense of community within otherwise disconnected learning experiences.
Guest Dr. Justin Shaffer joins hosts Tom and Kelvin to discuss the role high structure course design can play in making online STEM courses more effective… and fun!
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