Open Course Analysis
This open course does include materials that seemed
to be pre-planned and designed for distance learning. The materials include
podcasts, videos, PowerPoints, wikis, and transcripts of lectures and other
vital information. The materials are broken down into units and each set of
materials support that unit topic. The organization, however, makes it
difficult to understand what is seen. For this course, a great understanding
and prior knowledge in chemistry would be needed. There are terms that pertain
more to the field of chemistry. It is an environment that keeps the learners’
mind and concentration on chemistry.
Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2012) stated that
“well-designed instruction is repeatable” which this course clearly does that.
Learners can access the same material each term or whenever they access it.
When it comes to distance learning, the “focus of the
instruction shifts to visual presentations” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and
Zvacek, 2012). This course has both visual and audio presentations. The
powerpoints include pictures, diagrams, animations, and emphasis on certain
words by using contrasting colors or bold letters. The wikis also have information and visuals
for note-taking. There are homework problems available for each unit that can
be worked out independently or collaboratively. There are several materials
delivered to maximize the learning in this course.
Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek (2012) also
stated that distance learning faculty should prepare in the event that
technical problems occur. One way that I see this preparation is in the fact
that all of the materials and assignments are already posted. All of the
content is already accessible and not posted over time or each week. There are
instructions for how to open materials and choices of which format to view or
listen to.
This course offers questions and situations to ponder
and to add to the discussions and further critical thought. The course also contains exam questions for
review, along with answer keys. The first few were not available, but the ones
that were available include open-ended questions with time frames for each
question. The overall course is learner-centered in that the learner is
actively learning and not seated in a classroom listening to a lecture; and the
course’s faculty is “primarily designers” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, and
Zvacek, 2012) of the courses. The instructor is not an active participant
during the course.
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012).
Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education
(5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson
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