Welcome to CTP 000-001
Class Title Goes Here

Welcome! Starting this Course:

I am so glad you are here in my course and am really looking forward to all that we are going to learn this semester. Above all, the most important part of this class is that you ----insert really big, important, measurable, 20-years-down-the-road, objective here -----

Course Overview

This course studies the importance of "a very important topic" and how to apply "a great framework" to this topic in the modern world. My hope as a teacher is that at the end of this course you will not only understand "the big thing" but you will also be able to practice it in your professional lives.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate "objective #1"
Articulate "objective #2" through "activity"
Identify the main ideas supporting "objective #3" and "objective #1"

Navigating this Course

This course will use "activity" and "assessment" to support these objectives. All activities and materials will be found sequentially under the Modules tab to the left. Please contact me if you have any questions.

The first step in completing this course is to begin. Here is how to proceed:

Please review the entire Welcome module (the very first module from the Modules view) including reading through the syllabus, note the technical and personal supports if needed. (You may also click the next button at the bottom right corner of this page to proceed forward)
Make sure you complete the "Tell Us Something About Yourself" discussion so we can learn a little bit about one another as we begin.
Then, the course will proceed sequentially downward through the modules and content within the modules. Please complete everything in the welcome module before proceeding into Week 1.

I am looking forward to learning with you this semester!

University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY 40506-0027 | Main Office (859) 257-6650

Instructors! Remember to Remove this box (edit, click the box and hit delete) before you publish this page or course! Lookout for these instruction boxes on most template pages.

Make sure to include here any ways that might help the students navigate the course more effectively.

Further Reading:

From OLC OSCQR Rubric 3.0 Annotation #2

https://bbsupport.sln.suny.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/OSCQR/OSCQR-3.0-Explanations-And-Examples.html

An orientation or overview is provided for the course overall, as well as in each module. Students know how to navigate and what tasks are due.

Review These Explanations quoted from OSCQR:

Adult learners benefit from knowing what they are about to learn, as well as the scope of work and time commitment expected from them. Providing an overview of the online course will prepare students for what, when, where and why they will be learning, and an overview of each course module will provide information on, in advance, what content, interaction, and assessment will take place within a specific period of time.

These "advance organizers" will help students plan around conflicting priorities (school, family, children, work) and better manage their time.

The overall course orientation and/or overview should relay the same type of information that would be provided in a face-to-face class, including information from the syllabus, such as:

Course objectives
Required readings
Interaction Guidelines
Expectations
Due dates

Taylor, Dunn, and Winn (2015) write that ensuring that students feel comfortable within the online course setting – knowing how to navigate, and what is expected – will set students up for success. Providing course and module overviews provide students with a means to navigate the course so that they can stay on track and succeed in their learning.

References:

Taylor, J. M., Dunn, M., & Winn, S. K. (2015). Innovative Orientation Leads to Improved Success in Online Courses. Online Learning, 19(4).

Refresh Your Course with These Ideas

Course Overviews

Provide a detailed written description of the types of learning activities learners will engage in, including all content, interaction, and assessment types included in the course.
Be sure to include the expected time required to participate and engage fully in the course each week throughout the term (e.g. "Please expect nine hours per week...").
Create a short video introductory overview tour of your course within the LMS using a screencasting tool (i.e. Jing, SnagIt, Captivate, Mix). This can help students better navigate the course space, by letting them see the structure of learning modules and how to locate and access all course materials.
Create a course map or calendar to visualize the sequence of course modules, types of learning activities, anticipated duration of each activity, and indications of when assignments are due.
Bring attention to the most important elements of the online class, such as learning objectives, communication channels, required outside resources, and due dates.
Consider the questions students might ask about the course (access, navigation, learning materials, due dates) and try to answer them within the orientation/overview.

Explore More Refreshing Ideas from the Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository (TOPR) at the University of Central Florida (UCF)

These Pedagogical Practices from TOPR explore the purpose and benefits of creating a course orientation module and advance organizers for your online course, including links to example artifacts and scholarly references:

Course Orientation Module- https://topr.online.ucf.edu/index.php/Course_Orientation_Module
Advance Organizer- https://topr.online.ucf.edu/index.php/Advance_Organizer

Explore Related Resources

Candy, P. C. (1991). Self-direction for lifelong learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.