Full Transcript for Elevating online learning through intentionality

00:04:55.670 --> 00:05:00.209 and learner to learner. When they're balanced, they combat the 63 00:05:00.350 --> 00:05:05.839 isolation and close that social gap that's inherent in online environments. 64 00:05:06.740 --> 00:05:12.560 They ensure deeper cognitive processing and learning, and they boost 65 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:14.959 motivation and satisfaction. 66 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:17.740 I like how you said, you know, beginning with the 67 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:20.839 end in mind, that kind of backwards design when you 68 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.670 start with the objectives or the learning outcomes and then 69 00:05:24.750 --> 00:05:27.389 be able to build it from there. So how do 70 00:05:27.430 --> 00:05:31.970 those pillars kind of explain those related to that design piece? 71 00:05:32.329 --> 00:05:36.430 Learner to content engagement is the most fundamental form of engagement. 72 00:05:36.670 --> 00:05:40.110 To ensure we design course materials for diverse learners, we 73 00:05:40.189 --> 00:05:44.389 must present information in a variety of formats. We must 74 00:05:44.430 --> 00:05:49.920 provide the same information through different modalities to accommodate different 75 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:54.990 learning styles. you are providing each student with an equitable 76 00:05:55.089 --> 00:06:00.490 learning experience. Now for learner to educator engagement, that requires 77 00:06:00.589 --> 00:06:06.310 faculty presence in the course. The educator must be visible, active, 78 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:12.019 and supportive in the online environment. It's really important to 79 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:16.660 remember that our nursing students are adult learners. So learner 80 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:21.810 to educator engagement facilitates role modeling, and socialization of the 81 00:06:21.850 --> 00:06:26.290 learner into the profession or professional role for which the 82 00:06:26.350 --> 00:06:33.430 program prepares the student. Adult learners are also self-directed and independent. Therefore, 83 00:06:33.509 --> 00:06:38.120 partnering with our students in their learning through intentional learner 84 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:43.399 to educator engagement will be very beneficial. Adult learners bring 85 00:06:43.500 --> 00:06:48.189 unique personal and professional experiences to their learning so we 86 00:06:48.209 --> 00:06:51.500 can learn with and from the learners. And there are 87 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:57.279 three ways that educators can build learner to educator engagement 88 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:02.000 in their course through consistent faculty communication and faculty presence, 89 00:07:02.740 --> 00:07:09.129 through outlining instructional interaction and feedback expectations, and through targeted 90 00:07:09.269 --> 00:07:13.550 outreach to students. And the third type of engagement is 91 00:07:13.610 --> 00:07:17.389 learner to learner engagement. And this is a vital building 92 00:07:17.430 --> 00:07:22.069 block for building community in the learning environment. A learning 93 00:07:22.120 --> 00:07:28.379 community requires collaborative interaction where learning occurs through social relationships, 94 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:33.439 peer exchange, and the belief that every learner has valuable 95 00:07:33.579 --> 00:07:38.959 insights and contributions. Collaborative learning allows adult learners to share 96 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:44.670 and learn from one another's experiences. The key to designing 97 00:07:44.829 --> 00:07:50.410 learner-to-learner engagement is to build in structure and expectations for 98 00:07:50.470 --> 00:07:57.939 the interactions. Furthermore, by evaluating individual responsibility within the collaborative 99 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:03.819 space ensures fair evaluation of each student and reduces student 100 00:08:03.860 --> 00:08:07.420 stress that frequently occurs with group work. 101 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:12.420 So now that we've grounded ourselves in what intentional design means, 102 00:08:13.089 --> 00:08:16.350 I'd love to take a deeper dive into what that 103 00:08:16.430 --> 00:08:21.240 process actually requires over time. So I know we've talked 104 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:25.560 and I've heard you mention that you led a multi-year 105 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:30.480 effort toward Quality Matters certification. So first of all, for 106 00:08:30.699 --> 00:08:34.309 our listeners who may not know what Quality Matters is, 107 00:08:34.710 --> 00:08:37.269 can you walk us through that journey and what kept 108 00:08:37.289 --> 00:08:41.070 your team committed despite maybe some challenges that you had faced? 109 00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:44.830 So Quality Matters is a set of standards to ensure 110 00:08:44.889 --> 00:08:50.029 that you are providing quality online course design. And when 111 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:56.360 we decided to seek Quality Matters online program design certification, 112 00:08:56.929 --> 00:09:01.139 we started at the macro level of curriculum reevaluation. We 113 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:04.480 wanted to ensure that there was alignment of our courses 114 00:09:05.220 --> 00:09:09.120 and their course objectives to the program student learning outcomes. 115 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:13.740 This allowed us to identify any curriculum drift that may 116 00:09:13.779 --> 00:09:17.360 have occurred over the years. And it also ensured that 117 00:09:17.659 --> 00:09:22.529 all the faculty gained a comprehensive understanding of the curriculum 118 00:09:23.110 --> 00:09:26.870 beyond the courses that they taught. Some of our course 119 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:31.000 descriptions and some of our course level objectives were revised 120 00:09:31.580 --> 00:09:36.669 to better align with our program student learning outcomes. administrative 121 00:09:36.710 --> 00:09:40.230 support and collaboration with the Office of Distance Education and 122 00:09:40.429 --> 00:09:44.539 e-learning was the

most valuable resource for us. They provided 123 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:48.279 the resources that we needed to be successful. And these 124 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:53.379 resources included, but were not limited to, having designated workload 125 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:58.750 or stipends over the entire calendar year for the course coordination, 126 00:09:59.250 --> 00:10:05.799 consistent training, resources, and one-on-one support was provided by instructional 127 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:11.779 designers from our Office of Distance Education and eLearning. Stipends 128 00:10:11.860 --> 00:10:15.460 or simply just providing lunch when we had mandatory collaborative 129 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:19.750 meetings occurred and was much appreciated I will say that 130 00:10:19.789 --> 00:10:23.889 we did run into one large speed bump, and that 131 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:28.629 was when we addressed accessibility issues in our courses. We 132 00:10:28.730 --> 00:10:34.230 recognized that faculty needed more technical support. There was definitely 133 00:10:34.250 --> 00:10:38.750 a learning curve. So we created an initiative using graduate 134 00:10:38.809 --> 00:10:42.850 students across programs to address the accessibility issues in the 135 00:10:42.929 --> 00:10:47.889 courses at that point in time with the expectation that 136 00:10:47.990 --> 00:10:52.399 course coordinators would sharpen their skills. When the faculty started 137 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:55.480 feeling tired, we always came back to what our goal 138 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:58.759 was in the beginning. See, we were a Masters of 139 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:04.190 Science in Nursing nurse educator program, and we focused on 140 00:11:04.330 --> 00:11:09.049 our desire to role model excellence for our students and 141 00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:14.399 also our goal to support students' success. We wanted each 142 00:11:14.460 --> 00:11:18.360 and every one of our students to share a consistent 143 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:23.580 and positive learning experience in our program. The ultimate goals 144 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:28.070 were student success and student satisfaction. And we knew that 145 00:11:28.169 --> 00:11:34.289 course design in our asynchronous, accelerated, fully online program was 146 00:11:34.370 --> 00:11:36.110 the way to meeting these goals. 147 00:11:37.049 --> 00:11:41.809 Excellent. That's great. Always come back to the goal. That 148 00:11:41.990 --> 00:11:45.990 journey really, it highlights the importance of thinking beyond, you said, 149 00:11:46.029 --> 00:11:49.970 kind of those individual courses. So I'd like to expand 150 00:11:50.049 --> 00:11:53.230 on that idea just a little bit. So transitioning from 151 00:11:53.649 --> 00:11:56.379 that individual course, because it's so easy to just look 152 00:11:56.460 --> 00:11:59.139 at your kind of your own little silo here, and 153 00:11:59.179 --> 00:12:03.080 this is the course I teach. So how do you 154 00:12:03.580

--> 00:12:09.440 develop that more holistic curricular approach? So what strategies kind 155 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:12.740 of help facilitate that shift? as you were moving through 156 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:13.879 that journey? 157 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:19.200 Alignment is the foundation for quality intentional course design. And 158 00:12:19.259 --> 00:12:22.549 alignment is one of those critical standards of quality matters. 159 00:12:23.330 --> 00:12:27.110 So as we discussed earlier, alignment spans beyond the course 160 00:12:27.350 --> 00:12:30.350 all the way to the program student learning outcomes and 161 00:12:30.409 --> 00:12:34.639 to those guiding professional standards. And so by participating in 162 00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:39.240 backward design, each faculty began to see the course that 163 00:12:39.299 --> 00:12:44.840 they teach within the broader curriculum. This holistic view ensured 164 00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:50.179 that course development or revision was outcomes focused and the 165 00:12:50.279 --> 00:12:54.529 outcomes then determined the direction for the revisions that needed 166 00:12:54.590 --> 00:12:59.889 to come. During the reevaluation of our curriculum, we collectively 167 00:13:00.049 --> 00:13:06.600 participated in mapping out the curriculum. Faculty were heavily involved. 168 00:13:07.250 --> 00:13:11.250 in aligning their course learning objectives to the program's student 169 00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:16.840 learning outcomes. This process included frequent review and engagement with 170 00:13:16.899 --> 00:13:21.580 the curriculum map in our monthly program committee meetings. And 171 00:13:21.659 --> 00:13:25.490 as the facilitator of these meetings, I led the faculty 172 00:13:25.590 --> 00:13:31.730 through many discussions and decisions. Faculty approved the map. And 173 00:13:31.769 --> 00:13:35.519 so what that meant is they collectively adopted and committed 174 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.919 to the curriculum alignment and to our plan for students 175 00:13:40.059 --> 00:13:44.320 to achieve those program student learning outcomes. Doing this work 176 00:13:44.379 --> 00:13:48.070 in the program committee meetings ensured that all the faculty 177 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:52.789 could be involved. This led to faculty sharing ideas and 178 00:13:52.870 --> 00:13:56.720 innovations with each other. It led to a collective understanding 179 00:13:56.840 --> 00:13:59.899 of our professional standards that were guiding the curriculum as 180 00:13:59.970 --> 00:14:03.909 well as to our program student learning outcomes and ultimately 181 00:14:03.929 --> 00:14:08.210 a collective effort to guide students to those outcomes. 182 00:14:08.649 --> 00:14:12.940 I love that holistic curriculum approach, you know. One critical 183 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:16.889 element of that shift is ensuring every learner can fully 184 00:14:16.970 --> 00:14:19.990 engage with the materials. And you mentioned this in your 185 00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:23.110 last remarks a little bit. So let's talk about accessibility. 186 00:14:23.529 --> 00:14:25.950 Let's get back to that piece. Because you mentioned you 187 00:14:26.029 --> 00:14:29.940 use grad students to help navigate that. So what does 188 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:33.559 accessibility look like in an online course? You know, why 189 00:14:33.580 --> 00:14:36.649 is it foundational in online learning? course design and how 190 00:14:36.710 --> 00:14:41.529 can educators really begin to integrate accessibility practices effectively? 191 00:14:41.809 --> 00:14:46.570 Accessibility in a course means that every student can engage 192 00:14:46.710 --> 00:14:50.269 with every learning resource and learning tool that is in 193 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:54.460 that course. So this includes elements such as adequate font 194 00:14:54.519 --> 00:15:00.460 size or contrasting font and background color, only underlining things 195 00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:04.360 that are hyperlinked, Ensuring that there's alt text for all 196 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:08.970 images so screen readers can give those students the full experience. 197 00:15:09.690 --> 00:15:13.230 Ensuring that you have closed captioning or transcripts for all 198 00:15:13.370 --> 00:15:17.590 audio and video recordings. All of these features ensure that 199 00:15:17.710 --> 00:15:22.259 all students can engage with the course material. You know, 200 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:24.600 a lot of people think that when you have an 201 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:27.769 online course that you need to put all these bells 202 00:15:27.830 --> 00:15:30.629 and whistles into the course, that you need to entertain 203 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:36.730 and stimulate your learners. And that's not exactly true. Accessibility 204 00:15:36.809 --> 00:15:40.360 reinforces that your course doesn't need to be pretty with 205 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.720 a lot of bells and whistles because every aspect of 206 00:15:43.779 --> 00:15:47.539 your course must be purposeful and intentional for students to 207 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:51.919 achieve those learning objectives. And anything that you add to 208 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:55.909 your course, the educator must ensure that it is accessible 209 00:15:56.330 --> 00:16:00.090 to all learners. And it's also important to realize that 210 00:16:00.190 --> 00:16:03.649 accessibility goes beyond the pages that you develop in the 211 00:16:03.690 --> 00:16:08.580 learning management system. It extends to every resource that you 212 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:12.940 provide to students. So every website that you send students to, 213 00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:18.549 every PDF, that you provide for students, every handout, every video, 214 00:16:18.850 --> 00:16:23.250 all of those resources must be accessible to all your 215 00:16:23.289 --> 00:16:28.440 learners as well. As I mentioned earlier, accessibility does require 216 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:33.639 the educator to

be an efficient technician. And some educators 217 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:38.399 must learn these skills in order to ensure accessibility. And 218 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:43.029 there is a learning curve. So when addressing accessibility in 219 00:16:43.070 --> 00:16:48.379 your online course, I would encourage educators to utilize built-in 220 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:54.320 accessibility checkers, such as in Adobe, Microsoft Word, and in 221 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:59.639 the learning management systems. I would also suggest soliciting help 222 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:03.960 and support from your institution's instructional designers. They are definitely 223 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:09.460 collaborative partners in designing online courses. And also just be 224 00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:14.400 strategic and follow a process. For instance, maybe you decide 225 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.099 to work on one type of resource first. You make 226 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:20.359 sure that all of your videos have closed captioning or transcripts, 227 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:23.069 or you make sure that all of your PDFs are accessible. 228 00:17:23.769 --> 00:17:26.210 Or you can do it another way and take one 229 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:29.190 module or one unit at a time. Because it does 230 00:17:29.309 --> 00:17:32.869 take time and there is that learning curve. And so 231 00:17:32.910 --> 00:17:36.210 you have to have a plan. place in order to 232 00:17:36.309 --> 00:17:40.690 fully transform your course into an accessible course. Yeah. 233 00:17:40.910 --> 00:17:43.769 In my mind, I'm thinking about what does that orientation 234 00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:48.109 piece look like for new nurse educators coming into this role? 235 00:17:48.450 --> 00:17:53.039 How do we train them and get them technically savvy 236 00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:55.140 to be able to at least be aware that this 237 00:17:55.180 --> 00:17:57.700 needs to happen in this course and, you know, perhaps 238 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.640 have a mentor, right, that can coach them along the way? 239 00:18:01.410 --> 00:18:06.230 So as we think about creating consistent and accessible experiences 240 00:18:07.569 --> 00:18:12.730 using standardized design, this often enters the conversation, the word 241 00:18:12.789 --> 00:18:19.200 standardization or standardized templates. And I know in academia, being 242 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:23.500 a faculty and dean for many, many years, we debated 243 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.579 over this topic of standardization in courses. So how do 244 00:18:27.619 --> 00:18:32.599 you balance consistency and with academic freedom while ensuring a 245 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:34.680 quality student experience. 246 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:40.779 Course templates are important because they simply facilitate course navigation 247 00:18:40.900 --> 00:18:45.890 for the students. It reduces or eliminates students needing to 248 00:18:45.950 --> 00:18:50.430 expend energy or time learning how to navigate the course 249 00:18:50.589 --> 00:18:53.970 or how to find things in the course. A template 250 00:18:54.210 --> 00:18:58.809 maximizes the students' time and efforts to focus on the 251 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:03.109 content and to allow them to jump right into learning. 252 00:19:04.130 --> 00:19:07.730 A standardized template does not take away from intentional course 253 00:19:07.769 --> 00:19:12.869 design or academic freedom. When you focus on the true 254 00:19:13.130 --> 00:19:17.559 structural elements of course design, alignment, and those three pillars 255 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:21.839 of engagement, a standardized template does not interfere with these 256 00:19:22.940 --> 00:19:28.539 and academic freedom is maintained with those design elements. Academic 257 00:19:28.599 --> 00:19:33.450 freedom is exercised through the learning resources, the instructional strategies 258 00:19:33.529 --> 00:19:39.190 or learning activities, the planned learner engagement, and the assessments 259 00:19:39.230 --> 00:19:42.930 that are selected or designed by the educator to help 260 00:19:42.990 --> 00:19:47.849 learners achieve those learning outcomes. With that said, though, I 261 00:19:48.009 --> 00:19:52.579 do believe that educators need to be involved in designing 262 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:57.279 the course template. This is a great opportunity for instructional 263 00:19:57.319 --> 00:20:01.660 designers and faculty to collaborate and learn from one another. 264 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:06.359 What works for one program may not work for another program. 265 00:20:06.809 --> 00:20:10.259 So a program's template should be unique, It should be 266 00:20:10.339 --> 00:20:14.369 intentional for that student population and for the intended learning 267 00:20:14.490 --> 00:20:16.630 outcomes for that particular program. 268 00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:20.420 I put myself in that student's shoes as they navigate 269 00:20:20.460 --> 00:20:23.019 this curriculum and they They go to April's course and 270 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:24.789 it looks like this, and then they come to my 271 00:20:24.869 --> 00:20:27.650 course and the buttons are different and, you know, the 272 00:20:27.690 --> 00:20:31.329 typeset and font and, you know, where things are and 273 00:20:31.430 --> 00:20:33.829 how they have to navigate. And you're right, that's a 274 00:20:33.890 --> 00:20:36.619 lot of cognitive load, just jumping from one course to 275 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:41.079 the other. So standardizing that is definitely key. And once 276 00:20:41.160 --> 00:20:44.420 that structure is in place, the next step is really 277 00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:48.359 about bringing that course to life for students. And again, 278 00:20:48.420 --> 00:20:50.559 like you said, you don't need all the bells and whistles, 279 00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:55.119 but active learning and community building, I think are vital 280 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:58.380 in an online

environment. So I'm wondering what are some 281 00:20:58.420 --> 00:21:01.960 of the strategies that truly foster engagement and a sense 282 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:04.640 of belonging among online learners? 283 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:09.369 Active learning requires the student to do something rather than 284 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:13.750 just passively receive information. And this is closely tied to 285 00:21:13.809 --> 00:21:18.640 that learner to content engagement pillar. With active learning, learners 286 00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:23.059 are actively involved in the learning process through learning activities 287 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:28.220 that promote application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the content. 288 00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:33.200 For adult learners, active learning is effective as it taps 289 00:21:33.380 --> 00:21:40.210 into their results-oriented and problem-centered characteristics. It provides learners the 290 00:21:40.250 --> 00:21:45.470 opportunity to apply new knowledge, allowing them to self-assess their learning. 291 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.539 and to see the practical relevance of the new content 292 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:54.339 to achieve those intended learning outcomes. Now, community building is 293 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.549 closely tied to the learner to educator and learner to 294 00:21:58.029 --> 00:22:02.369 learner engagement pillars. So practical ways to foster these types 295 00:22:02.430 --> 00:22:05.930 of engagement and to foster a sense of belonging within 296 00:22:05.970 --> 00:22:10.430 the learning community could be something simply as providing a 297 00:22:10.630 --> 00:22:15.650 welcome video or a faculty page that shares professional and 298 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:21.059 appropriate personal information with the learners. This humanizes the educator 299 00:22:21.220 --> 00:22:26.680 and illustrates approachability, requiring students to introduce themselves at the 300 00:22:26.700 --> 00:22:30.690 beginning of the course. This creates a welcoming learning environment 301 00:22:30.809 --> 00:22:34.769 and a sense of community within the course. Also doing 302 00:22:34.809 --> 00:22:39.799 things such as posting weekly announcements that outline goals, clarify 303 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:46.759 misconceptions and highlight upcoming deadlines, and also providing a module 304 00:22:46.900 --> 00:22:50.819 overview that connects the current lesson to the intended learning 305 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:55.970 outcomes into real world nursing practice. These simple touch points 306 00:22:56.450 --> 00:23:02.269 keep the learning community together through shared goals and shared experiences. 307 00:23:03.089 --> 00:23:07.700 When designing collaborative learning projects, where learners work together to 308 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:10.960 produce a shared outcome or product, such as doing a 309 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.819 case study analysis or a group presentation, or maybe a 310 00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:19.390 shared Wiki or resource bank in the course. These types 311 00:23:19.450 --> 00:23:23.589 of projects ensure social learning and they really do mimic 312 00:23:23.690 --> 00:23:28.490 the real world team-based healthcare environment. So they're very important. 313 00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:35.400 When you're incorporating peer review or peer feedback, This shifts 314 00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:40.920 that expert role from the educator to the community. And 315 00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:46.039 peer feedback and peer review help learners develop critical evaluation 316 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:49.400 skills that are essential in nursing. And this can be 317 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:54.400 accomplished by designing structured peer reviews on assignment drafts. where 318 00:23:54.440 --> 00:23:59.400 learners provide constructive feedback using a rubric to support equitable reviews, 319 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:04.039 or by using critical friends, where learners check in with 320 00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:10.140 peers weekly to discuss progress, troubleshoot roadblocks, provide support to 321 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:16.019 one another. I do think that discussion boards or discussion 322 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:21.480 assignments are frequently incorporated into online courses. However, it is 323 00:24:21.859 --> 00:24:27.569 critical that the educator provides specific prompts for both the 324 00:24:27.630 --> 00:24:33.380 primary and the reply posts to encourage a deeper, meaningful 325 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:35.960 dialogue between students. 326 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:40.140 So April, as we wrap up, what is one spark, 327 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:44.210 maybe a key piece of wisdom or inspiration that you 328 00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:47.509 would like to leave with nurse educators striving to design 329 00:24:47.549 --> 00:24:51.029 more intentional and impactful online learning experiences? 330 00:24:51.380 --> 00:24:55.160 Well, first to summarize, I do believe that alignment is 331 00:24:55.180 --> 00:25:00.660 your foundational structure and engagement serves as those three pillars 332 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:05.920 that's holding up student success and satisfaction. And so these 333 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:10.880 are the structures that educators should focus on first when 334 00:25:10.900 --> 00:25:15.480 they're designing or redesigning a course. And I think it's 335 00:25:15.619 --> 00:25:20.480 also especially true in an asynchronous online course where that 336 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:24.019 our course design is equivalent to the act of teaching. 337 00:25:24.859 --> 00:25:28.859 The design of our course determines how learners will engage 338 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:33.490 with the educator, other learners, and the course materials. But 339 00:25:33.710 --> 00:25:39.089 I think that for intentional course design, it is best 340 00:25:39.250 --> 00:25:46.230 approached using backward design, and this work occurs upfront, long 341 00:25:46.329 --> 00:25:50.680 before students enter the course. The more time and intention 342 00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:55.980 we devote during the design process, the smoother the course 343 00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:59.640 will run. You as the educator will have more time 344 00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:03.740 to devote to interacting with your students, and the students 345 00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:08.309 will be able to focus on learning by actively engaging 346 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:13.869 with the material, each other, and with you as the educator. Awesome. 347 00:26:13.990 --> 00:26:17.470 Thank you. Thank you so much, April, for sharing your 348 00:26:17.690 --> 00:26:21.910 expertise and your insights on intentional online course design. And 349 00:26:22.529 --> 00:26:26.079 today's conversation, I love it that it really highlighted the 350 00:26:26.130 --> 00:26:31.099 importance of alignment, accessibility, faculty preparation, and the power of 351 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:36.369 thoughtful design in creating meaningful learning experiences for our nursing students. 352 00:26:36.910 --> 00:26:39.309 And to our listeners, thank you so much for joining us. 353 00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:42.809 Be sure to subscribe and share this episode and continue 354 00:26:42.869 --> 00:26:47.089 exploring resources to support your journey as a nurse educator. 355 00:26:47.450 --> 00:26:48.349 Thanks so much, April. 356 00:26:48.589 --> 00:26:49.049 Thank you. 357 00:26:51.150 --> 00:26:54.869 Thanks for listening to Lippincott Spark. Be sure to subscribe, 358 00:26:55.339 --> 00:26:58.180 share with a colleague, and leave us a five-star review. 359 00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:01.619 You'll find links below to learn more about Lippincott nursing 360 00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:06.119 products and services. Until next time, keep learning, keep leading, 361 00:27:06.299 --> 00:27:09.009 and keep sparking innovation in nursing education.