Week 5

I reviewed a Psychology course offered by Yale at, http://oyc.yale.edu/psychology/psyc-110 , and was pleasantly surprised to see that such a professional higher education experience was offered for free for anyone who is interested in taking it.  This course appears to be well-organized, with each session offering a distinct topic for each the professor will lecture on.  The online course follows a syllabus of a traditional classroom experience and simulates face to face interaction by offering videos in which the professor provides lecture on the weekly topics and assessments to measure learning.
This course does follow a variety of guidelines that will lead to an effective distance learning experience..  For instance, goals and instructions are clearly outlined in the beginning of the course in video format when the professor is introducing the students to the course. Simonson et al explains that “good instructional goals should form the basis for instruction, regardless of the medium used (Simonson et al, 2012). This course starts off on the right foot because it not only provides a detailed syllabus of what the course will entail but an introduction depicting the goals and expectations of the class.  Dr. Piskurich explains that it is essential that the subject-area instructor plan for any course by creating a well-organized syllabus that outlines the course (Laureate Education, 2012)
The Psychology course also offers a variety of media and resources distance learners can access to enhance their educational experience. The course offers a video of lectures conducted by the professor, which allows students to simulate a traditional classroom experience.  The course also provides students with visuals in form of a PowerPoint for each section of the class syllabus. Simonson explains that, “ a visual breaks down a complex idea into its components can show relationships that might otherwise be confusing to students (Simonson et al, 2012).”  The visuals are very effective because they fit the “rules of thumb” described by Simonson et al.   For example, the PowerPoint presentations include large font, small quantity of text per line and visuals, use a combination of upper and lower case to facilitate reading, and use plenty of white space to allow for easy reading.  The instructor also offers a link to connect to course readings, that are easily available to all distance learners.
Even though the course is well organized and offered by a prestigious college professor, it lacks interaction. The course was well organized and seems that planning with a story board and site map did take place to organize the content. Dr. Piskurich explains that proper organization must be practiced so that that the learner can not only follow an organized pattern in the content, but also easily navigate through the site. Both of these can be accomplished with the use of a story board and a site map (Laureate Education, 2012).  The course very much replicates a traditional classroom experience, but lacks the discussion and interaction that would take place in a classroom. Discussion assignments and group assignment would enhance the motivation and learning for students.
In summary, this open course would be an excellent resource for anyone interested in learning a new topic for the sake of enhancing their knowledge but not the best source for students who are first time distance learners.  I believe that online learning must have an engaging factor to truly hold the attention of their learners and allow them to fully explore the content.

Resources
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Developing Online Courses. Baltimore, MD: Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). Planning and Designing Online Courses. Baltimore, MD: Author