We hope you all enjoyed a restful Spring Break last week. As we look towards the end of the Spring semester, think about your Special Programs needs for the Summer semester.
In this issue, we review a new tool that will be added to your Special Programs courses that will make it easier to find support. You'll also find information about New Quizzes, the new quizzing engine coming to Webcourses@UCF. To wrap up this issue, we'll dive into a strong model for designing and developing effective content in your Special Programs courses.
Have a Special Programs request, update, or issue? Let us know!
In the coming weeks, you'll notice a new tool in the course navigation menu of your Special Programs courses called "Special Programs Support." This tool will be available in all new and existing Special Programs courses as a convenient in-course resource. From this tool, you can submit requests for new courses, changes to existing courses, or technical support. You'll also find a link to all Special Programs documentation on the CDL website and archives to past issues of The Special.
Preview of the Special Programs Support tool in Webcourses@UCF
New Quizzes
As you may have heard, a new quizzing engine called New Quizzes is coming to Webcourses@UCF. As we prepare for the transition from our existing quizzing tool, we want to keep our faculty informed to ensure a seamless experience. If you would like to try New Quizzes in your Special Programs course, please send an email to iDev@ucf.edu with the subject line "New Quizzes."
In the last issue of The Special, we introduced the Kirkpatrick Model, a four-step model designed to determine your course's effectiveness. Did you apply the model to your Special Programs course? Are there areas you found in need of improvement? In this issue, we're focusing on the steps you can take to design and develop effective course content.
If you're familiar with instructional design, you may have heard of the ADDIE model. The ADDIE model stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The Kirkpatrick Model we covered in the last issue would fall under the Evaluation step of ADDIE. Today, we're going to focus on the first D: Design.
Whether you're designing a new Special Programs course or redesigning an existing one, ask yourself the following questions:
What do I want learners to know at the end of my course?
How much time do I want learners to spend in my course?
These two questions will help you decide how to structure the content within your course and ensure that your learners achieve your course's learning outcomes.
For the Design stage of ADDIE, it can be helpful to build a storyboard or blueprint of your course. This doesn't need to be a complicated exercise. Start with an outline of each module and identify topics the module will cover; readings, multimedia, or resources the module will include; and assignments the learner will be asked to complete. The goal of this process is to develop a course outline that will serve as a guide to support the development of the course. A blueprint or storyboard can help you visualize the entire course and prepare you to build your course out in Webcourses@UCF.
While the Design stage of the ADDIE model can be a lengthy one, the result will serve to help you develop effective course content for your Special Programs course.
