The design category encompasses the art and science of crafting effective online learning experiences. Faculty participants develop proficiency in designing engaging, accessible, and well-structured courses and materials. They also learn to align learning objectives, assessments, and activities to create meaningful and impactful learning opportunities for students.
Canvas course navigation
These recommendations for the Course Navigation Menu are based on a review of User Experience (UX) studies and experiences of Missouri Online faculty and instructional designers.
Course description, prerequisite, and credit hour information
Incorporating the official course description from a university's catalog into the syllabus is a critical element that enhances the learning experience and aligns with the Higher Learning Commission's (HLC) standards.
Course structure
How you structure your course can help you make decisions about content. This page includes guides to help you think about how you want your course to flow.
Crafting module-level objectives and assessments
The process of creating learning objectives at the module level in a course and aligning them with assessments clarifies student learning expectations and ensures that assessments accurately reflect and support...
Creating a course schedule
Think of course schedules like interactive maps: They empower students to explore, plan, and organize the journey ahead dynamically.
Grading schemes
A grading scheme is a set of criteria that measures students’ levels of achievement in a course. In the Canvas course settings, there is a grading scheme feature that, when...
HyFlex best practices
HyFlex is an instructional teaching model that allows students to choose their mode of instruction based on their own needs.
Instructional modes
Missouri Online has a variety of course instructional modes- online, hybrid, and traditional- to meet the needs of students and faculty.
Module organization and due dates
Aspects that positively impact the effectiveness of online courses are module organization and regular activities with due dates. Carefully structured courses contribute to engaging and successful learning environments for students.
Objectives and alignment
When considering the learning process, there are subtle differences between goals and objectives. Being able to identify these differences can assist faculty in fine-tuning the overall roadmap of a course.
Pattern and rhythm in course activity deadlines
Implementing consistent patterns or rhythms in course structure can help students easily navigate and successfully interact with the content of an online course. One example of how patterns can be...
Setting online attendance and participation expectations
Through regular participation in online classes, students can develop connections with their classmates and the instructor and become more engaged, active, and ultimately successful in their learning. You can help...
Sprint at a glance: Presentations perfected
Missouri Online’s self-paced mini-course will help you review best practices and create a new (or modified) presentation that is engaging and effectively communicates information.
Sprint at a glance: Typography
Good typography isn't just about choosing an attractive font. It's a fundamental element of design that affects how information is presented and perceived.
Start dates, deadlines and staggered deadlines
To ensure success in online courses, knowing the specific start dates and deadlines for course work and assignments plays a pivotal role in keeping students on track.
The syllabus
A syllabus is often the first document students see. It plays a significant role throughout the course, serving as a roadmap and communication tool that guides the entire course and contributes...
Crafting measurable course learning outcomes
Designing online courses requires a methodical approach to ensure that learning outcomes and goals are effectively met. The term “learning outcome” refers to the specific, measurable knowledge or skills that...
Best practices for using Canvas
Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) that supports digital online learning for both online and in-seat classes. A Canvas site can serve as a virtual classroom, allowing students to...
The history and rise of online learning
The University of Missouri System has a rich history of pioneering distance and online education.