The Online Educator: People and Pedagogy
Design engaging courses, make your teaching more inclusive, navigate online research ethics and shape your digital identity.
33,489 enrolled on this course
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
The Online Educator: People and Pedagogy
Enhance your online teaching with strategies from educational technology experts
As e-learning becomes ever-more widespread, online educators are being required to design learning experiences that engage and meet the needs of very diverse learners.
This course, developed by The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology, explores four myths: that learning design is about technology and content; that innovation and accessibility are incompatible; that researching online learning is an ethics-free zone, and that educators’ online identities are irrelevant.
Studying the course will help you enhance your practice through videos, quizzes and discussion with peers.
Syllabus
Week 1
Disruption and design
Myths, hype and reality in online education
The fast-changing online education landscape is buzzing with hype about 'disruptive innovation' that will radically transform teaching and learning. What's being claimed? Which innovations will last? How do we know?
Put people first!
Technology is often the main focus of discussions around online learning innovation. This can lead to learners' needs and preferences being overlooked. Using personas when designing learning can refocus attention onto people.
From people to pedagogy
Having defined multiple personas for a course, the next step is to consider which teaching approach will best meet the needs of the people represented by those personas, helping them to achieve their learning outcomes.
Week 2
Innovation and accessibility
Is online education inherently accessible to all?
Is online education more accessible than face-to-face education? What are the barriers to learning online? How might educators help to minimise those barriers? Share your own experiences and those of your fellow students.
Are innovation and accessibility compatible?
It's a common myth that making web content accessible also makes it dull. Is this true for online learning? Can online educators be both innovative and inclusive? And what's the role of innovation in achieving accessibility?
What's the value of accessibility guidelines?
Accessibility guidelines can help online educators adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all their learners, and especially disabled learners.
Week 3
Evidence and ethics
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How can I cut through the hype?
Online educators navigating the hype-filled world of educational technology need strategies to evaluate the claims being made about innovative tools and teaching methods before committing to using them.
I'm innovating... Is it working?
Educational innovation can feel precarious and won't always work out. A pedagogy that suits some learners or disciplines may not be appropriate for others. Evaluating your teaching is a vital part of being an online educator.
What ethical considerations are involved researching online education?
Researching online teaching and learning can pose ethics-related dilemmas that differ from those involved when researching in offline settings. A responsible online educator should navigate these dilemmas with care.
Week 4
Who am I online?
What’s the importance of online identity for educators?
Looking at the pros and cons of establishing an online identity and the role of the institution
Are you a visitor or a resident (and why does this matter)?
Using the visitors and residents framework to consider your own online identity
Online wellbeing
Online education has a lot to offer but it can make learners feel isolated and anxious. In this section, you'll look at issues associated with student wellbeing and some ways of addressing these.
*End of course quiz
Check what you’ve learned in this course by taking this end-of-course test.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Develop personas to inform the online learning design process
- Identify the ethics considerations involved in researching online teaching
- Apply accessibility guidelines to online teaching contexts
- Identify key accessibility issues related to online learning
- Reflect on your exisiting digital identity and plan for its future development
- Explore ways of shaping a digital identity as an online educator
- Discuss the relationship between technology, content, people and pedagogy in online courses.
Who is the course for?
This course is suitable for anyone involved in online education or training, including teachers, trainers, course designers and researchers. While it will help to have a current practice setting to draw on, this is not essential.
What software or tools do you need?
To take part in this course you need an internet connection. No specific software is required.
Who will you learn with?
Dr Leigh-Anne Perryman leads The Open University's Masters in Online Teaching programme. Her research explores the relationship between equity, social justice, online teaching and open pedagogies.
I am Professor of Educational Technology at the OU. My interests are in digital scholarship, open education, OER and MOOCs.
I'm a professor at The Open University, focused on educational futures, learning analytics, MOOCs, innovating pedagogy & online social learning.
Who developed the course?
The Open University
As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.
Established
1969Location
Milton Keynes, UKWorld ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020
Ways to learn | Buy this course | Subscribe & save | Limited access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
| Fulfill your current learning need | Develop skills to further your career | Sample the course materials | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 21 Feb 2025 |
| Access to 1,000+ courses | cross | tick | cross |
| Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 21 Feb 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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