Six Elements for Developing Quality Online Learning

The pandemic forced educators and trainers to shift rapidly to online learning—while many raced to deploy online learning, WIDS supported educators and trainers by researching a critical question:

What does it mean to provide a quality online learning experience?

Defining Curriculum Quality

Our analysis of current best practices and recognized standards for online learning identified six critical curriculum elements that form the basis for quality online learning:

1. Learning Outcomes
   • are measurable
   • are transparent
   • and drive content
2. Syllabi
   • detail course competencies
   • detail external standards and related outcomes, where applicable
   • detail interaction requirements for instructors and participants, where applicable
3. Learning and Teaching Plans
   • are aligned to the competencies
   • tell learners what they must do to demonstrate competency
   • provide opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including regular feedback
4. Performance Assessment Tasks
   • can be accomplished online or with available resources
   • are aligned to key learning outcomes
   • are provided to learners in advance of the assessment to prepare and guide them
5. Course Set-up in Learning Management System (LMS)
   • LMS activity structure displays or provides a link to each WIDS Learning Plan report
   • LMS activity tools (discussion forum, wiki tools, integrated media) are set up to follow the WIDS Learning Plan structure
   • LMS activity or assessment structure displays or provides a link to each WIDS Performance Assessment Task report
6. Course Maintenance in LMS
   • LMS course is reviewed periodically to ensure the content is current
   • LMS course uses multiple methods and course of input for assessing its effectiveness
   • LMS course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle based on data analysis

Supporting Best Practices

Our in-depth review found that the WIDS performance-based learning framework directly supports current best practices for creating quality online learning.  

Moreover, our analysis confirmed that WIDS software supports the seamless development of the recommended curriculum components of a quality online learning experience. The performance-based learning platform allows for sound curriculum development and easy generation of:

• course outcome summaries
• learning plans
• scoring guides
• rubrics
• syllabi

Applying Quality

Our research on quality in online learning was more than an academic exercise—we used the results to build a tool you can use to guide you through developing a quality online course: WIDS Online Design Quality Standards.

Further, we developed online courses to help educators and trainers apply the WIDS performance-based learning framework to online learning development. We invite you to participate in one or more of these informative courses.

Whether you use our research-based development tools, take one of our courses, or use our curriculum design software, WIDS offerings will help you build skills for developing high-quality online learning experiences for your learners.

WIDS (Worldwide Instructional Design System) is a nonprofit organization that provides curriculum design software, consulting, and training services.  Download the free WIDS Online Design Quality Standards.