Where do I start?

In either case, the distance course you are developing will have already been through a formal University approval process (see Appendix III). As part of that process, you or one of your colleagues will have created a document that sets out at least the following for the paper:

• a prescription
  
• the learning aims and outcomes, including University (and specific professional) Graduate Attributes emphasised in the paper;
  
• a broad course outline;
  
• student workload expectations;
  
• assessment procedures – both formative and summative; and
  
• the form of internet-based learning, if any.
  

This document, usually available through your Department, is a good starting point for the development process. Ask your Course Coordinator, Departmental Manager, or Departmental/Divisional Teaching and Learning Committee chair for the Course Approval document for the paper you will be developing.

Being consistent

While you may be developing only one paper within a programme, remember that it is essential to develop that paper to be consistent with other papers in the programme, as much as possible. It is easier for the student if there is a consistent approach to the design and layout of materials, referencing style, assessment guidelines and procedures, and the technologies used. Also, it makes sense in terms of the goals of the whole programme.

All papers, together, contribute to the goals of the whole programme. They do not operate as completely separate and discrete entities.

Understand your students

Having a clear profile of your likely students is important to effective instructional development and design. Knowing your students helps you to plan instructional activities more effectively and to plan the most appropriate course and student administrative and support strategies.

The following is a general profile of distance students at the University. University of Otago distance students tend to:

• be older than the typical undergraduate student;
  
• typically be seeking professional development, a “second-chance”, a career change, or lifelong learning;
  
• have limited available time, usually because of work, family and community commitments;
  
• have full time jobs;
  
• have considerable prior learning or relevant experience; for some, it will have been a number of years since they last undertook formal study;
  
• be highly motivated;
  
• be more reliant on prompt and helpful feedback regarding their progress to stay motivated;
  
• feel isolated and/or not necessarily part of the wider University.
  

In addition, our 2018 Distance Learning Access to Learning Technology Survey revealed that students:

• will primarily use a laptop for study, although a large minority also use a desktop computer;
  
• favour laptops over other computer types, although mobile phone/smart phone use for study continues to increase;
  
• will have access to, and make use of, broadband practically universally;
  
• will commonly own and use mobile devices for Internet access (with 41% commonly making use of Ultra-Fast Broadband); and
  
• will most likely make use of their devices for study from home.

Colleagues who teach and/or administer distance courses in your area may be able to share their insights into the characteristics of their students. Their observations are likely to be closely aligned to the characteristics of your potential student group/s.

Understand your aims

Several resources help you in setting the aims for the paper you are developing. Graduate Profiles provide sets of attributes that will help in broad terms as you map out more specific learning outcomes and learning activities for your students.

The University has a set of attributes that are to be fostered in every University of Otago course. You will find this set of attributes here.

You may be offering your paper for a qualification that has a specific graduate profile. It will be very likely that there will already be a set of graduate attributes that have been tailored to suit your programme or course. An example is the Primary Health Care, Travel Medicine, and General Practice Graduate profiles which can be found here. Again, ask your Course Coordinator, Departmental Manager, or Departmental/Divisional Teaching and Learning Committee chair for information and direction about graduate attributes for your paper/s or course.

The Graduate Attributes, aims, and learning outcome statements provide a framework for course planning. The more specific learning outcomes for your paper will have been written during the formal course approval process, as noted earlier.

Together, the Graduate Attributes, the aims and intended learning outcomes will provide the best guidance of all as you plan and develop your course.

Achieving the aims for the course

Part of the work of course development is to plan activities and design materials to support student learning toward your course aims. In this Information and Support for Staff handbook you will not find details about that development process. However, as a precursor to the next few sections, note that providing course material and undertaking activities:

• will invariably involve the use of information and communication technologies (ICT);
  
• is likely to engage students in using a range of media;
  
• could be done independently, in pairs, groups, or involve the whole class;
  
• may be done intensely in real-time (synchronously) or asynchronously at a more reflective pace;
  
• could be led by a student or the lecturer; and
  
• may require discussion or document/artefact exchange.
  

A range of technologies and media types are available to help you achieve the aims for your course and your students.