Macquarie University
Online education: The foundations of online teaching

Give your career the gift of Coursera Plus with $160 off, billed annually. Save today.

Macquarie University

Online education: The foundations of online teaching

A/Professor Iain Hay
Billy Bruce
Jada Bennett

Instructors: A/Professor Iain Hay

13,166 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(239 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
Approx. 20 hours
Learn at your own pace
99%
Most learners liked this course
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

(239 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
Approx. 20 hours
Learn at your own pace
99%
Most learners liked this course

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

10 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Online Learning Design for Educators Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 5 modules in this course

Welcome to Week 1! This week we will discuss and review the evolution of online course design. Advancements in technology have fundamentally changed the way learners can study. Students and learners can now choose from a range of course model types and most current course models have an online learning component. It is expected that online learning will continue to grow in popularity as more and more students gain access to the internet throughout the world.

What's included

5 videos9 readings2 assignments2 discussion prompts

Welcome to Week 2! This week you will explore the key concept of transactional distance, a phrase coined by Michael Moore in 1998. Being physically distant from your students presents a number of challenges but building on online presence can reduce some of these issues. We will also explore three key concepts related to Moore’s early work developed by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000), and built into their Critical Community of Inquiry Model. The concepts are 1) teacher presence, 2) social presence and 3) cognitive presence. These three concepts inform teacher behaviours and learning design characteristics that are crucial to the successful delivery and online learning experience of students.

What's included

4 videos6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

Welcome to Week 3! This week we will examine the concept of cognitive load. As educators, we need to be mindful that cognitive load pressures can adversely affect our student's ability to learn. So, this week we will explore some practical tips and techniques to prevent cognitive overload. We will also discuss the importance of creating a supportive, inclusive and welcoming online learning environment and will show you some practical tips and techniques to set up your online course where your students can thrive.

What's included

4 videos6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

Welcome to Week 4! This week we will define the term 'learning community', then learn how to create a learning community using online discussion forums. Research tells us that meaningful, inclusive and supportive learning communities help students feel a sense of belonging. This sense of belonging can support deep learning and as a result improve student performance. As you will learn this week, discussion forums are popular tools that online educators can use to build learning effective learning communities of their very own.

What's included

5 videos6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

Welcome to Week 5! This week we look forward and explore the question, what will happen next in online education? We will investigate emerging technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, and discuss their potential impact on the online education sector. We will finish this course discussing the importance for every online educator to continuously upskill and improve their skills in online teaching. We will give you some practical tips and help you to create your own future online teaching professional development action plan.

What's included

4 videos6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt

Instructors

Instructor ratings
4.6 (83 ratings)
A/Professor Iain Hay
Macquarie University
8 Courses144,801 learners
Billy Bruce
Macquarie University
3 Courses20,192 learners

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Education

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

Showing 3 of 239

4.7

239 reviews

  • 5 stars

    80.33%

  • 4 stars

    14.64%

  • 3 stars

    2.92%

  • 2 stars

    1.25%

  • 1 star

    0.83%

AP
5

Reviewed on Oct 27, 2021

CR
5

Reviewed on May 17, 2023

TP
5

Reviewed on Aug 23, 2023

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions