Creating effective online educational content: an evaluation study of the influences affecting course developers’ abilities to create online content with engaging learning strategies

2018-08-14As the role of online learning in graduate education continues to expand, course developers must have the resources needed to create engaging instructional content. Course content that leverages effective learning strategies is more likely to successfully engage online students so they complete all online coursework. Student engagement not only plays an important role in educating students, but is also a factor in student retention numbers. Organizations that hire course developers must train them so they possess the skills needed to design learning for future generations. In this study, course developers from a large educational technology firm participated in surveys and one-on-one interviews regarding their experience with developing online courses. The Clark and Estes (2008) framework was used to categorize the findings by knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that affect course developers’ abilities to produce engaging learning content. The study’s findings reveal that course developers instinctually have some sense of how to engage online learners, but they lack the confidence to use that understanding in guiding the faculty with whom they work. The study also found that course developers need training resources, student data, and organizational support to create effective online courses