Content that Clicks: Building Modules that Minimize Frustration and Maximize Learning

Today's UM3D podcast episode is perfect for anyone looking to improve student engagement and enhance their learning experience in online learning environments. We'll be exploring five key areas that can transform how you present content to your students and enhance their learning experience. Aligning content with learning objectives using consistent module structure, chunking content, creating multimedia, and promoting accessibility.

Host Lavonnie Perry Claybon explores effective course design strategies with Instructional Designer Trish Lange. Key takeaways include using backward design to align content with learning objectives, implementing consistent module structures through the UM3D M50 course design template, and "chunking" content to reduce cognitive load. Trish discusses how proper multimedia integration enhances student engagement, recommending short, captioned videos with embedded analytics. The conversation emphasizes accessibility features like Canvas's Accessibility Checker, with Trish's primary recommendation being the creation of clear module overviews and to-do lists to improve student navigation and learning outcomes.

Resources

• UM3D Course Design Page: UM3D Course Design

• M50 Course Planning Sheet: https://www.memphis.edu/um3d/pdfs/course_planning_sheet_2022.docx

• Gold Standard Checklist: https://www.memphis.edu/um3d/pdfs/goldhandout2023.pdf

• Cognitive Load Theory: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/cognitive-load-theory-definition-teachers/

• YouTube Canvas Studio: Canvas Studio Tutorials