10 Tips for Applying Editing Standards to the Quality Assurance Process of Online Courseware

This presentation will provide the top 10 tips and techniques for editing the content of online courseware. Example processes and techniques will be shared, as well as approaches and strategies for editing online course materials. Emerging areas such as "language editing" for non-native speakers of English and editing throughout the instructional systems design process will be addressed. The goal of this informational session is to provide a practical discussion and demonstration of editing techniques based on experience working as a editor for a virtual k-12 school. As K-12 virtual schools expand, more and more information technology innovations are being developed. To ensure the quality of the content delivered with these new innovations, strategies need to be developed to edit the course content throughout the lifecycle methodology process. As each step of the process gets more and more integrated into the platform of the learning management system, it becomes more difficult and costly to make editing corrections. Ensuring that the editing process starts from the beginning and maintains a level of oversight throughout the lifecycle, courseware can be delivered with reduced errors and reduced cost for fixing errors. Quality assurance often focuses on the nuts and bolts of information technology - ensuring screens behave in the way they are supposed to. However, the course content and various visual cues also need to be in synch for the student to have a satisfactory experience in an online class. Frustration from broken links, non-working multimedia gimmicks, and good old fashioned typos can really paint a picture of a school in the student's mind that is less than flattering. Virtual schools need to put a premium on the importance of editing all the content within the online courses so that there is nothing to detract from the student services provided. Implementing some simple strategies for assuring quality in the online courses can make the difference between building and upholding a highly regarded reputation verses losing credibility over courses riddled with mistakes. A literature review of research will be included to address cross disciplinary topics from human factors, learning theory, education, information technology, English, and communications. The research will provide background on various factors that increase the satisfaction of the student experience online. From the base of research, the presentation will address practical tips and techniques and real world experiences from the perspective of the editor. Editing techniques will include the following: 1. Partnering with subject matter experts (SMEs) - collaboration is key 2. Benefits and pitfalls of using a wiki for collaboration 3. Levels of editing - building in quality from the beginning and throughout the process 4. Video editing - reviewing videos with various browsers and settings 5. Navigation editing - broken links equals student dissatisfaction - finding a way out 6. Voice and tense - standards vs. personal preference 7. White space and typographical considerations 8. Standards and templates - the importance of reusable formats 9. Freedom - the ability to be creative and code outside the standards and templates 10. Time is of the essence - strategies for working with the editor and meeting deadlines as lifecycle development processes continue to get faster from inception through completion Continuous improvement will also be addressed. Once a course is delivered, virtual schools need to set up processes to capture suggested changes/errors as they are identified. Possible processes for tracking these changes will be discussed. What does the future hold? As simulations and gaming are becoming more prominent in online education, additional quality assurance and editing processes will need to be developed. As information technology development becomes more rapid, so must the quality assurance processes within it. The presentation will also address questions for the current and future state of content development and how to integrate the editing process into the quality gates. This presentation will provide the top 10 tips and techniques for editing the content of online courseware. Example processes and techniques will be shared, as well as approaches and strategies for editing online course materials. Emerging areas such as "language editing" for non-native speakers of English and editing throughout the instructional systems design process will be addressed.