As we move our teaching online, however, the challenges of delivering sound instructional content mount:

• How do we deliver information, engage learners, and encourage active learning?
• How do we do this asynchronously in a way that does not force us to become multi-media developers and invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in content creation?
• And, most importantly, how do we do this in way that is sustainable?

Designing the Experience
Arguably, teaching at a distance requires a more thoughtful design than traditional classroom teaching. Since we, the faculty, are not present to offer interpretive advice, the digital course content must provide a clear learning path, freeing the student to concentrate on concepts. Model-Driven Design provides a framework from which to approach the design process. As a discipline, it forces us to use a common language, a component-based course and content model, and known repeatable processes.

Babson’s work with Model-Driven Design has resulted in a language that supports two types of online presentations: topic overviews and pre-briefs.

• A topic overview is used to explain a concept and can include checkpoints where the user is tested for basic understanding.
• A pre-brief is used to present background information that the student must review prior to class. Both types of online presentations follow the same design and development steps.

Developing Online Presentations: The Six-Step Method
Developing a topic overview or pre-brief is a straightforward process that can be completed by an individual faculty member or with the assistance of an instructional designer and/or instructional technologist. The need for assistance will depend on the faculty member’s level of comfort with technology and the need for technical innovation.

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