Instructional Principles for an Online Unit

I have identified the following four instructional principles in Caplan's (2004) chapter on the development of online courses that I am planning to integrate in my online unit. The first principle calls for using scaffolding principles by creating challenging materials for students "to encourage cognitive 'stretch'" (Caplan, 2004, p. 182). In my online unit, students will be challenged by technology-enhanced activities, where they will need to learn, for example, how to develop a website using WordPress, how to edit images in Picnik, and how to create an online presentation using VoiceThread. The integration of challenging activities will help students stay motivated throughout the unit.

The second principle that I will incorporate in my unit encourages the provision of prompt feedback (p. 180). My online unit will include a number of activities that presuppose not only feedback from the instructor, but also feedback from other students. The use of peer feedback will foster the development of an online community and help students reflect both on their own learning and on the learning of their peers.

The next principle that I have identified can be found on page 183: "Be creative in planning how to use technology to teach more effectively. To inform your planning, invest time and effort in gaining a basic understanding of how the technology works" (Caplan, 2004). I believe it is a very important principle, following which will help me create a better online unit and use specific technology not for the sake of technology, but because of its pedagogical applications.

Finally, the last principle suggests that instructors provide ample technical help for students enrolled in an online course (p. 185). By including detailed instructions and information on where students can find help if they run into technical problems, I will create a more favorable online learning environment for students and help them overcome technological obstacles that are oftentimes inevitable.