Adelaide Online Learning Experience
Informed by Australian Department of Education and Training’s published report, Innovative Approaches for Enhancing the 21st Century Student Experience: Final Report (Coates, 2017), the Adelaide Online Learning Experience has been developed as a way to embed a student-centric perspective into the design, development and delivery of online courses.It sets clear expectations for students and staff involved and ensures a quality experience for University’s online programs.
A University of Adelaide online course is:
Clear
- Accessible and inclusive to all students.
- Easy to understand and navigate.
- Has defined goals and expectations.
- Utilises technology that doesn’t get in the way of learning.
- Explains the requirements for interactions.
Contextual
- Articulates each activity with purpose and intention.
- Contextualises learning in the real-world.
- Tests learning with appropriately timed, varied and suitable assessments.
- Delivers content that is contemporary and relevant.
Interactive
- Actively constructed learning where students learn by doing, not consuming.
- Provides feedback that can be implemented to improve learning.
- Promotes flexible communication between tutor and student.
- Has a vibrant exchange of ideas, opinions, perspectives, and experiences.
Challenging
- Promotes further learning and provides those opportunities.
- Creates new knowledge, skills and extends existing ones.
- Has support from a teacher that is present throughout the course.
Personalised
- Adds value to the student and is purposeful.
- Respects student time and commitment to study.
- Develops skills that are relevant to their professional practice.
Aligning the Experience
A key component of defining the online experience is to ensure that aligns to existing quality models and frameworks. The table below maps the Adelaide Online Experience with the Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standard (TELAS), Quality Matters (QM) and the TEQSA Higher Education Standards Framework (HESF).
| Domain | Expectation | TELAS Alignment | QM Alignment | HSEF Alignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear | accessible and inclusive to all students | 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 5.1 | 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 4.2, 5.3, 5.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3. 8.4, 8.5, 8.6 | 1.4.1, 1.4.2, 1.4.3, 1.4.4, 1.4.5, 2.2.1, 2.3.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4 |
| easy to understand and navigate (with sufficient instruction) | ||||
| has defined goals and expectations | ||||
| utilises technology that doesn’t get in the way of learning | ||||
| explains the requirements for interactions | ||||
| Contextual | articulates each activity with purpose and intention | 5.2, 5.3, 6.1, 7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 8.2 | 2.2, 2.4, 3.4, 4.4, 4.5 | 1.4.2, 1.4.4, 1.4.5, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.2.1, 3.3.1 |
| contextualises learning in the real-world | ||||
| tests learning with appropriately timed, varied and suitable assessments | ||||
| delivers content that is contemporary and relevant | ||||
| Interactive | learning is actively constructed, students learn by doing, not consuming | 1.4, 4.1, 4.3, 5.4, 5.5, 7.3 | 1.9, 3.3, 3.5, 4.1, 5.2, 6.2, 6.3 | 1.3.3, 1.4.2. 2.1.3, 3.2.1 |
| provides feedback that can be implemented to improve learning | ||||
| promotes flexible communication between tutor and student | ||||
| has a vibrant exchange of ideas, opinions, perspectives, and experiences | ||||
| Challenging | promotes further learning and provides those opportunities | 6.2,4,2 | 1.8, 3.1, 4.3, 5.1, 6.1 | 1.4.3, 1.4.4, 1.4.5. 3.1.3. 3.2.2, 3.2.5 |
| easy to understand and navigate (with sufficient instruction) | ||||
| creates new knowledge, skills and extends existing ones | ||||
| has support from a teacher that is present throughout the course | ||||
| Personalised | adds value to the student and is purposeful | 3.4, 3.5 | 1.6, 2.5, 6.4 | 1.3.3, 1.4.5. 2.1.3. 2.2.1, 2.3.2. 3.1.1. 3.1.2 |
| respects student time and commitment to study | ||||
| develops skills that are relevant to their professional practice |