Consistency is Key in Online Learning Programs

My son, who was (and still is) obsessed with cars once told me he wanted to be a parking attendant when he grew up. He simply couldn't think of something more fun than getting to drive a huge variety of cars - and to get paid for it.

Every car is different, but they all perform the same function: getting you from point A to point B. The reason parking attendants can do their job effectively is because, despite their differences, every car works in essentially the same way. But it in gear, step on the gas to go, the break to stop, and put it in "Park" to...well, park.

Now imagine that parking attendant's dismay if one day every car operated completely differently from the next. Pedals control one, knobs control another, whistling moderates the speed in this one, and that one is steered by drawing intricate patterns in sand with a stick held between your toes.

This is the challenge faced by many students in online school programs. Every teacher's course performs the same function: to help you learn a subject. But the manner in which they operate can be vastly different from the others. Due dates are posted to the learning management system calendar in one class, provided in a weekly PowePoint in another, and yet in another they are emailed to the students' parents. In one you need to post all questions to a common forum, in another you have to wait until that week's office hours to get answers, and in yet another, emailing the teacher is the way to go.

Can the students figure it out? Yes most will be able to. But what this disparate group of teachers has done is added an unnecessary cognitive load upon the students. Instead of focusing on mastering course material, a percentage of their attention and mental effort is going to figuring our how your course works.

The good news is that this challenge can be avoided. All it takes is collaboration between teachers to agree on consistency in the design and operation of their courses. This may be challenging for some teachers, who are accustomed to doing things their own way. But it will go a long way towards helping students focus on what is important, and improving their satisfaction with your online program.