Capstone Reflections – Designing an Online Course

EDUO - 605

Submitted by

Dr. Houston M. Logsdon II, Ed.D.

A Capstone Reflection Essay Presented in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Graduate Certificate

Online Teaching and Learning

Indiana Wesleyan University – National & Global

Marion, IN

October 23, 2021

Statement of Dedication and Thank You

This capstone reflection paper is dedicated to Dr. Theresa Henderson.  You are one of the kindest, most caring, encouraging Christian women I have ever known.  Over the last year, you have taught me so much about what it means to “stay close to Jesus!”  He knows there were times during this last year when I needed to “stay close to Him” to get through the day.  You’ve encouraged me when I needed encouragement, provided clarity when I didn’t understand this ever-changing world of education and challenged me to fulfill my God-given purpose and be who God has called me to be and press on.  You lead with a servant’s heart, and your service and dedication to the students you have served at IWU National & Global have not gone unnoticed and are appreciated. 

  Capstone Reflections – Designing an Online Course

            1st Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (NIV).  As this course, EDUO – 605, and my time in the Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning come to a close, this verse, in part, reflects my thoughts about the process of designing an online course.  Though a letter grade will ultimately be assigned, academic credit will be given, and a document with the official seal of the university bearing the signatures of the University’s President, Registrar, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees will be issued.  Ultimately, I have completed numerous assignments, participated in weekly zoom meetings, and responded to classmates’ discussion posts, all for the glory of God.

            I have done so as a part of His purpose and calling upon my life.  Beyond learning new knowledge and interacting with fellow educational practitioners, I have gained a better understanding of myself and God’s purpose for my life.  He has and continues to stretch me in new ways beyond my imagination, molding and shaping me into whom He wants me to be.  I was and am created in His image and for His purpose to serve others.  

            As I complete this course and program, the verse that comes to mind is 1st Peter 4:11, which says, “Then everything you do will bring glory to the God through Jesus Christ” (NIV).  It has been my desire throughout this class and each class in this program to gain knowledge and wisdom to fulfill 1st Peter 4:11 in the field of education.  I am reminded of the words of the late great Jerry Franks, former Marion College/IWU professor and leader of Dimensions in Brass, who said, “Do not be Driven by Fame, rather be Driven by Excellence.”  With that “Drive for Excellence” in mind, I reflect on my experience designing an online course.

            Online education has dramatically changed, and new innovations and technology will continue to change the face of education for decades.  Just as the industrial revolution changed the way products were made, so will the advances in online education.  In its infancy, I am sure skeptics thought the internet and online education were just another fad or trend.  However, since the mid-’80s, online courses have made getting an education feasible and achievable for people worldwide.  In fact, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 32.6% of all U.S. postbaccalaureate students are exclusively in distance learning, and 19.7% are taking at least one online class.  According to a survey done by the Babson Survey Research Group and the College Board in 2013, more than 7.1 million students are taking at least one college course online.  Online education is rapidly cementing its position as a viable alternative to traditional classroom instruction and is currently the dominant form of distance learning.

Though I have taught courses online in one of my previous roles while serving as an enrollment recruiter and have taken online courses throughout various graduate-level programs, including this one, I have gained new knowledge and insight as to what goes into the multiple aspects of an online course, from how the content is developed to the numerous mechanisms involved in delivering the final product to the end user.  What good course design looks like, as well as I’ve learned about assessments and educational technology that can be used to enhance the online learning process. The reality is that it is more than just putting content in an electronic format and giving access to students as end users.  That content must be enriching, meaningful, and engaging.  Today’s students are what is called “digital natives,” meaning that they have grown up with technology in every aspect of their life, including their educational journey. 

As an instructor or facilitator, you can’t see whether the student is engaging in the content you have presented.  It is only through assessments that you can determine their retention level.  Even then, students who struggle with traditional paper-based tests will likely struggle with online assessments leaving you wondering if they really grasped the course material.  Even then, you must wonder whether they really retained it or used available resources via the internet while no one was watching to answer the questions on the assessment. 

I learned the importance of academic integrity in the world of online courses and advances in technology to determine whether a student intentionally or unintentionally plagiarized someone else’s intellectual property. 

Though the courses in this program have been intentionally and purposely designed as a primarily project-based program, I continue to learn that I am a much better reflective writer than an academic writer.  One consistent comment from my committee in the dissertation writing process was that I needed to use more “academic-sounding language.”  The weekly “Virtual Salt” assignments have given me an outlet to share my thoughts and ideas reflectively.  But, beyond sharing my thoughts, I have had the opportunity to respond to and reflect on posts by classmates as they share their spiritual thoughts and insights along their journeys.  By engaging in this exercise, I have not only had the opportunity to share with others engagingly, but I have grown both professionally and spiritually. 

The weekly discussion prompts in the “Virtual Salt” assignments have challenged me to examine my daily walk with the Lord.  God has used these examinations as a crucible to melt me and bring to the surface all my impurities so they can be removed from my daily walk with Him leaving behind a new and transformed individual that is pure and focused on fulfilling His purpose in my life. 

Interacting through discussion posts, peer reviews, and blog posts with my fellow educational practitioners has given me new insights into the education field and a classroom teacher's life.  As somewhat of an outsider, I gained a new appreciation for the classroom teacher who had their physical classroom upended due to a worldwide pandemic and had to shift to an online learning environment and technology they knew very little about.  Yet despite it all, I observed individuals who did what they do best: serve and love their students, providing them with the best education possible.

During each course throughout this program, I have been introduced to many new terminologies and resources that go into designing an online course.  As new technologies and resources were introduced each week, I found myself like a kid filled with excitement opening presents on Christmas morning.  I had no idea many of these things even existed, let alone that they were being used as a new approach to educating today’s students.  Many of these software applications and resources were foreign to me, but I found them to be an intriguing and integral part of engaging students in a meaningful way. These new pieces of knowledge and insight, along with a host of valuable resources, will benefit my growing toolbelt and help me better help students navigate the world of online education.   

I learned much throughout this course and the EDUO – 603 class with Dr. Bryant, more about curriculum and content and how it is developed.  This was particularly useful during the final and most recent course, where I had to create the curriculum and content for my online course.  As an end user, I have often taken for granted what exactly goes into the development of materials.  As I worked through developing my online course, the amount of time and effort I had to put into it was painfully obvious.  It was more than just putting words down on paper that I wanted to present.  I had first to decide what the subject of the course would be and what I hoped the end-user or student would gain from taking the course. Ultimately, I realized that what I saw as an end-user on the screen in front of me took many thoughtful and purposeful hours to accomplish.  

While today’s students are what is considered “digital natives,” I, on the other hand, am what is regarded as a “digital immigrant,” meaning that I came into the digital age not having grown up with the technologies that today’s students or “digital natives” have.  When I was a student at IWU in my undergraduate program, we didn’t even have access to the internet like we do today.  We used resources like physical books, encyclopedias for research, and card catalogs. We went to a physical location called a library to find subject matter for our research papers and projects.  I realize the previous statement makes me seem ancient, and likely I am, but it is my reality.

One of the most meaningful parts of the program, and although I had heard the term before, Podcasts became a new reality for me as I hosted and produced my own with one of my classmates.  Not only did this give me a chance to learn about this new form of communication, but I also learned about my classmate and her experiences working with technology in the field of education.  I enjoyed this process so much that I ended up using it for a final project in the course.  The experience was so meaningful that I am contemplating starting my own Podcast as an outlet to share my thoughts and ideas with others. 

The last year has truly been a transformational journey and one that continues to develop me as an aspiring educator and an individual who desires to fulfill God’s calling and purpose for my life.  1st Peter 4:11 says, “Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ” (NIV). This verse speaks to the calling and purpose that God has had for me along this journey that I have been on for the last year and continues to develop daily in my life.

As I conclude this reflection, I want to share this thought that I shared in my final blog post.  Ironically, I went to IWU in the Fall of 1989 to major in Music Education and teach Junior/High Band.  I quickly learned in the January Term of my first year that I did not have the patience to teach kids and didn’t even like kids.  Four years later, I graduated with a degree in Communications and Marketing.  My first job out of college was in the area of education, doing school assembly programs where you guessed it, I worked with kids daily. 

For the next twenty or so years, I worked in public education as a consultant, where I helped schools in ways that impacted their students.  Eight years ago, I transitioned into higher education, working with traditional and non-traditional-aged students, some of whom are pursuing degrees to teach and educate generations to come.  Don’t try and run away from God’s purpose for your life because He will find a way to fulfill it one way or another, sometimes dragging you and kicking you along the way.

The takeaway is that what I expected my life to be versus what I am experiencing is very different.  But God has taught me three important lessons:  1) Your plan may not be God’s purpose.  Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (NIV). 2) When you find your why you’ll find God’s purpose for your life.” Acts 13: 41 says, “Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.” (NIV). Lastly, 3) Purpose is found not in how many people serve you but in how many people you serve.  The biggest takeaway of all has been the fact that “when you discover your God-given purpose when you know why God has created you,  everything else starts to fall into place.”  My final reflection is my life verse, which is found in Acts 13:36 and says, "When David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep” (NIV).

Whether you are engaging with students through online education or in the traditional in-person classroom, you need to consider these five things about your learner to engage with them effectively.  First, recognize their educational goals for attending…why are they there?  Second, identify the obstacles or roadblocks they face along the way to achieving their educational goals.  Third, what is their motivation for attending…again why are they REALLY there?  Fourth, what types of things engage them…what do they spend their time doing outside the classroom?  Finally, what do they want their student experience to be like…what are their expectations. 

When developing an online course, these five things and likely countless others give you a solid foundation and a better understanding of your students, why they are there, and what they really care about.  How is this accomplished, you ask?  YOU ASK THEM.  Have genuine and authentic conversations with them.  Make it about THEM and not about the school or institution.  Effectively engaging with students means always putting STUDENTS FIRST!