Meeting essential standards in online courses
Quick Resources
Read below to learn about the purpose, process, and principles behind this project.
PURPOSE
Concise resources for college faculty to meet essential standards
These resources equip faculty with targeted tools and training to boost motivation and ensure their online courses meet essential quality standards.
PROCESS
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
A concerning discrepancy between in-person and online course completion rates was identified at the client college. In 2022, overall in-person course completion rates averaged around 72% annually. In comparison, average online course completion rates were around 62% annually. In response, the Kentucky Community & Technical College System Board of Regents issued a mandate that all online courses at all 16 system colleges shall meet a minimum of 21 essential standards for online course quality. These 21 standards are referred to as the “KCTCS Essential Standards,” or KES.
While faculty are highly knowledgeable in their fields of study, they often lack knowledge or skills related to andragogical practices and course design for online teaching. Thus, the Board of Regents also called for training to be delivered by each college to all full-time and part-time faculty. Faculty receive one hour of live training on meeting the essential standards. Afterward, faculty must work independently to adapt their online courses to meet the essential standards within a short timeframe.
I identified a training gap based on the lack of concise, easily referenced, practical, and actionable resources to reinforce the training they received. Supplemental resources consisted mainly of lengthy video recordings of live virtual trainings, and they are dispersed across various repositories rather than in one place. I wanted to create training that could be quickly accessed and easily utilized as faculty work to revise their courses to meet the essential standards.
OVERALL PROCESS
This project represents the classic “we need it yesterday” problem. Whereas other instructional design work on this site showcases the full ADDIE process that lends itself to creating strong instruction, this one does not involve much analysis or evaluation.
In order to get these resources into the hands of faculty who needed them immediately, I followed a simplified Successive Approximation Model (SAM), adapted for a solo designer working under tight time constraints. With no formal analysis phase, the process began with problem identification, after which I moved directly into design and development without extensive research or data collection. Instead of structured evaluation, the project relied on self-assessment and intuitive iteration, making adjustments on the fly based on my own expertise and informal feedback. Since there was no formal review process, the final products were completed quickly with minimal revision cycles. In this case, efficiency was prioritized over extensive refinement. This streamlined, one-person approach aligns with agile instructional design, making it ideal for fast-paced projects where speed and practicality take precedence over traditional evaluation and validation.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
The training format is downloadable and printable PDFs. This provides faculty with options for easy access. Each resource addresses one of the 21 standards and contains three components:
- a motivating section to explain how the standard can improve outcomes for students
- an instructional section that explains the standard
- guidance on actionable ways that faculty can meet the standard in their courses
The documents incorporate graphic design elements to help the learner focus on the most important information and reduce cognitive load. These design strategies include:
- using visual hierarchy, white space, and chunking to structure content clearly
- consistent typography and high-contrast colors improve readability
- the use of icons and relevant graphics reinforce meaning without adding unnecessary distractions
- grid-based layouts (where appropriate) and alignment to keep content organized, ensuring a smooth flow of information.
PRINCIPLES
My work is always grounded by well-established adult learning theories, educational neuroscience principles, and relevant instructional design approaches. The scholarship and science guiding the development of the quick resources for meeting online course quality standards are discussed below.
KNOWLES’ ADULT LEARNING THEORY (ANDRAGOGY)
Knowles’ theory of andragogy emphasizes that adult learners are self-directed, goal-oriented, and need learning to be relevant to their professional roles. These resources align with andragogical principles by providing just-in-time, highly practical content that faculty can immediately apply. The materials are designed to be self-contained, allowing faculty to reference specific standards as needed rather than engaging in lengthy training sessions. By focusing on how each standard improves student outcomes, the resources also reinforce intrinsic motivation.
COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY
Cognitive Load Theory states that instructional materials should minimize extraneous cognitive load while optimizing germane cognitive load for learning. The resources implement this principle through graphic design strategies such as clear visual hierarchy, chunking of information, and consistent typography. High-contrast colors and the use of icons help faculty quickly locate and process essential information without being overwhelmed. These strategies ensure that faculty can efficiently absorb key concepts and apply them to their courses with minimal cognitive strain.
SITUATED LEARNING THEORY
Situated Learning Theory suggests that learning is most effective when it takes place within the context of its application. By designing resources that faculty can reference while actively revising their courses, this project embeds learning within real-world practice. Faculty engage with the materials as they make course adjustments, applying knowledge in an authentic context. This approach aligns with the concept of learning as participation, where faculty integrate new instructional strategies into their existing teaching workflows.
MINIMALIST INSTRUCTION
Carroll’s Minimalist Instruction Theory suggests that training should focus on immediate, actionable tasks rather than extensive theoretical explanations. The quick reference resources exemplify this approach by presenting information in a streamlined, goal-oriented format. Each resource includes three components: a motivational explanation of why the standard matters, a clear instructional section defining the standard, and actionable guidance on how to meet it. This structure ensures that faculty can quickly extract and apply the necessary information without unnecessary complexity.
DUAL-CODING THEORY
Dual-Coding Theory proposes that information is better retained when presented in both visual and verbal formats. The resources leverage this principle by incorporating relevant graphics, icons, and structured text to reinforce understanding. This dual representation enhances comprehension and memory retention, allowing faculty to process the material more efficiently.
RETRIEVAL PRACTICE AND SPACED LEARNING
Educational neuroscience research highlights the importance of retrieval practice and spaced learning in reinforcing retention. By designing the resources as reference materials, faculty naturally engage in spaced learning by returning to them as needed. The structure of the materials encourages retrieval practice, as faculty must recall and apply the information multiple times when revising their courses.
AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND MOTIVATION
Motivation plays a crucial role in adult learning. The resources incorporate an initial motivational section for each standard, emphasizing how its implementation benefits students. This approach taps into affective neuroscience principles, which suggest that learning is more effective when tied to emotional engagement and real-world impact. By demonstrating the direct benefits for student success, the resources increase faculty motivation to adopt best practices.
Notes on improvements
These resources will be revised to improve accessibility by providing alt text to images.