Developing an Online Curriculum: Technologies and Techniques, by Lynnette R. Porter (Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Publishing, 2004, 340 pages, $59.95).
This book is a “must read” for online instructors, online course designers, and administrators. Online instructors appear to be its primary audience, and Porter is deliberate in detailing technologies and techniques for developing an online curriculum. She also provides important information for administrators and course designers. Lynette R. Porter has experience as a writer and teacher at several universities in the United States, and has an MA in English and technical writing, and a PhD in English, with specializations in rhetoric, composition, and technical communication. Though limited in the amount of cited research, her current career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and expertise in online education allow her to provide a great deal of advice and examples for the reader.
One of the review authors taught her first online course after reading this book and found it to be an excellent resource. One of the book’s strengths is its concise and straightforward structure. It is divided into three main parts: Part One relates to designing an online curriculum, Part Two deals with developing the curriculum, and maintaining the curriculum is the focus of Part Three. Each part is further divided by three chapters.
As a nonnative English speaker, one of the reviewers appreciated the author’s use of common English language, making the book easy to comprehend. The author also demonstrated the global nature of online learning by consistently considering international students when describing the design of discussion topics or the arrangement of chat sessions during the development of online curriculum.
Two areas mentioned by Porter are indeed important, but not so easily achieved. The author stressed the importance of institutions that offer online courses and/or programs to also provide 24/7/365 technical support networks. While such support is indeed important, it is also quite a challenge, and we are not so certain that “anytime technical support” will happen in the near future. Porter also suggests that online instructors learn from other online instructors by visiting their online courses and provides a comprehensive list to use when reviewing other online faculty members’ course sites. While this is an excellent suggestion, online course sites are becoming predominantly password protected and tied in with the university’s registration systems, making it more and more difficult to view others’ online courses.
Porter starts her book with a chapter examining the definitions and descriptions of important topics related to online education. In Chapter One, Porter briefly describes the different types of online courses, pedagogical approaches to online instruction, and the benefits of online education. Porter ends the chapter by analyzing the various tasks online teachers should consider before developing an online curriculum. Focusing on creating an online curriculum, Porter offers practical tips in Chapter Two. Chapter Three extends the topic by advising online teachers about how to update and develop course materials. Specific scenarios are provided to illustrate the gathering of new materials with possible items: essays, movie clips, and prize-winning photos, etc. Porter advises instructors to “keep the descriptions for all activities and assignments permanent on course websites” (p. 90)—consistent with one of reviewers’ research findings that such action can reduce the anxiety and frustration of online learners (Yang & Cornelious, 2004).
Once created, the online curriculum must be applied. Effective use of various online tools such as chat rooms, bulletin boards, whiteboards, e-mail, and online grade books are discussed in Chapter Four. Porter also raises related issues, offering possible solutions that are useful and to-the-point in this chapter. While implementing the curriculum, Porter suggests many tasks that online instructors must fulfill. Some of the tasks include: daily and weekly communication with students, keeping online office hours, preparing lectures and discussion topics, assisting students with assignments, evaluating students’ work, and keeping up-to-date about the research, practices, news, and technologies in the course content. However, teaching online may take more time in preparation and delivering than teaching face-to-face (Hislop, 2001). Thus, in Chapter Five, Porter identifies some time management skills and little time saving “tricks” for online instructors.
Although Chapter Six is titled as “The Aesthetics of Teaching,” it mainly covers the topic of online learning communities. Porter starts by describing how to create a positive learning environment that isn’t time- or place-dependent. She then explains other dimensions of online learning communities: their importance, equalities, issues and problems that may arise, and methods to address them. Porter concludes with a discussion of academic integrity; although it is difficult to prevent online plagiarism (Heberling, 2002), online teachers can use plagiarism software and build a unit about ethics into their courses. Despite this chapter, one shortcoming of the book is its lack of depth in developing and sustaining online learning communities. Building an effective online learning community has been a hot topic in online education research, and it should be the primary task of an online teacher. Porter’s discussion of this topic was superficial, without enough attention to the methods that may be employed to solve learning community problems that may arise.
Maintaining an online curriculum should be equally as important as applying it. From Chapter Seven to Nine, Porter describes how to maintain an online curriculum from both administrators’ and online instructors’ perspectives. Chapter Seven describes the internal and external support networks that need to be developed by administrators and teachers. Chapter Eight outlines steps for administrators to manage online programs based on five principles:
Recognize that the ways course or programs may be created can differ, but the resulting “product” should be equally high quality.
Value on-site and online faculty equally.
Avoid playing on-site classes against online classes.
Create equally credible online and on-site courses and degree programs.
Set up a dialogue between on-site and online faculty—if they are different groups of faculty. ( p. 257)
Porter also suggests faculty issues an administrator must confront and offers tips on how to develop operating policies and procedures. The book’s final chapter addresses the responsibilities of teachers and administrators when planning for future online courses and programs. According to Porter, administrators should be responsible for the credibility and marketing of their online programs, planning strategically for online curriculum, using shared learning objects for their courses and programs, and creating a safe learning environment.
Porter concludes the book by stating that “Teachers, course designers, IT specialists, human factor experts, and administrators have important roles in the success of online education, and their roles should expand as online education becomes a more complex academic and business endeavor” (p. 304). It is true that only when each player takes an active role in developing and maintaining an online curriculum, can quality online education be ensured for learners.
Overall, Porter’s book does an excellent job of describing the principles and practical techniques related to online program and course development. It is comprehensive, easy to read, principle based, and serves as a practical and beneficial guidebook for online teachers of all disciplines.
