When school or district administrators ask me how to select the right digital courses to meet their students’ needs, I like to start with a comparison. In this case, I compare buying digital courses to buying a car because, with both, it’s critical to make a list of features that must be included, or the non-negotiables.
For a car, the list should include safety features like airbags. For digital courses, a must-have includes alignment with your state standards. Then, you must think about features that you’re willing to compromise.
For a car, this list might include good gas mileage. For digital courses, this could include having a variety of elective courses.
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Lastly, there are the nice-to-haves—the features that aren’t necessary but are a bonus. For a car, this could include a rear seat entertainment system. For digital courses, this includes features like gamification.
With a plethora of digital curriculum options in the marketplace, it’s imperative to develop these lists, so you know your priorities and stick to them. First, ask yourself what challenges you are trying to solve. Once you know your purpose for digital courses, it’s time to create a list of the features that matter the most to reach that goal.
To help, I’ve outlined some digital course must-haves and other considerations if your goal is centered on increasing student learning outcomes.
Top must-have: Standards alignment
The first feature all digital courses must have is alignment with the standards. Lessons in quality online courses begin with the end in mind, are outcome-driven and are closely aligned to academic standards. When digital courses and assessments are aligned with standards, they ensure students and educators are accountable for achieving the learning goals.
“Understanding by Design,” an award-winning book and theory by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, focuses on the benefits of backward planning. By starting with the end in mind, curriculum developers can design the path students must take to achieve those goals in an intentional and deliberate manner.
Digital courses designed with the audience in mind
One of the most critical components of a rigorous digital curriculum is that it’s developed with an understanding of how students and teachers will interact with it, especially knowing that each student learns differently. For example, Advanced Placement students often prefer to read than watch a video because they want the information quickly.
In contrast, elementary math students tend to thrive with short, engaging videos. This shows that the curriculum should never be a one-size-fits-all model.
Effective digital courses will answer these questions about your families and staff:
- What kind of learning environment do your students have?
- What kind of support do your students have at home? Will they need someone to help guide them?
- What are your families’ demographic backgrounds and how should those be considered?
- What are your students’ reading levels?
- Is this course for elementary, middle or high school students?
- How can the curriculum support your instructional teams to maximize student learning?
Additionally, high-quality digital courses should be created with the intent that teachers are meant to guide students through the lessons. Whether instructing through live lessons or in one-on-one scenarios with students, teachers can take student achievement to the next level while getting them excited and passionate about what they’re learning.
Accessibility for all learners
Comprehensive digital courses should be accessible to all learners, regardless of their ability. For the online learning community, web accessibility must be a priority to ensure all students have equal access to information and functionality.
For digital courses to be successful, they need built-in accessibility features for students using assistive devices, such as screen readers. Examples of these features include:
- Closed captioning in videos
- Audio descriptions
- Image alt text
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Proper use of colors/proper color contrast
- Links with descriptive names
- Resizable text
Digital curriculum should be continuously refined
One of the biggest benefits of a digital curriculum is that it is easily adjustable if needed. Reliable and comprehensive digital courses should have a continuous improvement model that allows curriculum developers to refine and maintain them with key insights from students, families, and teachers. As students and teachers begin to interact with courses, curriculum providers should ask them for feedback.
These are just a few digital course features that must be at the top of the list if you want to drive high student learning outcomes. Other items to consider include your instructional model, the reading level of course materials, quizzes and tests, and supplemental materials for teachers.
The top takeaway: focus on your goals and prioritize your lists of must-haves, should-haves, and nice-to-haves to ensure your digital courses are meeting the needs of your students, families, and staff.
