{"id":102754,"date":"2020-10-22T11:46:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-22T08:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/"},"modified":"2020-10-22T11:46:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T08:46:35","slug":"4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/","title":{"rendered":"#4 Ways Online Course Materials Benefit Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a24068273611\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a24068273611\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/#1_Online_course_materials_are_usually_more_affordable\" >1. Online course materials are usually more affordable.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/#2_Online_course_materials_are_convenient_and_easy_to_use\" >2. Online course materials are convenient and easy to use.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/#3_Online_course_materials_are_engaging_and_interactive\" >3. Online course materials are engaging and interactive.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/4-ways-online-course-materials-benefit-students\/#4_Online_course_materials_can_be_tailored_to_meet_student_needs\" >4. Online course materials can be tailored to meet student needs.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#4 Ways Online Course Materials Benefit Students<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-inner\">\n<p class=\"opener\">At all levels of education, many instructors are implementing modern practices and innovative <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> into their lesson plans. In both the K-12 and higher education sectors, the rise of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jotform.com\/educational-technology\/\">educational technology<\/a> (often referred to as EdTech) has been impossible to miss.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, the need for digital tools has been more pressing and sudden than ever before. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and professors had to adapt to online learning with little advance notice. Now, online and hybrid classrooms are commonplace as <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> distancing recommendations continue.<\/p>\n<p>Even when typical in-person learning is possible, EdTech is still central to effective teaching and learning. Different EdTech tools can address the various challenges faced by educators each day.<\/p>\n<p>One such challenge is choosing a textbook. The historical textbook publishing industry created a market that is expensive and inflexible. But now, options for <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skyepack.com\/\">digital course materials<\/a> are new and useful alternatives to the traditional landscape of educational resources.<\/p>\n<p>Online course materials are beneficial to instructors, but they have many advantages that are specific to the needs of students, including:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Online course materials are usually more affordable.<\/li>\n<li>Online course materials are convenient and easy to use.<\/li>\n<li>Online course materials are engaging and interactive.<\/li>\n<li>Online course materials can be tailored to meet student needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>All of these benefits may convince you to break up with traditional textbooks in favor of online course materials\u2014your students will probably thank you!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header1.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-114446 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114446\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Online_course_materials_are_usually_more_affordable\"><\/span>1. Online course materials are usually more affordable.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that textbooks are <em>expensive. <\/em>Between 1977 and 2015, college textbook costs increased by an astounding <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leadwinds.com\/the-comprehensive-guide-to-college-textbook-trends\">1041%<\/a>. And since new editions are frequently released, these pricey books can quickly become outdated.<em> <\/em>Some communities may even need to hold fundraisers to combat the rising costs of materials. As<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/recharity.ca\/school-fundraising-ideas\/\"> Re:Charity discusses<\/a>, just coming up with ideas for school fundraisers is a massive undertaking for already busy parents and teachers, let alone executing the entire campaign.<\/p>\n<p>In response to this landscape, there\u2019s been a strong push for more affordable textbooks, especially in higher education. And corresponding with the popularization of EdTech, people are looking to online tools to solve the problem.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>ly, online course materials are any kind of instructional material that can be accessed from a computer or mobile device.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This broad definition encompasses a few major types of digital course materials at different price points, including:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>E-textbooks.\u00a0 <\/strong>E-textbooks are digitized versions of physical course materials, and they may include additional interactive elements like quizzes. But despite being digital, e-textbooks aren\u2019t usually much more affordable than traditional textbooks.<strong> <\/strong>Typically, these e-textbooks are still part of the traditional publishing landscape, and the price tags reflect that. The access codes for these are often nearly as expensive as the textbooks themselves!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Open educational resources (OERs). <\/strong>These educational materials are openly licensed to be freely used and modified by instructors and their students. An OER can be something as simple as an individual image or as extensive as an entire online course.\u00a0 However, since these materials are completely free (hence \u201copen\u201d), they can vary widely in quality. Cobbling together enough trustworthy OERs to align with your entire syllabus can be a time-consuming process. <\/li>\n<li><strong>Custom course materials. <\/strong>As <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skyepack.com\/post\/digital-course-materials\">this guide<\/a> to digital course materials discusses, some professors are opting for instructional design teams to curate a selection of peer-reviewed resources that meet their course objectives. Customized digital course materials can be provided to students at a much lower price point than traditional textbooks but with more confidence than an OER.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In order to choose course materials that are a good fit for your school, you\u2019ll need to consider factors like availability, price, and trustworthiness of the source.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header2.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-114447 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114447\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Online_course_materials_are_convenient_and_easy_to_use\"><\/span>2. Online course materials are convenient and easy to use.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Physical textbooks can be difficult to acquire, cumbersome to carry around, or otherwise difficult to manage. Technology makes it easier for students to learn in an environment that best suits their needs.<\/p>\n<p>Online course materials are more convenient for students because they are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Centralized. <\/strong>With a set of digital course materials, all the right information is in one place, in the right order. There\u2019s no need to jump around from chapter to chapter or sort through PDF files to find the week\u2019s reading assignments.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Immediately available. <\/strong>Physical textbooks can be challenging to secure at the beginning of the semester. Between lines at campus bookstores and online vendor shipping times, it can be days or even weeks before students can start the reading. Opting for online course materials means students can get day-one access to their required content.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Multi-platform. <\/strong>Online course materials can be accessed on various devices including laptops, smartphones, and tablets, so students can easily access content while on-the-go.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accessible<\/strong><strong>. <\/strong>Online materials typically have built-in features to meet accessibility standards for the use of assistive technologies like screen readers.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If students are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/recharity.ca\/nonprofit-working-from-home-tools\/\">working from home in online classrooms<\/a>, it\u2019s not as critical to worry about them carrying around heavy textbooks in backpacks, but convenience is still a major benefit of online course materials.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, at the end of the semester, students using online materials won\u2019t need to return rentals or resell books. If they need to reference the material for a later course or as a resource in their career down-the-line, they will still have access to the information.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header3.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-114448 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114448\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Online_course_materials_are_engaging_and_interactive\"><\/span>3. Online course materials are engaging and interactive.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A physical textbook offers limited options for interactivity. Printed words and images are useful for conveying material, but EdTech enables learning through a wider range of activities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>With online course materials, students can learn through interactive and multimedia resources to enrich their experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Digital materials often include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Embedded assessments. <\/strong>Students can evaluate their learning during the learning process\u2014without needing to flip through the back of a textbook to find an answer. Integrating <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jotform.com\/guide-to-online-quizzes-and-assignments\/\">online quizzes and assignments<\/a> within the course materials also helps instructors to see which topics students are struggling to understand.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interactive content. <\/strong>Gamified or drag-and-drop elements allow kinesthetic learners to engage with the material effectively.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Multimedia elements<\/strong>. In addition to traditional images and charts, content like audio clips, videos, and animation can be incorporated alongside written material for greater learner engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These elements can more effectively connect with students of different learning styles. Additionally, interactive materials are much more engaging and interesting for students than a plain textbook!<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header4.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-114449 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_header4.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114449\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Online_course_materials_can_be_tailored_to_meet_student_needs\"><\/span>4. Online course materials can be tailored to meet student needs.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the most notable benefits of online course materials is their adaptability.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After all, every group of students is different, from commuter campuses to intro-level lectures to complex graduate seminars. <strong>Unlike a traditional textbook, digital materials can be curated to fit a professor\u2019s course objectives <\/strong><strong><em>and<\/em><\/strong><strong> meet the needs of specific groups of students.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This still holds true even as the needs of students might change over time or between semesters. Digital course materials can be continuously improved and updated to reflect student feedback and performance.<\/p>\n<p>To explore this concept further, let\u2019s take a look at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skyepack.com\/post\/curriculum-development\">Skyepack\u2019s curriculum development process<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_process.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-114450 lazyload\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_process.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-114450\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>This is an iterative process for designing course materials based on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.agilenutshell.com\/\">Agile methodology<\/a>. The point of this cycle is to make improvements that continue to benefit students.<\/p>\n<p>The six steps of the cycle are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Analyze. <\/strong>Instructional designers evaluate the needs of students and instructors.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Research. <\/strong>The design team explores available resources to meet those needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Design. <\/strong>The layout and flow of the course are developed for optimum student engagement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Curate. <\/strong>Peer-reviewed open-source content and other resources are collected to create a comprehensive set of materials.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build. <\/strong>The Skyepack team builds the course materials in a collaborative process with the instructor.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Launch. <\/strong>Students get day-one access to course materials that are built to prioritize their learning needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revise. <\/strong>The digital course materials can be adjusted as circumstances change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While not all digital course materials must be created with these six steps, it\u2019s still a helpful framework for thinking about how online material can be tailored to fit the needs of students.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">Instructors are always looking for new ways to improve their teaching and enhance the learning experience for their students. Traditional textbooks are expensive, inconvenient, and one-size-fits-all, creating a negative or inaccessible learning environment for K-12 and college students. Digital course materials are the answer to many of these challenges and offer powerful advantages for students.\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-inner\">\n<p class=\"bio-name\">Salma Torres<\/p>\n<div class=\"bio-desc\">\nSalma graduated with a BA in English from Texas A&amp;M University. With her background as a research scholar, she became a person who is continually learning and excited for new knowledge. Her passion for reading and writing helps her continue to create quality content for online learners. When she isn\u2019t creating course content, she can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>ing around the world, reading, watching the latest movie, or learning something new.<\/div>\n<p><!-- social-link --><\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">General <\/a><\/span>category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/development\/online-course-materials-benefit-students.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#4 Ways Online Course Materials Benefit Students&#8221; At all levels of education, many instructors are implementing modern practices and innovative technology into their lesson plans. In both the K-12 and higher education sectors, the rise of educational technology (often referred to as EdTech) has been impossible to miss. In 2020, the need for digital tools&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.noupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Skyepack_Noupe_4-Ways-Online-Course-Materials-Benefit-Students_feature.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[78097,10574,78098,71009],"class_list":["post-102754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-courses","tag-education","tag-educational-technology","tag-online-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}