Why use templates in an LMS?

Templates are important tools in structuring the online learning experience for students. They provide a consistent framework that enhances efficiency, quality, and overall student satisfaction.

Here's a breakdown of why templates are important in creating a learning experience design:

Consistency and Efficiency

Uniformity: Templates ensure a consistent look and feel across all courses, providing a familiar and comfortable learning environment for students.
Streamlined Process: Templates reduce the time and effort required to create online courses, allowing faculty and instructional designers to focus on course content and pedagogy.
Reduced Cognitive Load: By providing a structured layout, templates simplify the navigation and consumption of course materials, reducing cognitive load on students.

Quality and Standards

Alignment with Institutional Standards: Templates can be designed to align with institutional quality standards, ensuring that courses meet specific requirements and best practices.
Third-Party Standards: Templates can incorporate third-party standards like Quality Matters (QM) to further enhance course quality and credibility.
Customizable Standards: Templates can be adapted to incorporate faculty-specific policies or standards, ensuring that courses reflect individual needs and preferences.

Student Support and Experience

Consistent Student Experience: Templates provide a predictable and user-friendly experience for students, making it easier for them to navigate and engage with course materials.
Enhanced Support: Templates can include built-in support features, such as FAQs, help guides, or discussion forums, to assist students and reduce the need for excessive support from faculty.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Time and Resource Savings: Templates can significantly reduce the time and resources required for course creation, allowing faculty and instructional designers to focus on other important tasks.
Improved Efficiency: A more efficient course creation process can lead to higher-quality courses and improved student outcomes, ultimately increasing the ROI of online learning initiatives.

Data-Driven Approach

Needs Assessment: The development of templates should be based on a thorough needs assessment, involving input from stakeholders to ensure that the templates meet the specific requirements of the institution and its learners.
Data Collection: Collecting data on faculty satisfaction, student satisfaction, and student learning outcomes can help to evaluate the effectiveness of templates and identify areas for improvement.

Presented by

Dr Bethany Simunich

in the session

Quality by Design: How to Support and Scale Quality Online Learning via LMS Templates

at the

D2L Fusion 2024 Conference

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