Thirteenth International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Abstract

In 2018, I began my position as Online Curricular Designer in the Department of Modern Languages at Ohio University in the U.S. I was hired to design and build the online Spanish program, as well as assist other faculty members interested in building online versions of their face-to-face courses. In this focused discussion, I describe my primary objectives as an online curricular designer, detail my design and build process, and explain how I approach effective e-Learning pedagogy that is suitable for both adult distance learners and traditional university students. I also discuss how I strive to design courses that are accessible: courses that are financially accessible (are the costs of the course materials accessible to learners of different economic backgrounds?), technologically accessible (does my course require any special skills?), and accessible to learners living with disabilities. I conclude with an explanation of the difficulties I encountered during the design phase and the execution of the courses as well as the hard lessons I learned, and I tell how I was able to channel frustration and embarrassment into specific plans for improvement by following the ADDIE Model, common in instructional design.