What is Methods Course

At a large, Midwest university, the authors taught an online course to graduate students in an educational reading methods course. While the course covered compelling content, the user experience frustrated students as they struggled to navigate an outmoded online learning management system (LMS), which inhibited their ability to engage with course content. Recognizing that the course could be a powerful and relevant learning experience for students, the chapter authors drew on engagement theory, technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK), and the triple E framework to redesign the course. While maintaining the valuable course content, the chapter authors developed a framework to create an engaging and positive online learning experience. This chapter describes the framework and details how the course was redesigned, articulates the rationale for the course changes, and explores the positive impact it had on teaching and learning.