Elements of Design
Lines divide. They can be used to form a border or separate parts of the design. Lines connect. They can…
Use of Line
Lines can be used to great effect in design. They can be used to organize information. Lines can be used…
Use of Shape
Children learn how to draw geometric shapes and identify them by the number of sides they have: triangles, squares, pentagons,…
Use of Color
Good design intrigues the learner and draws them in. It evokes in them a desire to learn more. One way…
Color Theory
Have you ever experimented with mixing paint colors together to form a new color? Red and yellow combine to make…
Color Codes
When you find a great color you want to be able to replicate it. Two common ways that designers talk…
Design Trends: Gradients
As the minimalism of flat design has given way to design trends that embrace more texture and shadow, gradients have…
Use of Space
White space is the blank area around the other design elements. Some designs have very little white space. Others have…
Use of Texture
Flat design principles have been very influential for the past decade in the world of web design. Flat design is…
Design Trends: Dimension
In the early days of web design, many designers adapted a style called “skeuomorphism” where design elements are made to…
Principles of Design
Contrast is the juxtaposition of like and unlike features. These could be light and dark color values, different shapes, different…
Use of Contrast
Contrast is the juxtaposition of design elements that are different. The greater the difference, the higher the contrast. Color is…
Use of Scale
What is scale? Scale refers to the size of an object relative to some other element of the design, while…
Use of Repetition
Repetition is essential for creating consistency in a design. The more extensive the design (like an online course), the more…
Use of Alignment
Alignment refers to lining up elements along an axis. There are two basic ways to do this: align elements along…
Use of Proximity
The design principle of proximity is used to group items together. Proximity has to do with the relative amount of…
Use of Symmetry
Sometimes symmetry is created by reflecting an image over an axis. Designs can be symmetrical along a vertical, horizontal, or…
Use of Hierarchy
Hierarchy is all about directing the eye to look at the most important part of the design first, then at…
Use of Photographs
When you look at the picture below, what is the first thing that you notice? The carving on the pillar?…
Composition: Extolling the Hero
The first time I heard J.S. Bach’s composition, “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”, I was walking into a cathedral…
Designing with Technology
How to Set up a Peer Review in Moodle
Workshop Moodle has an activity type called a Workshop that is designed for individual students to peer review each other’s…
Using Images in Moodle
You may want to add images to your Moodle course on the course homepage or in pages, books, and lessons.…
How to Set Up Moodle Lessons
Moodle lessons are a little more complicated to set up than Moodle books. So if you want to use a…
How to Set Up Moodle Q&A Forums
In a Q and A forum, students are required to post a reply to the question posted by the facilitator…
How to Embed Links and Videos in Moodle
If you want to include any links to outside web resources in your course, you can add them to the…
How to Import Quiz Questions in Moodle
If your subject matter expert has a quiz already written for the course in a Word document, you can modify…
Video Conferencing for Meetings
There are many technologies we can use for communication these days. Email, texting, WhatsApp, SnapChat, Facebook, Twitter. The list goes…
Moodle Books and Lessons
Moodle lessons and Moodle books are two common ways for presenting written content to students. Both are useful for different…
Alternatives to Video
While video may be the first option that many of us think about using to create online lectures, there are…
Best Practices for Using Video Online
Incorporating video in your course can be a great way to help learners engage with the content. Creating your own…
Finding Images to Use
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but finding the right picture can be a challenging task. And once…
Forum Subscriptions in Moodle
Moodle discussion forums are one of the primary ways that students interact with one another and with their facilitator in…
Extending Moodle Using HTML (Part 2)
Click here to read Part 1 on modals and collapsible accordions. Tabs Tabs are a navigation aid that allows multiple…
Extending Moodle Using HTML (Part 1)
One of the great features of Moodle is how it can be easily extended. One way to do this is…
Video Recording Tools
When you are teaching an online class, using video is a great way to increase your online presence as students…
Presentation Tools
How do you present content to students when you teach in a face-to-face classroom? Do you lecture from notes? Write…
Google Tools
At Horizon we frequently use Google tools to collaborate on projects. In fact, we find them so useful that we…
Free Online Tools
If you need help finding the right tool to create content for your course, the following list is a good…
Designing for Learning
Designing for High and Low Bandwidth Contexts
As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion internet users, representing 59.5% of the global population. Internet access continues to…
Evaluation
Evaluation typically refers to the means by which the effectiveness or utility of a course or of components within a…
Creating a Design Blueprint
Horizon’s Designing for Online Learning (DOL) Moodle course makes use of the ADDIE model of course design in the development…
Scaffolding, Alignment, and Distribution
At its core, backward design is about how to craft a learning pathway that takes students from where they are…
Summative Assessment
Summative assessments seek to measure student achievement of course-level learning objectives or competencies. Comprehensive summative assessments seek evaluate student achievement of…
Formative Assessment
Formative assessments are typically non-graded assessments that help a teacher gauge student learning or competency related to the learning objectives.…
Diagnostic Assessment
Diagnostic assessments are typically non-graded assessments that help a teacher gauge students’ prior knowledge of a subject matter. Some examples…
Backward Design in 7 Steps
When you set out to design a new course, where do you begin? For many of us, the first place…
Blending Synchronous and Asynchronous Approaches
Traditionally, blended learning has been defined as a course that includes both face-to-face and online learning components. But in the…
Blended Learning
Blended learning can take a variety of formats. In a flipped classroom model, students study the course material online and…
Course Modality Paradigms
Although the name of this website is Designing for Online Learning, the principles of online course design can be applied…
Collaborative Learning
Collaboration is a component of many forms of learning: adult learning, reflective learning, active learning, lifelong learning, etc. One method…
Active and Participatory Learning
Active learning, also known as participatory or experiential learning, is a field of study with links to several other types…
Reflective Learning
Reflective learning is a crucial component of adult learning, self-directed learning, transformative learning, and lifelong learning. But it is also…
Multiple Intelligences
Good online course design seeks to create relevant, interactive learning activities that encourage engagement in the hearts and minds of…