OEC Course Design 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Bloom's Taxonomy level is HIGHEST and requires learners to create something new?
- Analyze
- Evaluate
- Apply
- Create (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Create
The revised Bloom's Taxonomy places 'Create' at the highest level, requiring learners to synthesize knowledge to produce original work or solutions.
Question 2: An online course uses frequent low-stakes quizzes throughout. This practice is BEST supported by which learning science principle?
- Massed practice
- The testing effect (retrieval practice) (Correct answer)
- Passive review
- Blocked practice
Correct answer: The testing effect (retrieval practice)
The testing effect shows that retrieving information through quizzing strengthens long-term memory more effectively than rereading or passive review.
Question 3: A course designer is selecting media for online instruction. According to the CTML (Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning), which combination is MOST effective?
- Text-heavy slides with no visuals
- Narrated animations with relevant on-screen graphics (Correct answer)
- Long blocks of written text with background music
- Static images only, no audio or text
Correct answer: Narrated animations with relevant on-screen graphics
CTML research shows that combining narration with relevant visuals (dual-channel processing) is more effective for learning than text alone or redundant text and audio.
Question 4: What does 'course pacing' primarily refer to in online learning design?
- The speed of video playback
- The rate at which content is released and learners progress through the material (Correct answer)
- The number of assignments per week
- The length of each video lecture
Correct answer: The rate at which content is released and learners progress through the material
Course pacing refers to how content is sequenced and timed, including whether learners move through material at their own speed (self-paced) or on a set schedule (cohort-based).
Question 5: Which accessibility standard is MOST commonly used to guide online course design for learners with disabilities in the US?
- ISO 9001
- WCAG 2.1 (Correct answer)
- FERPA
- SCORM 2004
Correct answer: WCAG 2.1
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 provide the widely accepted framework for making digital content accessible to people with disabilities.
Question 6: A learner in your course says the instructions for an assignment are confusing. As a course designer, what is the BEST long-term fix?
- Tell the learner to re-read the instructions more carefully
- Email individual clarifications to each student who asks
- Revise the assignment instructions to be clearer and add an example (Correct answer)
- Remove the assignment from the course
Correct answer: Revise the assignment instructions to be clearer and add an example
Persistent confusion signals a design flaw; revising the instructions and providing an example improves the course for all current and future learners.
Question 7: What is 'spaced repetition' and how does it apply to online course design?
- Spacing out video files evenly across a server
- Distributing practice of content over increasing time intervals to improve retention (Correct answer)
- Placing white space between paragraphs for readability
- Alternating between text and video every module
Correct answer: Distributing practice of content over increasing time intervals to improve retention
Spaced repetition involves reviewing material at increasing intervals over time, which research shows significantly improves long-term memory retention.
OEC Course Design 4
Which Bloom's Taxonomy level is HIGHEST and requires learners to create something new?