Efficiency Meets Design: D2L Homepages Made Easy
Overview
We are seeking faculty willing to pilot new D2L Homepage Templates in Spring 2024. Research indicates that consistency in digital course design is beneficial to both students and faculty. Standard digital course templates and navigation make course materials easier to access which enhances student engagement and student-instructor communication (Scutelnicu et al., 2019).
The Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) and IS&T’s EdTech and User Services team have collaborated to develop D2L course homepage templates with a standardized navigation bar in D2L. The goal of the project is to provide students with a consistent learning environment and to support faculty in the set up and design of their course sites.
Check out the D2L Homepage Template Style Guide for a preview of the templates:
D2L Homepage Template Style Guide
Benefits of Using Standard Templates
Leverage custom layouts to support a variety of media and provide visual interest.
Enhance consistency to make it easier for students to navigate and access course materials and resources.
Incorporate best practices for accessibility to support an inclusive learning environment for all students.
Participate in the Pilot
Participants are needed to use and provide feedback on the standard D2L Homepage Templates in 2024. All faculty are eligible to participate in the "Efficiency Meets Design: D2L Homepages Made Easy" pilot. The templates can be applied to courses taught in any modality (face-to-face or online). Homepage Templates can be imported and applied to existing courses and courses copied from prior semesters.
Faculty participants in this pilot will be asked to:
- Adopt a D2L Homepage Template in the course(s) they specify during registration
- Participate in a pre-survey and a post-survey via Qualtrics
- Ask students in their course(s) to participate in a pre-survey and post-survey via Qualtrics
If you are interested in participating in this pilot, please complete the Spring 2024 Pilot Registration Form by Friday, January 12, 2023.
Spring 2024 Pilot Registration Form
Upon registering, you will be enrolled in the D2L Course Design Resources Site where you will find style guides and directions for copying homepage templates over to your course site(s). Templates can be accessed from the D2L Course Design Resources Site. Watch the following video for a brief tour of the D2L Course Design Resources Site and available homepage templates.
Need Assistance?
If you need help copying or customizing a homepage at any point, contact your assigned Instructional Designer, visit the TLC Office Hours, or reach out to the Teaching & Learning Center at tlc@wcupa.edu.
References
Borgemenke, A. J., Holt, W. C., Fish, W. W. (2013). Universal course shell template design and implementation to enhance student outcomes in online coursework. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 14(1), 17–23.
Miller, J. (2012). Finding what works online: Online course features that encourage student engagement, completion, and success. [Doctoral dissertation, California State University, Northridge].
Scutelnicu, G., Tekula, R., Gordon, B., Knepper, H. J. (2019). Consistency is key in online learning: Evaluating student and instructor perceptions of a collaborative online-course template. Teaching Public Administration, 37(3), 274-292.