High-Impact Design for Online Courses (HIDOC) Framework

Understanding Your Students 

Effective online course design starts with considering students' backgrounds, experiences, learning preferences, and potential challenges. A learner-centered approach supports engaging, accessible, and relevant course assessments, materials, and activities. This approach supports both student success and program outcomes. 

Students come from diverse backgrounds and may balance work, family, military service, or other commitments that impact their ability to participate. Some may have limited digital literacy, unreliable Internet access, or disabilities requiring accommodations. Many online learners are working professionals seeking career-relevant skills, while others may be first-time online students who need additional guidance in navigating the course structure. 

By conducting a learner analysis, instructors can proactively remove barriers, provide multiple ways for students to engage with content, and create a supportive and well-organized learning environment. 

Key Considerations 

• Flexible course design supports diverse student needs.Varying academic preparedness, technological skills, and time constraints require multiple pathways for success. 
• Prior knowledge and motivation impact learning. Assessing prior knowledge prevents redundancy, while goal-oriented activities, peer interaction, and real-world applications sustain engagement. 
• Alignment supports learner-centered design. Alignment is the intentional connection between learning outcomes, assessments, materials, and activities to ensure they work together to support student success. 
• Incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Provide multiple means of engagement (e.g., student choice), representation (e.g., video and text), and action/expression (e.g., flexible assignment types) to reduce barriers and support all learners. 

Why It Matters 

A thoughtful learner analysis results in courses that: 

• Foster student engagement by integrating diverse perspectives and instructional methods. 
• Promote accessibility through well-structured materials that accommodate different learning preferences and abilities. 
• Encourage student success by aligning assessments and activities with learner needs, institutional goals, and industry standards. 

Action Steps 

• Identify key course details. 
  • Define modality (asynchronous, synchronous, blended, hybrid), prerequisites, and enrollment range. 
  • Consider technology needs, participation requirements, and institutional policies that impact student access. 
• Analyze learner profiles to inform course design. 
  • Gather student demographics, backgrounds, and potential challenges using pre-course surveys or discussion prompts. 
  • Identify common misconceptions, skill gaps, or accessibility needs to design content and activities accordingly. 

You Try It 

Access the Step 1 - Learner Analysis document from the HIDOC resource library to analyze your learners, including their prior knowledge, experiences, potential challenges, and the skills they need for success in the course.