To compete with early-adopting institutions and increase student enrollment numbers, many institutions are refining their online learning offerings. Online courses can save money, increase enrollment, and even optimize FTE/SCH — but not all online courses are created equal.

Before you add medical terminology online courses to your department homepage, make sure you’re using a vendor that will help create efficiency and make courses easier to administer. With the right vendor partner, you can spend less time focused on logistics, and more time focused on student success.

Crucial Elements for Medical Terminology Online Courses

We believe the following elements should be standard for every online course offering. Use the list below to see how your potential vendors measure up.

1. Customizable Courses

A more personalized course of study is a vital component for helping every student succeed. New technology makes it possible to personalize at scale.

Make sure your vendor can strategically modify your course content to suit the needs of your students. From presentation to process, to course evaluation, you should have the ability to tailor each course to different skill levels and learning styles.

2. Learning Management System

A Learning Management System (LMS) can make a substantial difference in your course success rate. An LMS handles the administrative tasks of courses, like monitoring student progress, posting grades, analytics, and reporting, even administering tests and quizzes.

It can help keep courses organized and reduce the amount of time an instructor spends on overhead—especially if you’re hosting multiple courses across the institution.

There are two ways to manage a course: with a built-in LMS, or through a compatible learning management system like Canvas, Moodle, or Blackboard. For the most flexibility and ease of use, look for a vendor that supports both options.

3. Exam Proctoring

The value and merit of students’ online learning experience depend on the integrity of the process. Instructors and students take exams seriously—and so should your course materials vendor. Although plenty of institutions offer online courses, many still require students to take exams in-person, which can be challenging for non-traditional students who commute or work full-time. With an online proctoring solution integrated into your LMS, you can streamline the exam-taking process and allow for online exams, so you can spend more time teaching.

4. Cross-Device Accessibility

Just like modern learning doesn’t always take place in a classroom, online learning doesn’t always take place on a desktop computer. Today’s students (and faculty) are constantly plugged into their phones, laptops, and tablets, checking grades and submitting assignments while on the go. But if online course materials aren’t easily accessible from any device, frustrations will rise and enrollment numbers will drop. Make sure your vendor offers cross-device accessibility, so students and instructors can access course materials from anywhere.

5. Certified High-Quality Content

Perhaps the most important feature in this list, certified, high-quality content is a must-have for your medical terminology online courses. You want to prepare your students for a successful career in health sciences, so be sure your online course content reflects that goal. Check that your online course materials are in-line with your department goals, and that all content is authored by credible educators. At Caduceus, we’re proud to offer award-winning medical terminology course material, ranked in the 95th percentile by Quality Matters.

6. Ongoing Customer Support

As an instructor or department staff member, it shouldn’t be up to you to address outstanding technical support issues. That’s what your course materials vendor is for. Reliable, ongoing support is necessary to make sure your medical terminology online course runs smoothly all semester long. As you assess vendors, here are a few items to look for:

• Ongoing course customization
• Virtual TA assistance
• Direct student-to-support communication
• Direct and on-demand support.  Instructors will have 24/7 access to a designated Caduceus representative familiar with their exact needs and course setup. This concierge support service will allow professors to skip phone queues, as well as the headache of explaining an issue to multiple service reps.

The Right Course of Action

At Caduceus International Publishing, it’s our goal to provide students with the resources and information they need to succeed, as well as to improve health outcomes on a larger scale, in communities all over the world. We aim to be a true partner that provides a turnkey solution for health sciences departments.

If you’re not getting these benefits from your medical terminology online course materials provider, it’s time to find a new vendor. Ready to give us a try? Start your 30-day free trial today.