Online Teaching and Learning provides dedicated support to assist in designing and developing fully online programs. In addition to administrative support provided by the Coordinator for Online Teaching and Learning, the Instructional Designer for Online Teaching and Learning is available to provide a variety of services to support the instructional planning, course design, and faculty development needs of the program. To access the services outlined below, please request a consultation.
- One-to-One and Small Group Consultation
- Program to Course Alignments and Templates
- Professional Development for Instructors
- Course Quality and Compliance Support – Course Feedback and Accessibility
One-to-One and Small Group Consultation
Whether planning program or course level aspects of online education, it can be invaluable to discuss ideas and concerns with an online learning professional who specializes in various aspects of online education including teaching and learning, instructional design, and relevant technologies. Explore how to turn your ideas into high-quality, efficient, effective online instruction.
- Designing online courses that promote student success
Drawing on effective principles of teaching and learning, as well as principles that make for effective online instruction, a course plan can be designed that focuses all assessments and activities on the desired learning outcomes for students, incorporating essential feedback, and making the phases of learning visible. This includes planning the individual activities to build on each other in ways that allow students to explore the critical content and skills they are learning. - Developing online courses that meet the needs of students
Making decisions about how to layout the course, which technologies to use, and which student success supports to incorporate are part of developing the course. The goal in development is to make the course site as clear and easy to navigate as possible, choosing technologies and resources to serve the course design and desired student learning outcomes, and ensuring the best possible level of usability for all students. - Teaching online courses as dynamic experiences
Facilitating a fully online course requires planning for engagement. Communicating expectations, providing individual and group feedback, facilitating discussions, and taking questions are some of the kinds of teaching behaviors that feel different in the online environment. Learning more about effective approaches fosters a more dynamic online environment in which a sense community can be established and maintained.
Program to Course Alignments and Templates
To design and develop high-impact online programs it is important to plan a pathway for student success in achieving the target outcomes of the program. This planning should include consideration of cross course aspects that lead to streamlined, incremental progress toward desired learning outcomes.
- Mapping program goals to student centered course goals within the program
Mapping how each set of course goals aligns with the program goals as well as with the other courses in the program is a great way to ensure that program goals are developed across the program. At the same time, it is possible to ensure goals are written as observable, measurable student actions that clearly indicate what the student should be able to do by the end of the courses/program. - Making decisions about consistency in course and syllabus templates
It can be beneficial for courses within a program to have a similar look and feel to them so that students can be more comfortable navigating courses within the program. Template courses and documents such as syllabi can be helpful in achieving this consistency where desired.
Professional Development for Instructors
Whether new to online teaching or not, learning more about designing and facilitating courses for online learning can make a substantial difference in the quality of experience for both students and instructors throughout the course.
- Leveraging the Designing for Online Learning Professional Development Series
The Designing for Online Learning Professional Development Series currently exists in three formats to ensure greater flexibility for instructors who wish to participate – face-to-face workshops, online interactive workshops, and asynchronous course modules. Five core offerings provide the basics and lead to a letter of acknowledgement from Online Teaching and Learning. Additional offerings target topics of specific interest and advanced practices. - Participating in the Guidance Course for Online Teaching and Learning Projects
The Guidance Course for Online Teaching and Learning Projects is available to instructors and course developers who are preparing an online course for a fully online program. The course offers self-paced resources, activities, and opportunities for feedback to support the design and development of the course. - Exploring the Online Community Resources
The OTL Connect Community and list-serv is available to all who are interested in online instruction. Events are open to all and shared resources can be found on the Online Community Resources page.
Course Quality and Compliance Support – Course Feedback and Accessibility
When designing and developing online courses for efficiency and effective student learning, it is essential to consider key aspects and details that can help or hinder your efforts and impact student success. Professional feedback and assistance on best practices, standards, and requirements before launching the course can help to improve the initial quality and overall plan of the course.
When designing and developing online courses for efficiency and effective student learning, it is essential to consider key aspects and details that can help or hinder your efforts and impact student success. Professional feedback and assistance on best practices, standards, and requirements before launching the course can help to improve the initial quality and overall plan of the course.
- Gathering and responding to feedback
Seeking input from online learning professionals, colleagues, and students is a good way to find the details that matter and ensure they are ready for the first day of class. Feedback can be gathered from student and peer reviewers as well as through self-evaluation using a course design rubric such as OSCQR. Make critical revisions and adjustments before class begins. - Selecting content and improving access for all
Determining which content is truly integral to instruction allows more attention to be directed toward managing that content appropriately and ensuring its accessibility and usability for students. Using content that is protected by copyright requires that the use of content be integral to instruction. Creating accessible content, or improving the accessibility of content, takes time so it is helpful to avoid unnecessary content where possible. - Ensuring regular substantive interaction
Interacting with students in fully online courses is where much of the learning takes place and differentiates distance education from correspondence courses. Video tutorials, mini-lectures, feedback on assignments, answering questions, and facilitating discussions as well as monitoring student progress and those who might be at risk of failing are part of that interaction. Planning for these interactions with students is a critical aspect of fully online courses.