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COURSE DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT:
Course Development Standards

Distance Learning Programs is pleased to provide our faculty with essential standards as a guideline to utilize during course development.  These are based on the Quality Matters rubric from the University of Maryland which is developed on national research and standards.  As you design your course, please refer to these standards to ensure that your course will be a more effective teaching tool for your students.    

ESSENTIAL STANDARDS

COURSE OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
General Review Standard: The overall design of the course, navigational information, as well as course, instructor and student information are made transparent to the student at the beginning of the course.

  • Navigational instructions make the organization of the course easy to understand.
    • Instructions provide a general course overview, present the schedule for activities, guide the new student to explore the course website, and indicate what to do first.
  • A statement introduces the student to the course and the structure of student learning, and in the case of a hybrid course, clarifies the relationship between the face-to-face and online components.
    • The instructor’s statement gives the new student an idea of how the learning process is structured, including schedule, communication modes, types of activities, and assessments. These features are often found in the course syllabus, but they may also be found in an introductory or welcome document.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES (COMPETENCIES)
General Review Standard: Learning objectives are clearly defined and explained. They assist the student to focus learning activities.

  • The course learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable.
    • Measurable course learning objectives precisely describe what students are to gain from instruction, and then guide instructors to accurately assess student accomplishment. Objectives should describe student performance in specific, observable terms.
  • The module/unit learning objectives describe outcomes that are measurable and consistent with the course-level objectives.
    • Measurable module or unit-level learning objectives are important. They precisely describe the specific competencies, skills, and knowledge that students should be able to master and demonstrate at regular intervals throughout the course.  

ASSESSMENT AND MEASUREMENT
General Review Standard:  Assessment strategies use established ways to measure effective learning, assess student progress by reference to stated learning objectives, and are designed as essential to the learning process.

  • The types of assessments selected measure the stated learning objectives and are consistent with the course activities and resources.
    • Assessments and learning objectives align in a clear and direct way.  The assessment formats provide a reasonable way to measure the stated learning objectives.
  • The course grading policy is transparent and stated clearly. 
    • A clear explanation indicates how the course grade is computed. The points, percentages and weights for each component of the course grade are clearly stated. The relationship(s) between points, percentages, weights, and letter grades are explained.
  • Specific and descriptive criteria are provided for the evaluation of student’s work and participation.
    • Students are provided with a clear and meaningful description of the criteria that will be used to assess and evaluate their work and participation in the course.  Students have clear guidance as to the expectations and required components of work and participation.

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
General Review Standard: Instructional materials are sufficiently comprehensive to achieve announced objectives and learning outcomes and are prepared by qualified persons competent in their fields. (Materials, other than standard textbooks produced by recognized publishers, are prepared by the instructor or distance educators skilled in preparing materials for distance learning.)

  • The instructional materials support the stated learning objectives.
    • Course materials, resources, and learning objectives align in a clear and direct way.  The course materials and resources provide a reasonable base to achieve the stated learning objectives. 
  • The instructional materials have sufficient breadth, depth, and currency for the student to learn the subject.
    • Breadth: The course materials are robust and create a rich learning environment for students. Depth: The level of detail in supporting materials is appropriate for the level of the course, and provides sufficient depth for students to achieve the learning objectives. Currency: The materials represent up-to-date thinking and practice in the discipline.

LEARNER ENGAGEMENT
General Review Standard: The effective design of instructor-student interaction, meaningful student cooperation, and student-content interaction is essential to student motivation, intellectual commitment and personal development.

  • The learning activities promote the achievement of stated learning objectives.
    • Activities and learning objectives align in a clear and direct way. The activities provide a reasonable way to measure the stated learning objectives.
  • Learning activities foster instructor-student, content-student, and (if appropriate to this course) student-student interaction.
    • All online courses should include interaction between the instructor and the students and between the students and the content. The degree and type of student-to-student interaction may vary with the disciplines and the level of the course.
  • Clear standards are set for instructor response and availability (turn-around time for e-mail, grade posting, etc).
    • Information clearly indicates how quickly the instructor will respond, when feedback will be provided, and when the instructor is available. 

COURSE TECHNOLOGY
General Review Standard: To enhance student learning, course technology enriches instruction, fosters student interactivity, and increases access to instructional materials and resources.

  • The tools and media support the learning objectives, and are appropriately chosen to deliver the content of the course.
    • Tools and media used in the course support related learning objectives, and are contextually integrated with texts and lesson assignments.  Students know how the tools and media support the assignments and how they support the learning objectives.

ACCESSIBILITY
General Review Standard: The face-to-face, electronic, and online course components are accessible to all students.

  • The course acknowledges the importance of ADA requirements.
    • All courses should direct students to the institution's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) services on their campus. The course should include a statement that tells students how to gain access to ADA services at their institution including the location and contact information of the appropriate office at the institution.

ADDITIONAL STANDARDS

COURSE OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION

  • Etiquette expectations with regard to discussions, e-mail, and other forms of communication are stated clearly.
    • Expectations of student conduct online and in the classroom are clearly stated, however brief or elaborate they may be. The expectations themselves are not evaluated.
  • The self-introduction by the instructor is appropriate and available online.
    • The initial introduction creates a sense of connection between the instructor and the students.
  • Students are requested to introduce themselves to the class.
    • The student introduction helps to create a supportive learning environment and a sense of community.
  • Minimum technology requirements, minimum student skills, and, if applicable, prerequisite knowledge in the discipline, are clearly stated.
    • Explanations of technical requirements, technical skills, and prerequisite knowledge and skills may be found within the course, in documents linked to the course, or in supporting material not on the course site.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES (COMPETENCIES)

  • Learning objectives are stated clearly and written from the students’ perspective.
    • The learning objectives are stated clearly in the online classroom for all course delivery formats. The learning objectives are written in a way that allows students to easily grasp their meaning and the learning outcomes expected of them.
  • Instructions to students on how to meet the learning objectives are adequate and stated clearly.
    • Instructions may take various forms (e.g. narratives, bulleted lists, charts) and may appear at different levels within the course, such as module-based or weekly assignment sheets. Instructions are stated clearly, are complete, and are provided electronically in the online classroom.
  • The learning objectives address content mastery, critical thinking, and core learning skills.
    • Examine the course and module/unit learning objectives as a whole for all three types of skill. All three types of skills need not be present in both the course-level and module/unit-level objectives, nor in every single objective.

ASSESSMENT AND MEASUREMENT

  • The assessment instruments selected are sequenced, varied, and appropriate to the content being assessed.
    • Multiple assessment strategies are used in both the online and face-to-face settings, and they are appropriate to the content of and format in which they are implemented. Assessments are varied to provide multiple avenues for the demonstration of mastery, and to accommodate multiple learning styles.
  • “Self-check” or practice types of assignments are provided for timely student feedback.
    • Students have ample opportunity to measure their own learning progress. Students learn more effectively if they receive frequent, meaningful, and timely feedback.

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS

  • The purpose of each course element is explained.
    • Students can easily determine the purpose of all materials, technologies and methods used in the course and know which materials are required and which are recommended resources.
  • The instructional materials are logically sequenced and integrated.
    • Diverse instructional materials (books, manuals, videos, CD ROMs, computer software, etc) are logically sequenced and related to one another.
  • All resources and materials used in the online course are appropriately cited.
    • Materials created by the instructor and those borrowed from other sources are distinctly identified. Text, images, graphic materials, tables, videos, audios, websites, and other forms of multimedia are appropriately referenced.

LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

  • The requirements for course interaction are clearly articulated.
    • The requirements and expectations for interaction in both the online and face-to-face components are clearly stated.
  • The course design prompts the instructor to be active and engaged with the students.
    • Students know that the instructor is approachable and will regularly interact with them. Opportunities for interaction will vary with the discipline of the course and with the schedule of online and face-to-face meetings.

COURSE TECHNOLOGY

  • The tools and media enhance student interactivity and guide the student to become a more active learner.
    • Tools and media used in the course help students actively engage in the learning process, rather than passively "absorbing" information.
  • Technologies required for this course are either provided or easily downloadable.
    • The term "technologies" may cover a range of plug-ins (e.g. Acrobat reader, media players) or special software packages. Clear instructions list the required software and plug-ins, along with instructions for obtaining and installing these items.
  • The course components are compatible with existing standards of delivery modes.
    • The course components are compatible with existing standards of delivery modes.
  • Instructions on how to access resources at a distance are sufficient and easy to understand.
    • The instructional materials, resources, tools, and media should be easily accessible, obtainable, and usable by the student.
  • The course design takes full advantage of available tools and media.
    • Course technology should be current and reflect an evolution of the field of online education. As new versions of a course management system are released, instructors should integrate the new features into their courses to ensure that the students have the most effective and efficient access to the courses.

LEARNER SUPPORT

  • The course instructions articulate or link to a clear description of the technical support offered.
    • Technical support for students differs from institution to institution. technical support includes information about such topics as how to log in, how to use the software, and how to upload files. it does not include help with course content, assignments, or academic or student support services.
  • Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution's academic support system can assist the student in effectively using the resources provided.
    • Academic support for students, and the scope of what "academic support" entails, differs from institution to institution. for the purposes of review, academic support includes access to library resources, readiness assessment, testing services, tutoring, a writing center, a math center, supplemental instruction programs, and teaching assistants.
  • Course instructions articulate or link to an explanation of how the institution's student support services can assist the student in effectively using the resources provided.
    • Student support services, and the scope of what such support entails, differs from institution to institution. For the purposes of review, student support services includes advising, registration, financial aid, student life, counseling, etc.
  • Course instructions articulate or link to tutorials and resources that answer basic questions related to research, writing, technology etc.
    • Students' access to tutorials and help files related to writing, technology, research, etc. differs from institution to institution.

ACCESSIBILITY

  • Course pages and course materials provided equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.
    • Alternative means of access to course information are provided for the vision- or hearing-impaired students, such as, equivalent textual representations of images, audio, animations, and video in the course website. presenting information in text format is generally acceptable because screen reader software (used by the vision-impaired) can read text.
  • Course pages have links that are self-describing and meaningful.
    • The course provides Internet links that include useful descriptions of what students will find at those sites. These descriptions enable the vision-impaired students to use screen reader software to understand links. In addition, instructors provide directions that clearly directs students to the appropriate sub-pages within an external web site.
  • The course demonstrates sensitivity to readability issues.
    • The course employs appropriate font, color, and spacing to facilitate readability and minimize distractions for the student.

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