Online Course Development Checklist (updated for Fall 2010)

UNIT INTRODUCTIONS AND OBJECTIVES

• Introductions and objectives do not contain such things as unit assignments, due dates, etc. They provide an overview of content learned in the unit.
• Introductions are written in paragraph form
• Objectives are directly beneath introductions and each section is labeled simply with the words Introduction and Objectives.
• Objectives are in number form rather than bulleted
• Unit Dates (HTML Code) is present in each of the units
• There are 12 units for 12 unit masters and 10 units for 10 unit masters; for graduate level courses, there should be 6 units for 6 unit masters and 5 units for 5 unit masters.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

• All Units have a reading assignment labeled “ Reading Assignment”
• The reading assignment description includes the full title of the textbook (in italics)
• The reading assignment description includes the names of the authors and edition of the text
• If a chapter is assigned, the word “chapter” is spelled out completely (not abbreviated “ch”)
• If page numbers are assigned, the word “page” is spelled out completely (not abbreviated “p” or “pg”)
• All reading assignments are appropriate for the level of the course (100 level, 200 level, 300 level, etc.)
• There is some form of a lecture included in every unit (word document, audio lecture, power point presentation, etc.)
• If a reading assignment includes a text from Books 24x7, directions on how to access the text are included

DISCUSSION BOARDS

• Each course unit has at least one discussion board
• If there is more than one discussion board in a unit, they are labeled “ Unit X Discussion Board A,” “Unit X Discussion Board B,” etc.
• Discussion boards are posted within each unit as well as in the Class Discussion area; the discussion board topic is the same in both areas.
• All discussion boards are linked to the grade center. You will know this because it has a “grade” icon (looks like this: ) to the left of the “Modify” button. If it doesn’t, this means the discussion board isn’t linked to the grade center.
• All discussion boards have a Post: and Respond:
• The Post and Respond requirements match the requirements listed in the Course Expectations document found in the Course Expectations and Grading Criteria Folder

ASSIGNMENTS

• All requirements of assignments are clearly described. For example, page requirements, expectations, point values, etc.
• All assignments are labeled “ Assignment”
• If there is more than one assignment in a unit they are labeled “Unit X Assignment A,” “Unit X Assignment B,” etc.
• Assignments are creative and engaging – they are interesting for the students
• If appropriate, a rubric is included for the assignment
• Students are directed to Smarthinking (online tutoring resource) for help/feedback on any research paper assignments

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• If an announcement needs to be made to the students in a unit, it is labeled “Unit X Announcement.” If there is more than one announcement in a unit, they are labeled “Unit X Announcement A” and “Unit X Announcement B.”
• If there are more than three announcements in a unit, they are put in folder titled “Unit X Announcements” or a “Course Packet” or something similar is created.

EXTERNAL LINKS

• All links open in a separate window to comply with copyright regulations
• There are no external links embedded within text; rather, students are directed to the appropriate link in the appropriate additional learning resource folder
• If there is more than one external link in a unit they are grouped into an Additional Learning Resources Folder
• The first letter of each word is capitalized on all external links
• All external links work

COURSE CALENDAR

• The course calendar total points matches the total points in the grade center
• All assignments listed on the course calendar are included in the units as well as in the grade center
• The course calendar is loaded as an HTML document

Miscellaneous Throughout Course

• Each course unit contains a Discussion Board, a Reading Assignment, a lecture item, and at least one External Link or Additional Resource
• All attachments are titled “Click Here”
• All attachments are loaded as HTML documents (where appropriate)
• The word “Week” is avoided and the word “Unit” is used instead
• Abbreviations are used as little as possible
• The course is free of spelling errors
• The course is free of typos and wording errors
• Words in all-caps are used sparingly or not at all
• Students are directed to the GEN Online Library when appropriate
• Assignments in the grade center are in the order they are presented in the course
• Font type/style is consistent throughout every item in the course (use Arial or Times New Roman)
• Any documents added as attachments to assignment directions uploaded as HTML files or, if necessary, are saved as compatible with Office 2003
• Only approved colors are used

May 19, 2010

Hello Developers!

This week marks the start of our new course development cycle; all of you are beginning the development of courses for Fall Quarter, 2010.

Speaking of new….allow me to introduce myself to those of you who may not know me: I am Kelly Schmidt, and I’ll be taking over as Manager of Online Course Development as Heather transitions back into teaching and technology training. While I am taking the lead on this new development cycle, Heather will continue working in development through the end of June, so please feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns.

I want to thank all of you for your willingness to work on these new courses and for the effort you put into your developments. As course developers, great online courses start with you! The course you design will be used by any instructor who teaches the class online...in fact, most online faculty take the master course content and run with it as is – making minimal, if any, additions or enhancements of their own. Therefore, we rely on you – our developers – to create courses that are engaging, organized, and rigorous to ensure our instructors have a good foundation for teaching the content and, more importantly, to ensure our students have a quality online learning experience. (All this pressure, I know…and it’s only the first week of the cycle – some of you may not have even cracked the course textbook yet!)

That being said, my job is to offer assistance, support, and motivation as you develop your courses. As the cycle progresses, I will be blogging more about various resources and enhancements that you might find useful in your developments. A big focus of mine during this development cycle will be on helping you create a strong connection in your courses with the GEN Online Library – both with Elaine Settergren, our stellar Online Librarian, and with the numerous resources the online library website offers for students and faculty. Look for more on that in the weeks to come…

A few final notes as you get started:

• Your 12-unit shells have been created and you should have access to them in Blackboard.
• If you have developed courses for GEN in the past, you are likely familiar with the Online Course Development Checklist as well as the Peer Advising survey. If you are a first-timer, please take a look at these documents, as they will help guide your development from the perspective of what we want to see as the final course development.
• The 25% completion date is June 7, 2010. I look forward to seeing the start of your developments at that time! However, in the meantime, please feel free to keep me updated on any progress you make or contact me with any questions that arise.

I look forward to working with all of you on these new developments. Have a great week everyone!

Kelly