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Online Course & Program Development

SLCC Online is committed to the design, development, and delivery of quality online programs and certificates, as approved by Executive Cabinet. To this end, as part of our strategic five-year plan, our priorities for course development are focused at the program or certificate level. Prioritization for course design and development projects is determined in collaboration with Deans and Associate Deans from the academic schools, under advisement from the Online Advisory Group and the Provost Office. Individual courses that are not connected to an online program or certificate will be included in the project queue as time and resources become available. All online courses developed by SLCC Online are intended to be master courses taught by multiple faculty members across multiple course sections.

Use Course Development Request Form below to submit a request an online or hybrid course development request.

Course Development Request Form

After a course has been approved for development, the project team is formed to beginning working on designing and developing the new online course. We use a collaborative, team-based approach to the design and development of online courses. To that end, each team consists of faculty (2 or more), instructional designers, instructional technologists, media developers, project managers, library specialists and the Associate Dean.

There are four phases to every course development project.

  1. Planning
  2. Course Design
  3. Development & Assembly
  4. Pilot & Review

Outcomes, Assessments, and Content

During the planning phase, the project team is assembled and a timeline for the project is established. In the next two phases, a backwards design process is used to establish course outcomes, determine appropriate assessments, select and create instructional materials, and assemble the course in the learning management system. Once a course is ready, it is piloted in one or two sections with a small group of students to gather feedback and data on student success. That information is then used to inform any needed changes to the master course.

In order to ensure the quality in online courses, SLCC Online uses the nationally-recognized Quality Matters Rubric to evaluate the design of online courses. A peer-review process is utilized in which two faculty reviewers use the QM rubric to evaluate a master online course and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. The evaluation rubric includes eight major standards with forty-three specific criteria in the following areas:

  • Course Overview and Introduction
  • Learning Outcomes (or Competencies) and Objectives
  • Assessment and Measurement
  • Instructional Materials
  • Course Activities and Learner Interaction
  • Course Technology
  • Learner Support
  • Accessibility and Usability

Online courses that do not pass the QM review will be revised and improved until a passing evaluation is achieved.

Faculty play a key role in the project team. They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in their subject matter and in the teaching and learning experience. As part of the project team working toward creating high-quality online courses, faculty course developers are expected to be capable and willing to:

  • Partner effectively with other members on the project team, including other faculty.
  • Actively participate in the course design and development activities, including:
    • Participate in all meetings and workshops with the project team
    • Keep in regular contact with the design team regarding progress, questions, or concerns. Respond to emails from the team as quickly as possible (within 1-2 business days).
  • Complete all applicable training, including the “Applying the Quality Matters™ (QM) Rubric” workshop, Canvas training, and the Introduction to Online Teaching Orientation for online faculty, before the course development process.
  • Collaborate and share ideas
  • Invest the time required to produce online course materials
  • Appreciate and follow the instructional design process
  • Select and create course materials that consider the needs of various learners
  • Incorporate learning strategies to make content more effective and engaging
  • Accept feedback, constructive criticism, and new ideas
  • Appreciate new ideas and approaches
  • Meet course quality guidelines
  • Be comfortable using computer-based technology and learning new tools
  • Organize work and manage time effectively
  • Meet project timelines determined at the beginning of the project
  • Possess strong written and verbal skills
  • Comply with plagiarism, copyright, and accessibility guidelines

For questions regarding the Online Course & Program Development and related activities, please contact:

Marie Horne
marie.horne@slcc.edu
801-957-3903