Back
OCFDP Elements
The elements of the Online Course and Faculty Development Program (OCFDP) recognize that the development of an online course can take 4-6 months. They include:
- Faculty training
- Successful online teaching requires: mastery of a course management system; an understanding of online teaching skills, strategies, and best practices that are effective in online education; and skill in using any necessary additional software or Web-based tools. Through an intensive 8-week Online Teacher Training (OTT) course offered by AT in collaboration with DE 3 times each year, faculty learn current best practices and effective teaching strategies for online instruction. All faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in this course prior to developing online courses or teaching online.
- Course development
- During course development, faculty finish construction of the course that was started in training. In some ways, an online course is similar to a publication. Both entail research, organization, writing, and revising; and the products of both are public in nature. Faculty must determine the pedagogical approaches they will use and the best strategies to deploy the course online with the tools that are available. This may involve formatting presentations, narrative, images, video/audio clips, and diagrams; conceptualizing online discussions and group exercises; and designing assessment tools. Throughout course development, formal activities and information will be provided by instructional designers and media production experts in AT, with support from DE.
- Course design peer review
- In order to provide feedback to the faculty developer and department chair, the design of the new online course is reviewed by two experienced faculty supported by an instructional designer, using the Quality Matters™ (QM) peer review process and attached rubric. A pilot now in progress will provide QM training and experience for reviewers. And at the end of the pilot, the process will be assessed and refined, based on input from involved faculty and chairs.
- Faculty support
- Faculty instructors are offered support on an ongoing basis as they teach online, with a central point of contact-the DE Faculty Development Coordinator-to ensure appropriate services are provided by AT and DE.
- Prioritization
- The University is committed to the development of successful online courses and programs and provides significant resources to that end. New resources are being offered as part of this program; however, those resources are not unlimited. If the interest in this program exceeds the allocated resources, then participation will need to be prioritized based on institutional, college, and department plans for the ongoing delivery of online programs.
- Funding for instruction
- The human and financial resources needed for successful online programs result from combined efforts throughout the University, including the academic department, AT, DE, and many other offices. Prior to developing a course to be taught online, a commitment to funding the instruction for the course/program needs to be made and the funding source clarified.
- Course proposal process
- Academic departments and colleges are the driving force in determining what courses or programs should be offered online. To facilitate prioritization and funding decisions, academic departments are asked to share their strategic plans for distance education through regular conversations with the DE director and to propose specific courses for online development in a particular time frame using the attached form.
Distance Education Department
