Developing or Revising a Course
Independent and Distance Learning offers courses in two primary
formats: in print and online. Students who select a print course receive a bound
course guide that introduces the course and guides them through a series of
lessons. Students who opt for the online course are given a password for accessing
the lessons on the web. A growing number of courses are also available on CD-Rom.
This format makes it possible to take advantage of web-based interactivity and
to include more and better images as well as digital audio and video clips.
CD-Rom courses, like many print courses, have an option for submitting assignments
via e-mail.
Regardless of the format, the principles for developing
a sound distance-learning course are the same. Faculty are responsible
for the course content and standards; IDL is responsible for editing the
material and developing the various course formats. This jointly produced
work is published as the course guide.
We recommend that you review IDL
policies before proceeding with course development. Please contact
the editor if you have questions about
course delivery formats.
Proposing a New Course
Revising an Existing Course
Selecting Textbooks and Materials
Writing the Course Guide
Producing the Course Guide
Special Considerations for Web Courses
Proposing a New Course
IDL is always interested in discussing new courses. Most
often, new courses are solicited to meet particular priorities for our
curriculum, but we welcome suggestions from interested faculty. An academic
credit course can be developed upon approval by the heads of both IDL and
the originating academic department.
To start the development process, complete and submit a course
proposal. If accepted, IDL will request university and departmental permission
to offer the course. Once the course is approved, you will be issued a Course
Preparation Agreement specifying the due date, course materials, and other important
information.
In constructing your course you will become part of the design
team comprising the faculty liaison, the editor, and technology specialists,
who will help you in structuring your course.
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Revising an Existing Course
Generally, IDL courses are revised every three years.
Other reasons for revision might be a textbook that has gone out of print
or changes made in the course content by the academic department. (See
also "Code 'Red' and Code 'Yellow'" under Teaching
a Course.) Course revisions are contracted by percentages ranging from
5 to 100 percent:
Total Revision (80-100%)
• new textbook required
• changes in content require a complete reconceptualization/rewrite
Substantive Revision (30-75%)
• new textbook or new edition of textbook required
• significant new content and/or requirements
Minimal Revision (5-25%)
• new edition of textbook required
• minor updates, lesson adjustments, and/or changes to
exams
The percentage of revision is agreed upon by both you and the faculty
liaison and requires approval of the department heads. You will be issued a Course
Preparation Agreement specifying the revision percentage, due date, course materials,
and other important information.
It is imperative that you work from the most current version
of the course. You may request a digital or print copy of the course from the
editor.
From time to time it becomes necessary to correct or otherwise
update one or more pages in the course guide or an examination. These updates
usually do not constitute an actual course revision. Changes are made to
currently available and future copies. If the change may affect their performance,
students are sent an explanatory letter with a copy of the updated pages
(faculty receive a copy of the correspondence). You and the faculty liaison
decide whether the extent of change requires a formal course guide revision.
Contact the Distance Education Faculty Coordinator
with any questions about revising a course.
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Selecting Textbooks and Materials
All course materials are chosen by you. IDL will help
you obtain a desk copy of the textbook and facilitate production of any
other materials, such as a course packet of current articles, laboratory
materials, videos, or audiotapes.
IDL will notify you if your course materials go out of
print or otherwise become unavailable. Usually this event will require
a revision of the course.
Contact the publications
specialist with any questions about course materials.
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Writing the Course Guide
The course guide structures your students' study and approach
to the material. The more clarity and detail you provide, the more you facilitate
your students' learning. Don't be afraid to use humor or to let your personality
shine through your writing (click here
for a great example of both). While there is some flexibility in the structure
and content of course guides, they contain these standard elements:
- a biographical statement introducing yourself: your educational
background, teaching and research interests, hobbies, travel, or other facts
that will help your students know you as an educator and as a person. Please
include a recent photograph of yourself, too (candid or formal). Also provide
a means for students to contact you—a phone number and/or e-mail address.
View samples.
- an Overview that introduces the course and explains its scope
and broad objectives. The Overview is your initial chance to motivate your
students and explain the "big picture": the importance of the subject, your
selection of the course materials, your expectations for lesson preparation
and performance on examinations, advice on approaching the material, and any
other relevant information. View samples from Accounting
2101 and English 5232U.
- a variable number of "lessons," manageable units of study,
presenting the course content and assignments. At a minimum, each lesson should
(1) specify the reading assignment, (2) review, discuss, and explain the major
themes of the lesson, (3) present a written assignment to be submitted for
grading, and (4) provide a short list of objectives
that the student should master before proceeding to the next lesson. A typical
number of lessons is eight if your course has a midterm and a final examination;
nine if your course has only a final examination. Lessons can also include
review questions, self-tests with answers provided, URLs for relevant web
sites, field or laboratory assignments, and other components. View samples
from English 5232U, Horticulture
2000, Italian 1001, and
Marketing 3131U.
- a page providing information on the midterm and/or final
exam, such as the material covered, types of questions, suggestions on how
to prepare, grade weights, materials allowed at the test site, and anything
else you wish to include. View samples.
You can also see our step-by-step
guide to writing a course guide.
Although not included in the course guide itself, you will need
to prepare two versions of the examination(s). The versions are issued
randomly to reduce the possibility of academic dishonesty. Students have three
hours to complete an examination. You decide the scope of the exam, the types
of questions, and materials students can bring to the test site. Developing
a midterm is optional; however, midpoint exams give students a valuable opportunity
for evaluation and feedback before taking the final. According to IDL policy,
students must pass the final to pass the course, regardless of their grades
on the lessons and midterm, and they cannot retake the examination unless IDL
grants an appeal based on documentation and your approval.
You will need to submit a digital and hard copy of your
course guide and exams. The Course Design and Production team works on
PCs with WordPerfect and Word. Manuscripts prepared with other software
or on a Macintosh may be acceptable. Always contact the
editor
if you are uncertain whether your computer or software is compatible, or
if your manuscript will contain graphics, equations, or other specialized
elements.
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Producing the Course Guide
Once submitted, your manuscript is reviewed by the faculty
liaison, who will notify you of any initial problems. Next, it is edited
for grammar and clarity. Serious effort is made to retain your "voice"
in the written word. The editor then develops the layout of the course
guide, selecting fonts, clip art, and other design elements that reflect
the subject and enhance the "eye-appeal" of the page. You will be sent
a hard copy of the formatted manuscript and exams along with a letter outlining
any problems or questions to resolve. This is also your opportunity to
review the course guide and make any further changes before approving the
guide for production. Upon receiving your approval of the manuscript, IDL
will produce the CD-Rom and/or arrange for printing the booklets. You will
receive copies of the course guide and exams to use in teaching your course.
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Special Considerations for Web Courses
For many instructors and students in distance education,
the Internet is proving an ideal medium with its capacity for images,
interactivity, animation, and instant connections to an enormous array
of resources, as well as a variety of software and hardware. Most development
recommendations for print-based courses apply to online courses; however,
you should also be aware of the following special circumstances:
-
Web course elements should be chosen with course effectiveness
in mind, that is, the element clearly enhances learning of course materials.
Be certain course elements are feasible for distance learners everywhere.
-
You must be willing to be responsive to the technological
components chosen, such as monitoring your course for broken links.
- The limitless scope of the web environment makes possible boundless
learning. However, students need clear-cut course parameters and required
levels of performance to help them manage the course.
In general, the development of a web course proceeds after the print-based
course is completed, although some courses may be developed for web only. IDL
currently uses ALISSA (Asynchronous Learning Interface & Self Study Administrator) for its web courses.
Web instructional technology personnel
at the Georgia Center place courses into the ALISSA environment. Even if you have
existing web components to your classroom course, these will likely have to be
reformatted into IDL's web template. Faculty act as consultants, but are not required
to perform any technological processes outside actual course instruction.
The WebID group at the Georgia Center can offer faculty who are developing or
revising courses a wide array of technical enhancements to improve student understanding.
You may review samples of learning technologies at
http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/idl/webid/portfolio.html
If you wish to develop a new online course or an online version
of your existing course, first contact the Distance Education Faculty Coordinator. You will become
part of a web course design team that includes the editor, technology personnel,
and the faculty coordinator.
The process usually involves the following steps:
Development
The team determines content and basic design of the course,
usually based on your extant course print-guide. You
and other team members discuss appropriate course technology, as well as the
feasibility of course elements such as assignments, determining how best to
satisfy course requirements and good practices in distance learning. At
this time you may agree to develop additional content or other elements for
the course. IDL processes agreements as required for course preparation, instructional
services, and/or technology.
Implementation
After the course is reviewed for web feasibilty and any additional
elements are developed, the course is submitted to a web designer. A web designer creates the course by
- uploading course guide contents
- developing course navigation
- implementing course tools selected during planning
- incorporating texts/graphics into course site, adhering
to IDL basic course/site design
- developing special instructions/iconography as appropriate
to course elements
- working with you, as needed, throughout the implementation
process
Verification and Maintenance
At this point you are asked to approve the online course in
its developed form. The web developer demonstrates to
you online course management; when you are comfortable with the online course,
it is opened for enrollment. You will be expected to supply and monitor elements
(e.g., links) as indicated in the Technology Agreement. The web course design
team performs general maintenance of the online course.
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