Course Development

Course Mode Considerations

The decision to create and teach a fully online or hybrid course depends on several different factors. While there is some research that suggests student retention may be higher in hybrid courses (Dzuiban & Moskal), whether or not to create an online or hybrid course should be contingent upon the availability of resources and the learning outcomes to be met for each department.

Fully Online Courses

Advantages

  • Convenient for out-of-district students
  • One type of learning modality (electronic delivery) for students to manage
  • Reduced student commute time/resources needed to go to classes
  • Increased course offerings without increased classroom space
  • Less need to worry about scheduling classroom space

Disadvantages

  • Student authentication more difficult to establish
  • Problems with technology harder to handle for students not familiar with distance education
  • More difficult for some students to feel they are learning without face-to-face instructor contact

Hybrid Courses

Advantages

  • Easier for instructors to know their students
  • A wider range of learning opportunities to make the best use of each modality
  • More opportunities to document student learning
  • Student authentication easier to establish 鈥� instructors have the chance to interact with students both face-to-face and online
  • Technological problems handled in both the face-to-face and online environments

Disadvantages

  • Less convenient for out-of-district students
  • Decreased face-to-face class meetings easier to equate with lessened course workload
  • On-campus physical resources (classroom space, office hours, lab time) used

 

Instructor Currency

Distance education courses are subject to a significant number of Federal and State regulations, strict accreditation standards, and required local policies. It is highly recommended that faculty in charge of proposing or modifying distance education courses have recent training (within the past 3 years) in online instruction to ensure they are knowledgeable in current regulatory guidelines and principles of effective online pedagogy.  It is also suggested that this faculty member is responsible for teaching, revising and updating the courses on a regular basis.

Faculty who teach online at 黑料正能量C must be proficient in certain basic technology literacy skills and online pedagogical readiness in order to assure course quality and to assist students with the technology used in content delivery. Faculty may be required to participate in additional professional development activities in order to fulfill College policy, meet federal and state regulations, and accreditation requirements. ().

Suggested Rubric for DE Course Development

Courses Low Priority Courses High Priority Courses
Transferable
Numbered 1 鈥� 99
  • Courses that do not have a current on-campus equivalent
  • Stand Alone Courses
  • Courses with historically low enrollment numbers
  • Courses that have limited sections offered each year
  • Courses that are currently undergoing an on-ground curriculum redesign
  • Courses that have a current on-campus equivalent
  • Courses needed for the AA-T & AS-T
  • Transfer-level courses
  • Courses identified by a Program Review/Division Head as high need courses
  • High impact courses (e.g. offering such courses will increase section offerings )
  • Courses that have an expired Form D (5 years or older) providing most, if not all of the above criteria have been met
CareerTech
  • Courses that do not have a current on-campus equivalent
  • Stand Alone Courses
  • Courses with historically low enrollment numbers
  • Courses that have limited sections offered each year
  • Courses that are currently undergoing an on-ground curriculum redesign
  • Courses that have a current on-campus equivalent
  • Part of a Certificate of Achievement
  • Courses identified by a Program Review/Division Head as high need courses
  • High impact courses (e.g. offering such courses will increase section offerings )
  • Courses that have an expired Form D (2 years or older) providing most, if not all of the above criteria have been met
Basic Skills/ Nontransferable
Numbered 100 鈥� 999
  • Courses that do not have a current on-campus equivalent
  • Courses that prepare a small number of students for college level work
  • Courses that improve student success for a significant percentage of the student population
  • Courses that prepare a large number of students for college level work
  • Courses that support high impact general education and transfer level courses

Course Development Timeline

The development of a new online or hybrid course for instructors who need to (re)train to teach online takes about a year. The actual design of the course takes approximately 300 hours. The time frame for creating a course depends on the amount of time it takes for instructors to train and whether or not the course will need revisions during the Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Committee approval process. Any new distance education course will be taught in the second semester after it has been approved and cleared to teach by the Distance Education Department. (For example, if Form D is approved in the Fall it could be taught the following Summer so as to allow for course development.)

The process to file Form D follows the same timeline as all C&I Course Modifications. For C&I resources and due dates, please refer to the Curriculum and Instruction page on the 黑料正能量C website. 

Note: The C&I Committee will review the entire course when Form D is added/renewed. Faculty filing Form D must also be conversant in the standards required for the entire Course Outline of Record.

The job of the Distance Education Department is to advise and guide faculty during the course development process to make certain that each new course meets all 黑料正能量C standards for best practices and to provide support to the Curriculum & Instruction Committee when reviewing Form D. Form D will only be reviewed by a member of the Distance Education Department during C&I Technical Review.

Form D

Form D is a supplemental document detailing the distance education component of a course and undergoes a separate C&I Committee approval process (Title 5, Section 55206). Before any online or hybrid course can be taught at 黑料正能量C there MUST be an officially approved Form D on file. It is recommended that a full-time faculty member be in charge of creating and filing Form D.

Purpose of Form D

The purpose of Form D is to confirm that the course meets Federal, State, WASC and 黑料正能量C quality indicators and accessibility requirements. Each Form D should determine how the goals and objectives of the course will be met, confirm methods of instruction and assessment that illustrate best practices in online learning and academic integrity, and provide for regular means of ongoing course evaluation. Faculty must demonstrate that they understand how to incorporate best pra