Online Course Production

Detailed Course Production Process Overview

Quality Matters – Overview and Resources

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Online Teaching Guides

Overview

The course development process is a semester long collaborative partnership with the faculty member serving as a subject matter expert (SME) and the instructional designer (ID) as the online learning expert and project manager. The goal of the process is a complete, student-ready online or blended course guided by the School of Professional Studies’ Students First Framework.

What does Students First mean? It means a course experience specifically designed for students that is flexible, engaging, accessible, inclusive, aligned, and relevant.

SMEs will work with an ID to design courses that meet the needs of UNC Charlotte’s adult learners, but also are easier and more sustainable to teach from an instructor perspective.

NOTE: Faculty SMEs for the course development process are recruited and selected by the School of Professional Studies in collaboration with programs and departments. Please complete the interest form if you would like more information.

Responsibilities

SME

Course Production Team

The majority of SMEs report spending 2-5 hours per week on the process

  • Meet with ID throughout process (meetings are included in reported time)
  • Provide drafts of course elements
  • Consult with ID on look & feel of course
  • Collaborate with ID on revisions to course elements
  • Outline existing course and provide feedback and revision suggestions on course elements
  • Fine tune alignment
  • Identify OER resources
  • Produce media
  • Build Canvas shell with template
  • Build all modules, pages, assignments, and materials in Canvas
  • Format documents and media for accessibility
  • Set due dates, assignment settings, and complete gradebook setup
  • Complete final checks to ensure readiness

Timeline & Milestones

The course development process spans the length of the academic semester in fall, spring, and summer. Each cohort begins on the first official day of the semester and ends during finals week. This means that the summer cohort is slightly shorter than the fall and spring cohorts.

Fall Cohorts

Timeline

Phases & Milestones

Summary
May-July

Intake Meeting​

 Discuss course goals, confirm modality, brainstorm big challenges
August, Week 1 Process Start IDs will reach out to schedule a first meeting, learn the details of your development process, and explain the process in more detail
August – September, Weeks 1-6 Course Planning Plan overall course design and structure with ID
October – November, Weeks 7-12 Course Development ID builds course in Canvas
November- December, Weeks 13-16 Course Polishing Collaborate with ID to polish and revise course
December, Week 16 Course Completion Course is done!
December, Week 16 Course Close-out Showcase Present completed course to chair, peers, and School of Professional Studies leadership.

Spring Cohorts

Timeline

Phases & Milestones

Summary
October-December

Intake Meeting​

 Discuss course goals, confirm modality, brainstorm big challenges
January, Week 1 Process Start IDs will reach out to schedule a first meeting, learn the details of your development process, and explain the process in more detail
January – February, Weeks 1-6 Course Planning Plan overall course design and structure with ID
February – April Weeks 7-12 Course Development ID builds course in Canvas
April, Weeks 13-16 Course Polishing Collaborate with ID to polish and revise course
April, Week 16 Course Completion Course is done!
April, Week 16 Course Close-out Showcase Present completed course to chair, peers, and School of Professional Studies leadership.

Summer Cohorts

Timeline

Phases & Milestones

Summary
March-May

Intake Meeting​

 Discuss course goals, confirm modality, brainstorm big challenges
May, Week 1 Process Start IDs will reach out to schedule a first meeting, learn the details of your development process, and explain the process in more detail
May – June, Weeks 1-6 Course Planning Plan overall course design and structure with ID
June – July, Weeks 7-10 Course Development ID builds course in Canvas
July – August, Weeks 11-13 Course Polishing Collaborate with ID to polish and revise course
August, Week 13 Course Completion Course is done!
August, Week 13 Course Close-out Showcase Present completed course to chair, peers, and School of Professional Studies leadership.

Expectations

By the end of the process, you will have a complete, student-ready course. Your course should:

  • Align with Students First Framework guidelines as established by Course Production Team and course development process
  • Meet the Quality Matters Student-Ready Checklist requirements as evaluated by the instructional designer
  • Contain accessible files, documents, presentations, videos, and Canvas pages