Criteria for Evaluating
the Development
Time Required
The readiness of
existing course content
Your experience with
online teaching
and learning
Your perceptions of
online learning
Effective course design begins with planning and evaluation.
Your strategic decisions regarding course structure, including synchronous vs. asynchronous communications and events as well as different types of assessment, will impact how learners engage with the material and each other. Before delving in, take time to consider 1) the readiness of the course in its current state and 2) your comfort level with the educational technologies that can enhance it. Considering these elements will help you assess the level of effort required to adapt the course to an online environment.
If you already teach a version of your online course in a physical classroom, you will need to adapt the existing materials to a digital format and factor in how to best utilize the same technologies online or choose different supporting technologies.
Remember, online course development is a longer process than for face-to-face courses because there is usually more media production, as well as more time spent on creating, testing, and troubleshooting the technology.
To help determine the scope of work that is needed to develop an online course, complete the following survey:
From the results, you will be able to better plan, organize, and allocate the appropriate time and resources.