For Faculty

ID Team Course Review

By Chyrel Mayfield, Associate Director, Instructional Design and Curriculum Development

The goal of every great faculty member or instructor is to create a quality, educational experience for students. In the online environment, creating that experience is even more important for students that may never see a classroom.

Last month, we covered the ABCs (alignment, balance, and clarity) of general course design. Those ABCs are a great start towards a quality course. This month we are going to the other end of the spectrum and are discussing the course review. The course review is a great way to ensure that you have created that quality educational experience. The course review is available to all faculty and instructors. No previous work with the Instructional Design team is required to request one.

Faculty members and instructors can request a course review at any time during your course development process. Generally, the review is conducted at the completion of development. Once a course review is requested, a member of the Instructional Design team will contact you with a few questions. They will visit with you about any specific concerns or issues that you might have with your course. They will also need to be added to your course for the purpose of the review.

The review process is simple and straightforward. The instructional designer will use the Open SUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) rubric to evaluate the course for quality components. The OSCQR rubric includes six content areas and fifty total individual items for evaluation. The content areas include Course Overview and Information, Course Technology and Tools, Design and Layout, Content and Activities, Interaction and Assessment and Feedback. Each individual item is given a score and an action plan for improving that score, if necessary.

The instructional designer will contact you to discuss their findings once the review is complete. You will also receive a copy of the completed review. We would highly recommend that you continue working with the instructional designer to make any recommended revisions. Our team is here to help you!

So, whether you have designed and built your online course alone or with help from our Instructional Design team, a course review can help ensure that your course meets quality standards and provides a quality educational experience for students. For more information about the course review process or to request a course review, please contact the Instructional Design team at elearning.id@ttu.edu.