Course Development
The course development process for our online and hybrid courses is an intensive 4 month process that includes learning about Quality Matters, online course design, best practices and various other online course regulations. Each talented faculty member is paired up with an instructional designer and the result is a great online or hybrid learning experience. If you are interested in creating an online or hybrid course for delivery on the regional campuses, please refer to Getting Started.
The Online Course Development Process
In contrast to a traditional face-to-face course, the development of an online course is a collaborative effort joining the discipline expertise of a faculty member serving as the course author (or several!) with the pedagogy expertise of an instructional designer. The course author is a Miami University faculty member who has been selected by his/her academic department to serve as the content expert or steward, bringing experience with the subject matter and effective learning strategies to the project. The instructional designer provides expertise in course design, adult learning pedagogy, online regulatory/compliance standards, and distance education. Depending on the complexity of the course design, additional personnel may also be part of the development team, such as programmers, graphic artists, videographers, etc.
Faculty who agree to author an online course should be prepared to:
Appreciate and use the instructional design process in creating an online course
Work within a schedule and meet stated deadlines for course development and design
Partner effectively with a learning design team and campus partners in the development of the online course
Create course materials and activities that consider the needs of adult and online learners
Be eager to share ideas and collaborate with others
Be dedicated to infuse to humanizing the online experience with engaging collaboration and interaction between the content, instructor, and students
Appreciate the intensive time and energy required to produce online course materials and set aside significant space to meet the desired outcomes
Be willing to incorporate multiple learning strategies throughout the course activities s to make content more engaging and effective for multiple learning styles
Effectively develop course outcomes and explain concepts, principles, procedures, etc.
Be accepting of feedback, constructive criticism, and new ideas
Be comfortable with computer-based technology and be willing to learn about new technologies
Manage time effectively, meet scheduled deadlines, and produce a completed course within a specified time period.
Be self-motivated with a strong interest in exploring new ideas and trying new things
Comply with relevant accessibility, plagiarism, and copyright guidelines
