Course Design Rubric

I have been involved in reviewing online courses recently so I needed some kind rubric to guide me. One of the industry standards is Quality Matters. One thing to make QM more relevant is that SLN is partnered with them, although I recently learned that as SLN transitions to OPEN SUNY, they will be using their own rubric, based largely off the Chico Rubric.

I first began course review using QM. The process was long because the rubric has something like 8 categories and 42 total specific benchmarks to measure when reviewing an online course. The process was even longer because I had to learn how to interpret some of the benchmarks. And some of the benchmarks only the sme would be able to measure. So I began looking for another way.

I wanted something simpler. For example when I began training faculty on how to use Angel lms when we moved from blackboard, I did go to the 6 sln training courses but my team made our own series of training courses for our faculty. Mainly because I wanted to break down the training/learning into is simplest, most basic components. I did not want to get side track, or too advanced to quickly. This was/is my approach to building my own course review rubric.

I looked at other rubrics out there to get some ideas. I sent out surveys to my faculty and students asking them what they love and hate and want more of, out of our online courses. I looked back at my own experiences as a student taking an online degree program. I looked back at what I actually learned during my online masters studies. And lastly I went through each one of our online courses, and most of our blended courses to see what faculty are and are not doing.

With that I have 9 major categories that I think are vital for any profession online course.

1. Design - the course must be uniform. It should flow, It should have due dates posted in many places, Each module should have an overview.
2. Objectives - There should be course level and module level objectives, and they should match. The readings and assignments should all be in synch with the objectives
3. Interaction - Online learning needs plenty of interaction to prevent students from feeling isolated.
4. Assessment Variety - lets use blooms taxonomy to touch on every level of learning
5. Over Communication - explain everything you expect from the students, explain how the readings and lectures they use to complete the assessments will help them meet their objectives, explain what you expect them to do for their assignments, give examples.
6. Teacher Presence - My vip of the group. Students take college courses instead of readings books so they can be guided in their learning by a pro. If the student does not feel like the pro is involved enough, guiding enough, mentoring enough, the student will feel frustrated.
7. Multimedia - student learn best using multiple formats, so lets add some audio, video, and graphics to your course
8. Reflection - have the students reflect on their learning, the changes in their thinking, the growth of their thinking, 
9. Ice Breaker Activities - to have fully engaged interaction the class must trust each other. Ice Breaker activities begin to build that trust.

 I would put teacher presence and interaction at the top of the list.