Distance Course Request - Development

Training

New Courses - New Instructors

Faculty who have not previously developed a Distance Learning Web Course at Portland Community College and who are proposing to develop or do major revision to an existing course must complete the Online Instructor Orientation (OIO). This consists of 4 parts:

  1. Introduction to the Online Environment - This course orients the new user to the Desire 2 Learn environment. Learners experience online assessments, discussions, and assignments from an end-user (student) perspective, and discover available sources of assistance inside and outside Desire 2 Learn. The goal of the course is for new instructors to explore – and possibly answer – the question, “Is online teaching for me?” Approx course time: 4 hours.

  2. Basic Desire 2 Learn Development Skills Part 1 - This two-part, face-to-face (classroom-based) course guides instructors through a series of tasks, completed step-by-step in unison, with assistance provided by expert “rovers.” In part I, instructors develop assignments, assessments, discussions, and learning modules, and learn to use other basic tools within Desire 2 Learn. In part II, instructors create HTML pages and manipulate them within Desire 2 Learn. Approx course time: 4 hours (2, 2-hr. sessions)

  3. Online Design Skills - This course introduces the new online developer to the design standards PCC uses for design of high-quality online courses. The standards derive from the University of Maryland’s “Quality Matters” project. In this course, new online developers will apply the design standards to sample online courses. Approx course time: 6 hours

  4. Online Teaching Skills - This course helps to build skills for teaching effectively in the online environment. Topics include managing an online class, creating effective discussion topics, building community in the online classroom, and increasing interactivity. Approx course time: 6 hours

Takeover Courses - New Instructors

Faculty who are taking over an existing course with minimal changes and who have never taught an on-line class for PCC must complete parts 1, 2, and 4 of the above training. (To be certified to develop a new online course in the future, the instructor must also take part 3 of the training.)

Takeover Courses - Late request

After the course request deadline has passed and training is already in progress, faculty who are taking over an existing course with minimal changes and who have never taught an on-line class for PCC must complete the Fast Track Online Mentoring program which requires 10 hours of pre-teaching mentoring and 10 hours of in-class mentoring by an experienced on-line teacher resulting in certification of the new instructor as a qualified online instructor. (To be certified to develop a new online course in the future, the instructor must also take part 3 of the training listed above.)

Compensation for Training

New instructors are eligible to submit up to 20 hours of training time, which may include time spent on any part of the training listed above. Hours are paid at the project rate, and they need to be submitted on a bi-weekly timesheet to Dennis Hitchcox in Distance Education (SY TCB 116). Note: Mentors and mentees completing a "fast track takeover" (requested late) may also submit up to 20 hours.

Compensation for Course Development

New course
100% stipend (list amount per credit... $629.64/cr hr.)
Major Revision
up to 50% of stipend
Take Over
No stipend

Timelines

New Courses and Major Revisions: It generally takes more than a term to develop a new course. A new instructor must complete the OIO Training in order to complete the course, and thus must follow the term timeline. Experienced online instructors who do not need the OIO may vary when they begin the development, but course reviews must be completed according to the schedule in order for the course to be taught when scheduled. Review dates are set early to allow time for formative feedback from the DE consultant and the division dean.

Steps in new course development and revision for new instructors

  1. Request submitted by Division Dean or Department Chair
  2. Confirmation of request and clarification
  3. Instructor/DE consultant meet to begin development process- Quality Matters
  4. Letter of Agreement with Dean, Instructor, and DE Dept
  5. OIO Training and Development begin
  6. Formative evaluation and feedback to instructor for revision
  7. OIO ends- payment of training stipend
  8. Final course review - report to Dean and instructor
  9. After the course meets review standards, Dean review and approval
  10. Payment of stipend

Steps in new course development and revision for instructors who have previously developed an online class for PCC

  1. Request submitted by Division Dean or Department Chair
  2. Confirmation of request and clarification
  3. Instructor/DE consultant meet to begin development process- Quality Matters
  4. Letter of Agreement with Dean, Instructor, and DE Dept
  5. Formative evaluation and feedback to instructor for revision
  6. Final course review - report to Dean and instructor
  7. After the course meets review standards, Dean review and approval
  8. Payment of stipend

Steps in taking over an existing course by a new instructor who has not previously taught an online course for PCC

  1. Request submitted by Division Dean or Department Chair
  2. Identify an instructor and course shell
  3. Letter of Agreement with Dean, Instructor, and DE Dept
  4. Mentor and Instructor paid stipend according to LOA
  5. OIO Training and Development begin (parts 1, 2, & 4)
  6. Formative evaluation and feedback to instructor for revision
  7. OIO ends- payment of training stipend
  8. Final course review - report to Dean and instructor
  9. After the course meets review standards, Dean review and approval
  10. Payment of stipend

Steps in the takeover of an existing course by a veteran distance learning instructor.

  1. Request submitted by Division Dean or Department Chair
  2. Confirmation of request and clarification

Steps for the "fast track takeover" - takeover an existing course by a new instructor who has not previously taught an online course for PCC (late request - after official training)

  1. Request submitted by Division Dean or Department Chair
  2. Identify instructor, a mentor and a course shell
  3. Letter of Agreement with Dean, Instructor, Mentor, and DE Dept and skills checklist
  4. Mentor completes skills checklist and submits to DE Dept
  5. Mentor and Instructor paid hourly compensation depending on time spent, up to 20 hours each.