Strengthen my online course
Online courses evolve over time. New teaching approaches, accessibility expectations, student needs, and changes to course content can all create opportunities to improve the learning experience.
Whether you want feedback on one part of your course, help making targeted improvements, or support with a substantial redesign, Online Learning offers several ways to work with an instructional designer.
Online Course Design Framework
Online Learning uses the Online Course Design Framework (OCDF) to review online courses and identify opportunities to strengthen the student learning experience. The framework helps us look at the course as a whole, including organization, alignment, accessibility, student engagement, workload, and instructor interaction.
What Would You Like to Improve?
Course improvement can take many forms. We can help you strengthen areas such as:
- course organization and navigation
- accessibility and usability
- alignment between outcomes, activities, and assessments
- student engagement and interaction
- assignment and assessment design
- course pacing and workload
- clarity of instructions and expectations
- consistency across modules or sections
- the overall student experience
The right level of support depends on what you want to accomplish and how much of the course you are ready to change.
Focused Support
Sometimes you don’t need to redesign an entire course to make a meaningful improvement. Focused support is designed for specific questions, challenges, or targeted updates within an existing course. Whether you want feedback on one assignment, help improving a particular module, or guidance on a design decision, our instructional designers can help you identify practical next steps without committing to a larger development project.
1:1 Consultation
Have a specific course-design question or challenge?
Meet one-on-one with an instructional designer to brainstorm ideas, get feedback, or identify practical next steps. Consultations are a good fit when you want focused support without taking on a larger redesign project.
A consultation may be a good fit if you:
- want feedback on a particular assignment, module, or activity
- are trying to solve a specific design challenge
- want help thinking through possible approaches
- are not sure what kind of support you need yet
Course Quality Jumpstart
Give an existing online course a focused quality boost.
An instructional designer will review your course, identify high-impact opportunities for improvement, and make targeted updates on your behalf. Each Jumpstart is intentionally limited in scope, allowing us to focus on practical improvements that can make a meaningful difference for students.
A Course Quality Jumpstart may be a good fit if you:
- have an established course that needs targeted improvement
- want help identifying the highest-impact changes
- need support with organization, consistency, accessibility, or usability
- are not looking for a full course redesign
Course Quality Jumpstart will be offered on a limited basis.
Ready for a Deeper Redesign?
Some courses need more than targeted updates. If you are ready to substantially rethink the structure, learning activities, assessments, interaction, or overall student experience, DesignFlex and the Course Design Institute provide more comprehensive support.
DesignFlex
Build or strengthen an online course through a flexible, supported design process.
DesignFlex combines targeted asynchronous learning with just-in-time instructional design guidance as you work through your course. Faculty work at their own pace and may take up to one academic year to complete the process.
DesignFlex may be a good fit if you:
- want to substantially improve or redesign your course
- prefer to work at your own pace
- want ongoing access to instructional design guidance
- would benefit from a flexible development timeline
Course Design Institute
Substantially redesign your online course through a structured, cohort-based development experience.
During the seven-week Course Design Institute, faculty work through key elements of online course design with guidance, resources, milestones, instructional design feedback, and opportunities to learn alongside colleagues.
The Course Design Institute may be a good fit if you:
- want to make significant changes to your course
- prefer a structured timeline and clear milestones
- value feedback and interaction with a faculty cohort
- want dedicated support as you work through the redesign process
Strengthening a shared program course?
Programs and SACs may also partner with Online Learning to improve courses that are intended for shared faculty use.
Refresh/Revision
A SAC Shell Refresh may be appropriate when an existing shared course needs style, accessibility, organization, or usability updates but the subject matter and instructional content are not substantially changing.
Courses requiring a major programmatic redesign may be considered for a Signature Course Development or a Course Design Institute project.
Explore Course Design Services for Programs →
Not Sure Where to Start?
You do not need to know which service is the right fit before contacting us. Tell us what you would like to improve, and we can help identify the level of support that best matches your course, goals, and timeline.