Online Course Review and Certification Program (OCRC)

The Course Design Workbook: A Guide for Faculty was developed to assist faculty in preparing online courses for a successful review and certification. The workbook is divided into the following chapters:

Step 1: Learning Objectives

Step 2: Assessment & Learning Activities

Step 3: Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI)

Step 4: Creating a Course Map

Step 5: Course Review & Development Options

Step 6: Standard Canvas Course Templates Package

Appendix A: Worksheets

Appendix B: Worksheet Samples

Appendix C: Course Review Rubric 

Archived Workshop (Video) Sessions from Fall 2022

• Course Learning Outcomes & Module Learning Objectives:  What’s the difference anyway? by Dr. Teresa Gardner

• Out of Alignment: Successfully aligning course learning outcomes, module learning objectives, activities, and assessments by Dr. Chris Inman

• Regular & Substantive Interaction and Course Contact Hours by Dr. Chris Inman

• Course Mapping: Mapping Your Online Course by Dr. Allegra Smith

The instructional design team with Online@JSU has created a standard version of a Canvas course template package that incorporates and supports the goals and objectives mentioned in this workbook. The template package provides a consistent course design to help instructors “pass” a course certification review. The contents of the template package include a homepage, student and academic support modules and pages, and sixteen complete learning units on the modules page that can be edited by instructors as needed.

• Preview the template at this web address: https://jsu.instructure.com/courses/42421
• You can import the course package template from Canvas Commons into your Canvas course. It is titled “General Course Package or Template.

Online Program Requests

Leaders of 100%, fully online programs at Jacksonville State University may request a program review at any time. During a program’s review period, the program leaders (deans, department chairs, program coordinators, etc.) and instructional designers agree upon a course review schedule/timeline, and instructional designers (IDs) review each online course within the program and work with instructors to revise, or develop, courses if needed. At that time, IDs also offer services such as course building, template building, and more assistance as needed. (Instructors cannot sign up for this option.)

Key Points of Emphasis:

The following conditions are necessary to successfully complete a program review:

1. The academic leader who requests the review must play an active role in the process.
2. It is expected that the academic leader has communicated the review request and the review’s expectations to their faculty before the program review begins.
3. The instructional design team from Online@JSU will review the courses within the program and provide feedback, recommendations, and course templates that instructors may use in any requested course revision.
4. At this point in the process, the academic leader may request a continuation of the partnership between the instructional design team and instructors to revise the courses together as partners. If this request is submitted, instructors will be expected to partner as subject matter experts (SMEs) with the instructional design team to make course revisions together. Instructors are experts in their field; instructional designers are not.
   1. During this process, if instructors choose not to communicate or collaborate with the instructional design team, or become resistant to the recommendations and suggested revisions, the instructional design team may decide to discontinue the collaborative process and allow the academic leader and the instructors to discontinue the program revision process or to continue the revision process internally within the program. Once the academic leader and instructors believe their courses are ready for another certification review the leader may submit the program for review once more.
5. Once course revisions are completed as requested, the courses will be reviewed again for certification.
6. Based on the certification rubric, instructional designers will review and provide recommendations in the following areas:
   1. Learning Objectives
      1. All online courses must be comprised of complete learning units with corresponding module/unit learning objectives. A course review cannot be completed if units and learning objectives are not present.
   2. Course Organization
   3. Course Navigation
   4. Course Alignment
   5. Course Engagement (instructor to student; student to student; student to instructor; student to content)
   6. Accessibility
   7. Mobile Compatibility
7. Instructional designers will not do the following:
   1. Change the content instructors teach.
   2. Require that content be taught with specific course material.
   3. Require that content be taught using specific teaching strategies in lieu of preferred strategies.
   4. Note: Instructional designers may suggest trying different teaching strategies or incorporating types of material or resources to achieve different objectives for certification, but instructors have complete control of these decisions.

Online Course Review Requests

1. How is the Certified Online Instructor Course (COI) connected to the OCRC?
   • The COI is an optional professional development course that certifies instructors. The OCRC is a program that certifies courses. 
2. How long does a certification last?
   • Once a course is certified, the certification lasts for three years. Once this period concludes, the course will be reviewed again.
3. Is this program for my course?
   • The OCRC is for ALL online courses at JAX state, including synchronous and asynchronous courses.
4. Am I required to attend the OCRC workshops?
   • No, the workshops are optional. All information needed can be found in the Online Course Certification Guide and the Online Course Design Workbook.
5. Can I meet with an instructional designer to discuss this process and my online course(s)? 
   • Absolutely! We will be glad to meet with you. Email us at online@jsu.edu. We can meet in person or online in Microsoft Teams.
6. Does this process infringe on my academic freedom as an instructor?
   • Absolutely NOT! At no point in time will the process require an instructor to teach content or exclude content. YOU are the expert in your field.
7. Can I schedule a workshop or series of workshops specifically for my program or department? 
   • Absolutely! Contact us at online@jsu.edu to discuss this option.
8. How long does it take to complete an online program review?
   • The timeline varies from program to program and depends on a number of variables.