The successful design of an online or hybrid course requires thoughtful consideration of how the modality shift impacts teaching and learning, both logistically and pedagogically. You should expect a shift in approach from the way you teach in a physical classroom, and you’ll need to determine what components will be asynchronous or synchronous depending on your course’s assigned modality. If you are teaching a hybrid course, you’ll want to figure out how to maximize the time you spend in person and what can be done effectively online.
Online and hybrid courses are usually developed many months before they are taught. The better designed the course is in advance, the more time you will be able to devote to facilitating the course.
The online and hybrid course development process is described below. Select each step to learn more.
The first question to ask yourself at the beginning of course design is what should my students know, value, or be able to do by the course’s end? Your answers to this question will influence everything- from how you organize your weekly content, to the readings you select, activities you conduct, and assessments you create.
You will transform these answers into course goals, measurable broad outcomes your students should achieve by taking your course. Your course goals will help you define learning objectives, which are more specific and measurable. Mastery of these will be demonstrated through your assessments. Beginning with your end goals in mind embodies Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design (UbD) framework, which follows a “backwards” design approach. They recommend you start by defining your course goals and learning outcomes (LOs), facilitating your students’ learning journey by planning every aspect of your course around your course goals. The path to achieving those goals typically entails students’ active engagement with course materials, activities, discussions, assessments, and much more. You’ll plan these materials and activities in the next two steps.