Creating Standardized Course
Design
David Martin
Nellie Modaress
Rosann O’Dell
Norbert Belz
KU Medical Center
KU Medical Center
62%20%
18%
KUMC Schools
School of Medicine - 2060 students
School of Nursing - 662 students
School of Health Professions - 591 students
School of Health Professions:
» Health Information
Management (40)
» Clinical Lab Science
» Respiratory Care
» Occupational Therapy
» Physical Therapy
» Dietetics and Nutrition
» Nurse Anesthesia
» Speech-Language-
Hearing
What is HIM?
©iStock.com licensed image
Reduction in student frustration with course organization
• [HIM examples] Prior online experience – instructor & student:
– Hunting vs. Learning
– Posting to post
– Clarity of information
– Overwhelming
• Nursing:
– Student feedback
– Literature Review
– Quality Matters
– Accreditation Standards
Why Standardization
• Standardized course designs results in creating and organizing a
framework of course templates that result in a path to online learning
that is student centered and allows the institution to scale up
enrollment with quality education (Schnetter et al., 2014)
• Quality course development is consistency in design. To increase
the comfort level of students, all courses in a program should have a
similar look and feel. Online courses need similar design,
organization, and structure across the modules within the course
and within the coursework in a program (Borgemenke et al., 2013).
• Although structure of course design is pivotal to success; process of
content delivery is also key to successful online courses (Schnetter
et al., 2014)
Why Standardization: Literature
Review
Expanding course enrollment (multiple sections)
• Financial Viability
• Application of QM Rubric (ie. Faculty-student
ration, course design, etc.)
• New faculty orientation
• Less questions about format, more focus on
learning
Why Standardization
Ability to respond to increasing student volume
• Effective utilization of additional faculty
(adjuncts)
• Focus on Strengths: Division of
task/responsibilities in course design, delivery
and evaluation
• Utilize service sector professional workforce for
online student interaction
Why Standardization
Link and align course content and overall program
content
• Identification of program terminal outcomes
• Determination of curriculum themes
• Nationally accepted curriculum outcomes
promoted identification of curriculum themes
• Course structures followed curriculum themes
Why Standardization
Improve process of program accreditation
• Utilization of a learning management
system to collect evidence needed to meet
accreditation standards
Innovation in education
• Faculty can focus on creative content and
delivery
Why Standardization
Nursing Approach:
Standardization
• Welcome document based on Quality
Matters rubric
• Blackboard template
• ADA requirements
• Faculty-developed Nursing course
template
• Beginning of Semester checklist
Nursing Approach:
Standardization
• Snapshot of
– BB template
– Course design
– Beginning of semester checklist
– UDL course
Nursing Bb Template
Welcome TemplateWelcome	to	the	Course	(QM	Standard	1.8)
Fill in the instructor’s message here
Communicating With the Instructor (QM Standard 1.1)
When questions arise during the course of this class, please remember to check these three
sources for an answer before asking me to reply to your individual questions:
1. Course syllabus
2. Announcements in Blackboard
3. The General Discussion for Questions about Course
This policy will help you in potentially identifying answers before I can get back to you and it
also helps me from answering similar questions or concerns multiple times.
If you cannot find an answer to your question, please first post your question to the General
Discussion for Questions about Course discussion board. Here your question can be answered for
the benefit of all students by either your peers who know the answer to your question or by me.
You are encouraged to answer questions from your peers in the discussion forum should you
know the answer to a question to help provide timely assistance.
If you have questions of a personal nature such as relating to a personal emergency, questioning
a grade on an assignment, or something else that needs to be communicated privately, you are
welcome to contact me via email or phone.
General Course Policies: (QM Standard 1.4)
Email:
Please email me if you have personal/private questions: (provide instructor email address)
• Normally, I will reply to email within 24 hours during regular business hours (Monday-
Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm)
• Occasionally, I will be unable to respond within that time frame but will inform the class
in advance
• To ensure quick response over the weekends, please submit your questions no later than
Friday morning.
Policy for turning in assignments after the due date:
As a general rule, late work will not be accepted. However, I do understand that emergencies
may happen. Therefore, the late policy may be waived at the instructor’s discretion in case of an
emergency. Emergencies are defined as anything serious and unexpected. Emergencies cannot
be written on the calendar in advance. Examples of emergencies are: heart attacks, car accidents,
a serious health crisis of the student or in the student’s immediate family. Examples of non-
emergencies are: family weddings, vacations, conferences, or any other event. Informing the
course faculty about upcoming events enhances potential for accommodation.
Beginning of Semester
ChecklistDepartment of Teaching and Learning Technologies
Beginning	of	Semester	Checklist	
	
	
	
	
Logon to Blackboard (http://bb.kumc.edu) to make sure your course has been
created. If it’s not in your course list, please request from Nellie Modaress
(nmodares@kumc.edu)
	
	
Upload your course syllabus
	
	 Update Due Dates (Course Tools>>Date Management)
	 Discussion Boards are linked correctly and due dates established
Check external and file links for validity
	
Create Welcome Announcement (send a few days before start of classes)
	
	
Orient your students to the course
• Create a course tour with Camtasia Relay (records your voice and
captures what’s displayed on the computer screen)
• Use Adobe Connect to orient your students to the course.
	
Make your course available for students (Customization>>Properties>>Set
Availability>>Yes
	
	
ADA accessibility compliance for Word, Powerpoint or .pdf documents
(File>>Info>>Check for Issues>>Check Accessibility
https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Check-for-accessibility-issues-a16f6de0-
2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f	
	
	
Contact Heather Collins (hcollins@kumc.edu) for copyright questions and
assistance with using library resources (8-7330).
Contact Tim Doughty to test in the Testing Center using Respondus (lock-
down browser) (8-1471).
HIM Approach: Standardization
• Blackboard Template
• Consistent due times
• Hybrid courses-flipped classroom
• Online discussion boards: required posts
to view others, on-campus assignments in
discussion boards
• Incorporating online post in class
discussions
• HIM Check-list
HIM
Approach
LMS Checklist:
[hand out]
HIM Approach: Standardization
HIM Approach: Standardization
Effectiveness
• Student feedback
• Faculty feedback & experiences
Challenges
• Faculty resistant to change
• Time commitments and resources
• Adjuncts
• Culture shift
Lessons Learned
• Best practices approach
• On-going semester planning sessions
• Standardization a necessity, but challenging
• Patience is a virtue
• Involve faculty in the process
• Technology helps, but does not solve
problems
• Resistance à not understanding
• Seek help – use your resources
Next Steps
• Creativity in delivery content: Integrating
multimedia & student accountability
• Pre-record most/all lectures
• Continuous quality improvement
• Mentoring faculty
Are you convinced?
How can we help?
References
• Bachman, C. M., & Stewart, C. (2011). Self-Determination Theory and Web-
Enhanced Course Template Development. Teaching of Psychology, 38(3), 180–
188. http://doi.org/10.1177/0098628311411798
• Berrett, D. (2012). The Imperfect Art of Designing Online Courses: Rio Salado
College, Kaplan U., and a Drexel U. graduate program follow similar models.
The Chronicle of Higher Education.
• Borgemenke, A. J., Holt, W. C., & Fish, W. W. (2013). Universal Course Shell
Template Design and Implementation to Enhance Student Outcomes in Online
Coursework. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 14(1), 17–23.
• Schnetter, V. A., Lacy, D., Jones, M. M., Bakrim, K., Allen, P. E., & O’Neal, C.
(2014). Course development for web-based nursing education programs. Nurse
Education in Practice, 14(6), 635–640.