• Course Definitions
• Quick Reference Guide – Course Development
• Current MTSU Online/Hybrid Courses and Programs
• Course Development Deadlines
• Criteria for Course Development
• Online/Hybrid Course Guidelines
• Getting Started

DEFINITIONS
Online Courses
Online courses are taught primarily over the internet and can include video components on DVD or streaming.  Frequent interaction with the student is necessary, and response to student questions should be provided within 24 to 48 hours.

Online courses cannot require any physical class attendance although “optional” on-campus/face-to-face meetings and proctored exams may be offered.

A development fee is paid for course development, and all courses are peer reviewed and receive final approval by the department chair.

MTSU currently supports Desire2Learn (D2L), and all online courses are developed and taught in this learning environment system. Online courses are usually taught as part of the faculty members course load.

Hybrid Courses
A significant portion (80%) of the instruction and activity takes place online.  Hybrid courses can require face-to-face or on-campus meetings up to, and no more than, nine (9) hours total for the semester.  Optional meetings of any number may be offered. 

A course development fee is paid, and all courses are peer reviewed and receive final approval by the department chair.

MTSU currently supports Desire2Learn (D2L), and all hybrid courses are developed and taught in this learning environment system. Hybrid courses are usually taught as part of the faculty member's course load.

Web-Assisted Courses
Web-assisted courses are a blend of classroom (more than 9 hours per semester) and online instruction which utilizes the web to reduce the time traditionally spent in the classroom.  Courses are not peer reviewed, and development fees are not paid.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE – to our course development process

CURRENT MTSU ONLINE/HYBRID COURSES and PROGRAMS
Courses that are new to MTSU (those which have not yet been taught in the classroom or online/hybrid) must receive approval by the MTSU Curriculum Committee and/or the MTSU Graduate Council prior to development.

Development fees are paid only for courses not previously developed for online/hybrid delivery.

Courses

• Undergraduate Online Courses
• Graduate Online Courses
• Undergraduate Hybrid Courses
• Graduate Hybrid Courses

Programs

• Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Technology and Curriculum Design.  (http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11218/EDSp.htm) Dr. Dorothy V. Craig, Program Director, Department of Educational Leadership
• Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction (http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/faculty/faculty_forms/TESLEdS.pdf) with a Specialization in ESL
• M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision with a concentration in Library Science (http://mtsu32.mtsu.edu:11485/) - Dr. Kathy Patten, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership
• M.Ed. with a concentration in ESL (http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/faculty/faculty_forms/TESLMEd.pdf)
• School of Nursing - RN to BSN Program (http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/nursing/)

COURSE DEVELOPMENT DEADLINES

Completion of Online and Hybrid Course Materials

Please note:

• Registration for courses scheduled as online, hybrid or correspondence will not occur until the review/approval process has been completed.
• Courses may be added after priority registration has begun if the review/approval process has been completed.
• Does not apply to courses being revised.

CRITERIA FOR COURSE DEVELOPMENT

Online and hybrid course quality is based on criteria approved by the MTSU Distance Learning Committee and the Faculty Peer Assistance (FPA) Program and were implemented in the Fall Semester of 2005.

At the conclusion of course development or revision, a self-evaluation and a peer review are required for all new and revised online and hybrid courses. To assist in this process, each course designer is assigned a Faculty Peer Assistant (FPA) to serve as a mentor during the course development, review, approval and initial delivery phases. The reviews are conducted using the Peer Review/Evaluation Form.  (See the Course Approval section for additional information.)

ONLINE/HYBRID COURSE GUIDELINES

All online and hybrid courses must be developed in accordance with the MTSU Online/Hybrid Course Guidelines (PDF).  These guidelines have been approved by the MTSU Distance Learning Committee and criteria stipulated by the Academic Outreach and Distance Learning Department.

GETTING STARTED

Course Proposal Form and Syllabus Template
The submission of a Course Proposal Form and a Syllabus are required for each new online and hybrid course. Following approval, these documents (one per course) are submitted to the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office (Box X109) and serves to confirm the approval of the course development.  An Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement is generated and sent to the course designer.

Online and Hybrid Course Development Agreement

For each new course, an Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement must be completed, approved and on file in the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office prior to course development.  The agreement outlines course development and instruction expectations as well as the terms for compensation. The agreement is provided after submission of a Course Proposal Form and Syllabus.

Faculty Peer Assistant (FPA) Assignment
When the approved Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement is received in Distance Learning Faculty Services, a Faculty Peer Assistant (FPA) is assigned.  The course designer may use the expertise of the assigned FPA as little or as much as needed during course development; the review/evaluation process; and initial course delivery.

The MTSU Faculty Peer Assistance (FPA) Program was established to ensure that a standard of online/hybrid course excellence and quality are promoted by providing a mentor for new and veteran online/hybrid course designers.  MTSU faculty who have earned the Certified Online Instructor (COI) designation are offered the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

Course Creation
           Course Shells
A D2L shell is developed for each course at MTSU.  These are active shells which students can view.  If approved for development, course designers may begin development in the existing course shell, or they may request a D2L development shell (to which students do not have access).

           D2L Training
All online and hybrid courses are developed in the learning environment system Desire2Learn (D2L) supported by MTSU.  Course designers are required to attend D2L training which is conducted by the staff of the Faculty Instructional Technology Center in the Telecommunications Building on campus.  Workshop attendance may be scheduled (http://www.mtsu.edu/cgi-bin/users/webprod/HDWOrder/pgm/WS_Signup.cgi) online and/or one-on-one consultation may be arranged by calling 615/904-8189.

           Course Development
Course development may begin as soon as the Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement is signed and submitted to Distance Learning Faculty Services.  Fees cannot be paid if course development is completed prior to the approval of the agreement, per the MTSU Contracts Office.

           Design Recommendation
It is recommended that online/hybrid course designers create content in html, unless the course is dependent upon the use of software such as Microsoft Word or Excel.  This is done in D2L by selecting “Add Single Topic”.

The advantages of providing course content in html:

• Security issues;
• Avoid pop-up blockers which can pose problems for disabled students;
• Smoother navigation within the course;
• Avoid any problems associated with creation/readability of documents in various versions of Microsoft Word.

Course Review/Approval
When a course is complete and ready for review, the course designer:

• conducts a self-evaluation of the course using the Peer Review/Evaluation Form;
• moves all course content from the development shell to an active D2L shell;
• completes and submits the “Add A User Request Form”  to request that the FPA be added to the course as a faculty reviewer;
• contacts the assigned FPA to share the self-evaluation and to begin the peer review process. 

When the review has been conducted, the FPA shares it with the course designer.  This provides the course designer the opportunity to make any changes recommended by the FPA.  The course designer requests that the FPA review any changes made to the course and re-rates the section(s) according to the changes.  All actions taken are noted on the evaluation form.  The form is then submitted to the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office (MTSU Box X109).  The Chair Approval Form is attached to the evaluation and both documents are sent to the respective department chair for final review and course approval. 

The course designer is asked to add the department chair to the course by completion and submission of the “Add A User Request Form” so the final course review may be conducted.  After the course has been reviewed and approved, both documents are returned to Distance Learning Faculty Services to be placed on file.

Course Development Fees
When the course has been reviewed and approved by the department chair, the Course Approval and the Peer Review/Evaluation Forms are returned to the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office to be placed on file.  The pay instrument is then generated to compensate the course designer according to the fee noted on the development agreement. 

Please Note - Payment is made:

◊  if the course has not been previously developed;
◊  if the Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement was approved
    and submitted prior to course development, and is on file in the
    Distance Learning Faculty Services Office;
◊  after the self and peer reviews have been conducted and final course
    review and approval by the department chair.

COURSE DEVELOPMENT FEES

Scheduling
           Courses
Academic departments are responsible for scheduling online and hybrid courses for the semester of delivery noted in the Online/Hybrid Course Development Agreement.  Distance Learning Faculty Services is not authorized to schedule courses for delivery.  Course designers should contact the Distance Learning Faculty Services Office if there is a delay in initial delivery.

Registration for new online, hybrid or correspondence courses will not occur until they have been peer reviewed and reviewed and approved by the department chair.

Courses may be added to the semester schedule after priority registration has begun if the review/approval process has been completed.

              On-campus Meetings/Exams
Instructors wishing to schedule on-campus meetings (such as an optional, mandatory or exams) are required to complete and submit the Distance Learning Meeting Request Form

Even when making reservations for meeting space in the BAS Computer Lab it is also necessary to also complete the Distance Learning Meeting Request Form to insure that students have access to all meeting information on RaiderNet.

Please note:  When completing the Meeting Request Form, selection of "optional" meetings will not create time conflicts for students as they register for other courses.  It is recommended that faculty email their classes regarding optional meetings, especially dates/times of orientations.

Please note:  If scheduled on-campus or face-to-face exams may be proctored due to student inability to attend on the date/time specified, exam dates will be listed in Resource 25 and will not create a time conflict as students register for other courses.

Faculty
        Hiring
Academic departments are responsible for hiring all distance learning instructors, including adjunct (http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/faculty/adjunct_faculty_cedl.shtml), full-time temporary and graduate assistants. 

       Adjunct Course Design
Adjuncts may design and teach online and hybrid courses with the approval of the department chair as long as courses are developed in and training is received on the university-supported learning environment system (D2L) and the terms of the course development agreement are fulfilled by the department.

COURSE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

ADA

• ADA Compliance - http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/websites2.htm
• ADA Home Page - http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

COPYRIGHT POLICIES

• The TEACH Toolkit – an Online Resource for Understanding Copyright and Distance Learning (legislation enacted in November 2002) - http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/ egislative/teachkit/
• TBR Copyright Policy - http://www.tbr.state.tn.us/general%5Fcounsel/ip/Copyright%20in%20DE.htm

COURSE CONTENT MODULES

• MERLOT Content Library - http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

ELECTRONIC CAMPUS (SREB)

• Principles of Good Practice - http://www.ecinitiatives.org/publications/principles.asp

MTSU and RODP

• Academic Calendar - http://www.mtsu.edu/calendar_academic.shtml
• Adaptive Technology Center - Disabled Student Services - http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Edssemail/adatech.htm
• BAS Computer Lab Reservations - http://www.businesslab.mtsu.edu/Lab/
• Best Practices - Online Pedagogy - http://www.rodp.org/faculty/pedagogy.htm
• Computer and Network Acceptable Use Policy - http://www.mtsu.edu/policy.shtml
• D2L Support - http://www.mtsu.edu/d2lsupport/faculty/index.shtml
• Distance Learning Meeting Request Form - http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/faculty/meetingform_cedl.shtml
• ITD - http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Eitd/fac_staff/
• ITD Resources Policy - http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Eitd/policies/itres_policy.html
• James E. Walker Library - Distance Librarian Instructor Resources - http://library.mtsu.edu/distance/instructorresources.php Embedded Librarian - http://library.mtsu.edu/distance/embedded.php
• Self-study for Teaching Online - Survey -http://www.rodp.org/faculty/fac_eval.htm
• Scheduling – On-campus Meetings - http://www.mtsu.edu/learn/faculty/meetingform_cedl.shtml
• Technical Support - http://www.mtsu.edu/%7Eitdsupp/helpdesk/