Instructional Design and Development (IDD) for Distance Education
The Instructional Design and Development (IDD) team works with faculty to design and develop online courses offered through Extended Studies to ensure that they incorporate quality standards and use best practices in online learning.
As a full-service design and development unit, IDD works directly with Extended Studies in a production environment to support faculty offering online degrees, translating their teaching activities and instructional design models into online courses. This includes everything from the course structure to the way content is presented to how they'll encourage discussion and interaction, establish methods for evaluation, and measure outcomes.
The IDD team also collaborates with the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL) on faculty development for teaching online.
Specific services provided by the IDD team are described below.
Needs assessment
Discuss individual faculty member’s experience with online learning to establish a training plan to share with CETL and a strategy for course design and development through Extended Studies.
Course design
- Incorporate Quality Matters standards into course design
- Format and elements of a comprehensive syllabus
- Learning objectives that are clear and measurable
- Learning materials and activities that support objectives
- Assessments (projects, exams, discussions) that measure the achievement of objectives
- Work with new or existing online programs offered through Extended Studies to develop a template (standard look and feel) for all courses in the program. Templates will use Quality Matters standards and make it easier for new courses to be developed.
- Plan the course structure and layout
- Consult on content creation and design (converting content to online environment)
- Consult on visual imagery
- Create interactive content
- Recommend use of appropriate development tools for content delivery
- Recommend training (if needed) through CETL on specific Blackboard features and tools
Course development
- Provide consulting and coaching on structuring a course and uploading content
- Provide course template, course structure and upload course content for Extended Studies’ online degrees where needed, including support to load exam questions, course copy edit support, link checking, etc.
- Assist in the use of tools evaluated by CETL and supported by IT to develop content
- Work with faculty course developers to apply Quality Matters principles to course development
- Identify and coordinate use of other resources for course production
Course maintenance
- For existing Extended Studies online degrees, provide faculty with assistance in course updating, link checking, moving to new template models, loading semester evaluation link, etc.
UNCOnline Orientation Resources to Support Course Development
- Provide faculty with the opportunity to take an online course that introduces them to the major elements of online learning, creating a resource repository for online instructors teaching through Extended Studies.
- Introduce faculty to differences in the online teaching process from face to face teaching.
- Assist with content and organization of new UNCOnline website in terms of resources for faculty and students.
User Support
- Collaborate with Information Technology to ensure that useful and accurate support materials are available for faculty, staff, and students.
- Create, manage, and maintain user documentation available online.
- Create classroom materials and exercises for classes for faculty about online learning.
- Offer an Orientation to Online Learning for students enrolled in UNC online courses.
- Serve as a Blackboard Educational Administrator to assist faculty with course design and development and assist with solving support tickets related to instructional needs.
- Work with CETL and IT to build a comprehensive support model that includes not only strict technical support but also instructional support.
- Serve as a liaison between faculty teaching in Extended Studies online degree programs and Information Technology technical support.
Contact Us
Sherri Lancton
Instructional Designer
Michener L57
Sherri.lancton@unco.edu
970-351-2920
Kate Endres
Instructional Designer
Michener L58
Kathryn.Endres@unco.edu
970-351-2128