Course Design Checklist

Overall Site Design

• Course navigation facilitates ease of use [8.1]
• Learners are introduced to the purpose and structure of the course [1.2]
• Instructor self-recorded video or posted announcement welcomes students [1.8]
• Instructions for navigating the course are clearly stated [1.1]
• Instructor contact information is provided [1.8]
• Contact information and links to the KUIT help desk are provided [7.1]

Syllabus and Course Expectations

• The syllabus is easy to find and easy to read [1.4]
• Participation and interaction expectations are clearly stated and address course modality [5.4]
• Course calendar and due dates are displayed [CODL Recommendation]
• A grading scale is provided [3.2]
• Instructor’s communication expectations or policy is stated [5.3]
• Academic misconduct policy and accessibility resource statement are provided [1.4, 7.2]
• Course instructions articulate or link to the institution’s academic support services [7.3]
• “Netiquette” guidelines are provided to set expectations regarding student conduct [1.3]

Course Content

• Course and module/lesson objectives are prominently located in the course, written from the learner’s perspective, and use action verbs to produce measurable outcomes [2.1, 2.2, 2.3]
• Learning objectives are suited to the level of the course [2.5]
• The relationship between learning objectives, activities, and assessments is made clear [2.4, 4.2]
• Instructional materials contribute to the achievement of the learning objectives [4.1]
• Learning activities help learners achieve the stated objectives [5.1]
• Course material is presented through different means to provide variety and interest (e.g., assigned readings, recorded lectures, external videos or simulations, links to publisher websites, learning games) and are suited to the level of the course [4.5, 6.3]
• Instructions for accessing external content are provided [CODL Recommendation]
• Multimedia and external links have been checked for functionality [8.6]
• Includes quality videos (e.g., audio is clear, captions are available, content is chunked into segments of 20 minutes or less) [8.5, 8.6]
• Course materials model proper citation and fair use [4.3]
• Images have alt text [8.3]
• Documents are accessible [8.3]
• Course text is clearly visible and easy to read [8.2]

Assignments and Exams

• Assessments measure the achievement of the stated learning objectives [3.1]
• A variety of assessments exist to allow students to actively engage with the course material (may include but not limited to: Auto-graded quizzes, case studies, scenarios, research projects, video presentations) [3.4]
• The types and timing of assessments allow for frequent, substantive, and timely feedback [3.5]
• Assignments and exams include clear instructions for submission [CODL Recommendation]
• Specific and descriptive criteria are provided for the evaluation of learners’ work [3.3]

Engagement and Interaction

• Instructor’s plan for regular and substantive interaction with learners is explicitly stated (e.g., virtual office hours, Q&A discussion forums, feedback methods and timeline) [5.3]
• Opportunities are provided for students to interact with fellow students (e.g., discussion boards, Zoom rooms, Teams chats, group projects) [5.2]
• Students are challenged in an engaging way with the material that supports active learning (e.g., responses required, peer review, engaging questions that promote conversation) [5.2]
• Any technology that is used promotes engagement and supports the learning objectives [6.1, 6.2]