ES4076 - Online Course Oversight

1. Scope
   
   To define the guidelines and procedures for the preparation, administration, and implementation of Online courses, including Web Blended courses.
    
2. Institutional Regulation
   
   Des Moines Area Community College encourages the development and offering of a wide variety of instructional platforms and content area programs to meet the expanding needs of our diverse and growing student body. Our facilities and programs continuously strive to reflect the various interests, backgrounds, intentions, and educational achievements of our entire student body. Online instruction-student-centered instruction via the internet-is an essential tool for timely and effective delivery of instructional material for students who prefer or demand instruction via an electronic platform.
    
3. Institutional Procedures
   1. Online Courses
      1. Definitions
         1. Online Courses:
            Courses delivered completely online without the student needing to come to a DMACC Campus. Online courses may require students to utilize an approved proctoring service or Testing Center for examinations and/or may require an initial orientation.
         2. Web-Blended Courses:
            Courses where part of the instruction is delivered online and part of the instruction is delivered face-to-face, more than just an initial orientation session.
      2. Administration
         The Online Course Development Procedure is administered under the direction of the Distance Learning Department.
      3. Online / Web-Blended Course Development
         1. Proposal of a new online or web-blended course must be preceded by the request or recommendation of the Academic Dean and District Chair/Program Chair of the academic department in which the proposed course is to be offered, based upon current and sufficient public demand (meeting the established minimum enrollment requirement to justify the offering).
         2. Course enrollments and registration demands will be regularly monitored and the need for additional sections will be determined by the appropriate Deans/Provosts, Director of Distance Learning and District/Program Chairs.
         3. Prospective online course developers must adhere with procedure ES4077 .
         4. All developers must meet the DMACC Instructor Qualifications as outlined by Human Resources in compliance with Iowa Code 260C.48 and the Higher Learning Commission guidelines.
         5. Only the DMACC approved learning management system platform will be used for developing new courses at DMACC.
         6. All new course development will be completed by a Content Area Design Team as described in item 4.
         7. The course must follow the Online Course Checklist (located on the Online Learning website) and be verified by the Distance Learning Department one month prior to the start of the semester in which it will be taught.
         8. Subject to full-time faculty load and assignment issues, the faculty developing the course and/or members of the Content Area Design Team) will be offered the right of first refusal to teach a section during the first term it is offered online.
      4. Content Area Design Team [CADT]
         1. All criteria for the satisfactory development, authorization, instructional practices and review of online courses shall be stated in the Online Course Checklist.
         2. For each online course under development or revision, the appropriate academic discipline/department/content area shall convene a CADT, whose members shall include (but not necessarily be limited to) the following personnel:
            • Instructor who is developing the course (chair of the CADT)
            • Instructional Designer
         3. It will be the responsibility of the members of the CADT to provide leadership, guidance and mentoring for new online instructors, as well as experienced instructors, for new courses.
         4. The CADT will establish the professional standards and course procedures, as well as implement the course competencies and accreditation guidelines appropriate to the course.
         5. The Content Area Design Teams will utilize the Online Course Checklist, in accordance with the objectives stated above, to record and monitor the development of online courses.
         6. The online course must conform to all established federal, state, legal and institutional guidelines in accordance with the DMACC Digital and Web Based Content Accessibility (ES4085 ).
      5. Periodic evaluation and update of Course Content
         1. The Distance Learning Department in collaboration with the appropriate District/Program Chairs, shall establish a schedule for regular and periodic review of all online courses by the Distance Learning department to ensure the course is updated.
         2. During online course review the Distance Learning department will:
            1. ensure the course meets the Online Course Development Checklist.
            2. Ensure the course meets the course competencies with guidance from the District/Program Chair and Academic Dean.
         3. Any revisions will be completed by a Content Area Design Team as described in item 4.
         4. Only the DMACC approved learning management system platform will be used for course revisions.
         5. The course revision must be completed one month prior to the start of the semester in which it will be taught for final review to make sure all platform issues are addressed.
         6. The Distance Learning department will review the course to ensure it follows the same Online Course Checklist that is followed for new online courses.
         7. The course evaluation and update will be accomplished in a course shell which does not have students enrolled in the course.
      6. If the Distance Learning department determines that an instructor is not following this policy and/or adhering to the standards outlined in the Online Course Checklist, the Human Resources policies and procedures will be utilized to address any issues.