A Boilerplate Course Model to Promote Quality

Imagine that you have a template that could assist you in course creation and allow you, as a developer, to focus on course content and learning activities that will effectively assist students in meeting the learning outcomes of the course. This could save you time one developing webpages and formatting them according to best practices.  Instead, you can focus developing assessments and learning activities to promote students easily meeting the courses learning outcomes.
The course model supplied offers a linear course design that implements a course information documents pack that meets over 20% (11) of the OSCQR standards. Using best practices this model template, when areas are completed, allows the course to meet over 40% of the requirements of the OSCQR rubric, or 21 of its standards.  This is true regardless of the subject matter used. A content free model cannot ensure that the course will meet all the standards, such as:

Standard 31: Course provides activities that emulate real world applications of the discipline, such as experiential learning, case studies, and problem-based activities.

Nevertheless, it can offer a template that ensures that several standards are met while saving the developer time and, if regularly adopted thought a school, offers a uniform environment for easier navigation and less cognitive load for students.   The numbering system also offers a convenient navigational system that is lacking in many conventional learning management systems

Doesn’t this interfere with academic freedom? 

No, of course not.  The course model offers a structure that conforms to best practices in instructional design.  Just as in logic in philosophy, there is a difference between content and form.  Thus Modus Ponens is a valid argument form regardless of the content. Moreover, the model is just that – it is a template to help in the design and development process. It may offer a linear format, however, this does not preclude that you can modify the model to meet pedagogical needs of the course. Provided these modifications do not run contrary to best practices in instructional design, there is no reason why the designer cannot add them.  For example, adding a course long discussion forum intended for students to share and evaluate external references related to course content is an excellent idea to build a community and promote information literacy.

Remember to work smarter and not harder.  There is very little reason to spend time working on recreating course structures, when instead you can spend the time working on developing assessments that map to student learning outcomes and great learning activities that promote student success.

You can download a Blackboard Package of the Course Model here so that you can upload it to any course that you plan to develop. You should note that some of the features are college specific, and will require further modification for use at a school other than SUNY Schenectady.