Blended/Online Course Development Program

Interested In Teaching Online

Thank you for your interest in developing a blended or online course at The College of New Jersey. In order to develop a blended or online course, you must first apply and be approved to teach online. You can submit an application through our online form. However, when submitting your application be sure you have reviewed the development process and met all the requirements listed below.

Overview

The Blended/Online Course Development Program supports faculty in the redesign of existing TCNJ courses for blended or online learning. Training will involve a combination of asynchronous and synchronous work. At the end of the training, the redesigned blended or online course will be fully built and ready to launch. Applications are subject to approval, capacity limits, and strategic prioritization by deans and Academic Affairs.

The blended/online course development program typically runs all year long with new cohorts starting every semester. The program runs over either a 9-week standard session or a condensed 5-week session depending on demand and time of year. The training involves guided course building through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s online best practices training process.

Upon completion of the best practices training, faculty participants submit a Quality Matters self-review for the course they created. Blended courses and Online Synchronous courses must be ready for launch one month prior to the start date of the re-designed course; Online Asynchronous courses must be ready for launch three months prior to the start date of the re-designed course. See the Course Development Timeline below for more information.

Requirements:

Faculty must earn both the Beginner and Intermediate badges in the Instructional Design self-paced training pages before beginning the training. The Beginner Pathway will provide the necessary information to leverage tools in Canvas; the Intermediate Pathway will lay the groundwork for instructional design principles to aid in course design.
Faculty must commit to attending all 5 synchronous sessions and participating in the asynchronous weekly work during the training source.
Support from the applicant’s department chair and school dean. Your dean and chair will be contacted by the Center for Excellence Teaching and Learning upon receipt of your application.
Experience teaching the course being developed either in-person, flex, or remotely.
Experience and comfort using the Canvas Learning Management System.

Development Program Timeline

Step 1: Plan for the Course

The course must be a current TCNJ course that has already been vetted for learning outcomes and content. The instructor should review the course’s learning outcomes to ensure that these can be achieved via a blended or online format.
The instructor must consult with his/her host department prior to requesting the blended or online course.

Step 2: Register for the Course Development program OR Complete the Subsequent Course Request Form

Before developing the course, the instructor must participate in the BL/OL course development program through CETL. Faculty with previous experience can request a program waiver.
If you are a faculty member who has already completed TCNJ’s course development program, you do not need to repeat it. Instead, complete the Subsequent BL/OL Request Form. The form will be routed through the department chair and dean.
You will receive a confirmation of your request upon form submission.

Step 3: Meet with the Center for Excellence Teaching and Learning

All instructors will meet with a representative from CETL at the start of the development process to map out a plan and timeline for course development.

Step 4: Develop the Course

All blended and online courses should be developed to meet the Quality Matters Rubric 5th edition standards. Visit our help pages for details on accessing the QM website for self-review.
The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning is available to assist you with the creation of course content. For assistance, contact Ellen Farr.

Step 5: Submit the Course for Review

All instructors will complete a self-review using the Quality Matters rubric to initiate the final review stage. This Quality Matters video explains how to conduct a self-review.
Submit your completed QM Rubric here.

Deadlines for Course Review Submission

Online courses must be submitted for review (step 5) 3 months prior to the start of the course.
Blended courses must be submitted for review (step 5) 1 month prior to the start of the course.