Initiating Course Developments at EP

Anyone who has been through the course development process at EP is familiar with the Course Design Matrix (CDM), the blueprint instructors create before diving into the production of course materials. Due to EP’s continued growth, the CLDT explored new procedures for starting course developments while also enhancing our level of support. We saw a need to scale up and ensure consistency in development resources and information, especially at the beginning of developments when the CDM is being created. Therefore, as the result of consultations with program chairs and the balancing of overall needs for the production of courses, EP revised the development cohort structure and initiated a training program. Each development cohort has on average 40 instructors and development requests.

Coinciding with the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters, a self-paced development cohort training course is now conducted within Canvas. The benefits of this approach include:

using the platform as a one-stop shop for the CDM and general development information;
having all the necessary initial course development resources in one place;
providing a CDM completion deadline, and
the assistance of three course facilitators working with the instructors as they make their way through the preliminary stages of a course development.

Prior to the cohort development model, an instructor would be paired with an instructional designer (ID) before a CDM was completed – an often lengthy and time-consuming activity in the development process. Initial results of the Canvas based approach indicate a smoother and more expedient transition from CDM completion to actual course development for both instructors and IDs.

Recently, two EP instructors shared their perspectives on the new process: Zhiyong Xia, PhD., Prinicpal Staff Scientist at the JHU Applied Physics Lab and instructor of three EP courses and Tony Johnson, PhD., manager of five EP programs and instructor of five courses.

Resources

An integral part of the new cohort process and training course is the availability of all of the resources instructors would need to complete the first phase of a course development, the CDM, in a singular space. These resources include an intake survey delineating instructors’ teaching experience and course development vision, information about the course development process, current forms and templates, and pedagogical resources for exemplary online course design. Additionally, each instructor is paired with a course facilitator to work with them that provides guidance and assistance during completion of the CDM.

When asked about the resources provided, Zhiyong stated that he really appreciated the availability of a facilitator to whom he can ask questions. He said that in the past he has not been an avid consumer of instructional videos, however, since he is a new Canvas user, he is starting to explore video resources and is finding them to be helpful. Tony recalled that the first time he went through a course development, resources were provided to him as attachments to emails. While that process worked, he is pleased to see that all the resources an instructor may need to initiate a course development and complete a CDM are now curated into a single location. In Tony’s words, “everything is right where you need it, when you need it.”

Kickoff and Communication

Each cohort starts with a virtual kickoff meeting where overall objectives and procedures are explained. Instructors are
then required to make their way through the four modules within Canvas —about a two-hour commitment— to review the resources, complete the intake survey and begin drafting their CDM. Course facilitators communicate with instructors regarding development goals, verifying appointment letter details, and for redevelopments, establishing the level needed. The primary method of communication occurs through the use of the Canvas course email system which enables all of the facilitators to be included in the conversations if needed.

Regarding communication, Zhiyong indicated that he really appreciates having access to a point of contact for questions as they arise. Many EP instructors hold full-time day jobs, so it is challenging for them to keep track of details related to course developments. He felt the group kickoff meeting was a good way to share the process and expectations with everyone in advance. Tony added that with the new process he feels like he is being supported by an entire team. “It used to be that I would be working with a one-person resource – now I have an entire team. Your effort is well-coordinated, and I get updates from a few people, people with expertise in specific areas, and as a manager, from different levels of the organization. There are more people involved in the process, and people know what each other is doing.”

Process

Our goal was to merge the best of the old while making optimal use of technology to move the process forward. The biggest change in the process is the emphasis on completing the CDM within a designated period – 9 weeks or less. Tony shared the following about the new process as a program manager:

“the CDM hard stop date is a good thing as far as the overall process …because of the new deadline requirement…I now have the information I need to encourage instructors who are in the cohort to stay on schedule to produce the CDM. Before the new process was implemented, I didn’t have the information. Under the old process, months could go by before information reached me that a development was not progressing. Now I can ask instructors in my group if there is something I can help them with. Often instructors find they are too busy to participate in the development process because of work, or family obligations – situations [that] can change rapidly. As a manager, this allows me to reallocate the course production slot if needed.”

He also shared that for co-instructors, each can take on a couple of modules making completing the CDM a much less daunting task.

Use of Canvas

The instructors also reflected on using Canvas as the tool to facilitate this step of the course development process. Zhiyong appreciated being able to experience Canvas prior to teaching his first term online in the new learning management system. Positive aspects for Tony included having instructors experience Canvas from the student view. One of his current projects requires working with a team of instructors. He added liking the entire teams’ ability to see the development resources and progressive CDM submissions.

Interaction

When reflecting on person-to-person support and interaction, both instructors believed that as the course development process has evolved they experienced more person-to-person support than before. In addition to the “team-support” aspect Tony mentioned earlier, Zhiyong said he has received a much higher level of support for EP course developments and appreciated the availability of multiple avenues of support built into the process. These included the on-demand, just in-time materials augmented by the ability to contact his personal course facilitator at any time in the process. The CDM goes through several iterations between instructor and facilitator until deemed complete. A mid-term synchronous session is also held to assist faculty in completing their CDMs and/or address any other concerns they may have regarding the cohort development training.

Looking Forward

While there have also been many behind-the-scenes improvements including the automation of various notifications, we are continually seeking to enhance the course development process. Completing the CDM in an effective and efficient manner is the first step towards successful course development. If you were in a previous cohort development training and would like to provide feedback on your experience, please send us an email through Canvas. If you’re in the SP23 cohort, we look forward to supporting you on this journey!