Technical Goals

Faculty as Course Developer:

A course developer should work as part of a team. Depending upon the support available for transforming a design into courseware, wide ranges of technical skills are important. A course developer should be conversant with course development software at least at an intermediate level. Additional skills in ancillary tools are useful (e.g., graphics, animations, video, and more). Courseware developers should also have an understanding of associated costs (time and money).

Sample Course Developer Goals

• Identify instructional media options appropriate to the intended learning outcomes.
• Locate online resources that support course content.
• Focus the course on students, not the delivery system.
• Be cognizant of the presentation medium. Be concise in presentation sequences. When possible use short statements, direct questions, and active voice.
• Develop a class home page.
• Use online development tools appropriate for particular courses.
• Adhere to online development style guides recommended by the University.
• Analyze the technical, graphical, and instructional strengths and weaknesses of other educational web sites.
• Demonstrate effective visual design skills.
• Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of necessary server-related skills (e.g., FTP and file server permissions)
• Demonstrate effective interface design skills.

Faculty as Adapter/Modifier:

An individual who modifies existing courses often creates new material to enhance an existing course or program. Any addition should be as seamless as possible to achieve maximum effectiveness. Again, a team approach would be optimal. Technical skills for this individual could be limited to the proposed additions and their required development tools.

Sample Adapter/Modifier Goals

• Identify the nature of a collaborative design team necessary for optimum course delivery.
• Realistically assess the amount of content that can be delivered in a course.
• Intersperse content presentations with student-centered activities such as discussions.
• Use print components to supplement non-print materials.
• Develop "icebreaker" or "warm-up" activities that assist students unfamiliar with online instruction in becoming comfortable with the process.
• Develop advance organizers and pre-class study questions to encourage critical thinking and informed participation.
• Adapt information that has already been developed for a course into an online format. For example, make lecture notes available as web pages, pdfs, or other downloadable files.
• Periodically monitor and update course home pages.
• Use basic word-processing, e-mail, art, and flowcharting programs.
• Use presentation programs that can be converted for online use (e.g., PowerPoint).

Faculty as Manager/Facilitator:

A course manager must understand how to use the system and its tools to successfully manage students' interactions with the system. For example, a manager would have to be able to operate the tools of the course (e.g., a threaded discussion). Additionally, the manager has to have the commitment to use the system as it is designed. This means responding to e-mails in a timely manner, providing thought provoking questions for discussion, and other design elements for the course. If the manager does not understand how to accomplish these activities smoothly and effortlessly, the course will suffer.

Sample Manager/Facilitator Goals

• Use real-time and delayed interaction methods such as telephone, e-mail, bulletin boards, listservs, chat rooms, world-wide web, desktop videoconferencing, mail, fax, videotape.
• Early in the course, require students to contact you with electronic mail, use the listserv, and other activities that will allow them to become comfortable with the processes of the course.
• Arrange telephone office hours. Set evening office hours if most students work during the day.
• Use a variety of delivery systems for interaction and feedback (e.g., one-to-one conference calls, fax, e-mail). When feasible, use in-person visits.
• Prepare (or teach students how to prepare) a Gantt or pert chart specifying the particulars of student time and activities throughout the course.
• Use appropriate student and course management tools.

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