Course Overview & Credentialing Information

 

ObjectivesWhat Is the Purpose of This Course?

The purpose of the  TOPKit sample course is to help guide you through designing effective online courses by providing you with concepts and strategies based on sound learning theories and effective practices. This course is being taught using the Canvas LMS (learning management system), which we brand as " <Replace - Your LMS>," and is organized using modules (units of content) that address pedagogy, broad technical skills, and logistics involved in teaching online and blended courses at  <Replace -institution Name>.

 <Replace - Course Title> supplies pedagogical information related to online teaching and consistently models different strategies and tools. From this repository of knowledge, you can decide what works best for your class. Find out more about how the course is organized below.  

StrategiesHow Is This Course Organized?

The <Replace -  Institutional Name> may offer courses in different modalities. This course is taught as a fully online World Wide Web course. The class you will develop in <Replace - Course Title> will be a blended course or a fully online World Wide Web class. No matter which mode you will be using to teach your course, <Replace -  Department Name> and the instructional design team <Replace with your team name> are here to answer your questions, help guide you as you build your course, and will continue to be at your disposal when you “go live.” 

This course is being taught using the learning management system called Instructure Canvas, and is organized in modules (units of content and assignments). As your online facilitators, we will help guide you through the course. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to ensure your success.

Also, we believe that we all learn from each other. We are all a part of <Replace -  Institutional Name>’s online community and are coming to this course with many different skill sets. We strive to create an active, supportive community during <Replace - Course Title> and hope that you will make contacts here that will be with you for years to come.

In IDL6543, we will guide you through planning, designing, and implementing your own distance learning course.  To do so, we have designed the course to model effective instructional design and pedagogical practices. Throughout the 10 weeks of  <Replace - Course Title>, you will experience various modalities including blended (with both in-person and virtual meetings) and fully online. 

 

Development Course

To support your course development, you have been provided with a Webcourses@UCF course shell called a development course. This online course section, independent of the  <Replace - Course Title> course section, is where you will complete the Build Your Course Activities (BYCA). Think of this as a “sandbox area” where you can begin to develop your actual course. Doing this helps you to gain proficiency with <Replace - Your LMS> tools and implement best practices such as properly formatting pages, giving you a chance to experiment with the features before going “live” (teaching your course to actual students). Remember that these activities are not simply meant to keep you busy in <Replace - Course Title>, but to prepare you for the unique online teaching and learning experiences that await you.

 

Do ThisWhat Are You Expected to Do to Complete This Course? 

It is recommended that you set aside at least 8 hours per week to successfully review and complete the online course content and activities. The total time commitment for the  <Replace - Course Title> course is approximately 80 hours.

To successfully complete  <Replace - Course Title>, you are expected to complete the following minimum requirements:

  1. Engage in weekly online readings and complete graded course activities with an overall score greater than or equal to (>=) 80%. Graded course activities include:
    • Content Knowledge Checks and Discussions
    • Planning worksheets and Build Your Course Activities. During  <Replace - Course Title>, participants are expected to begin development for a new online (W). At a minimum,  <Replace - Course Title> participants will need to design/develop:
      • A course orientation module (including a course syllabus, course/instructor introduction, and course expectations).
      • Two (2) quality online/blended course modules/units of instruction (including objectives, instructional content, and assessments)*.
    • Required consultations (4) with your instructional designer.
    • Mandatory synchronous sessions (4) are referred to as  <Replace - Course Title> Connect Sessions. Please refer to the Course Schedule for the date/time and meeting information.

 

2.  Successfully complete or participate in the  <Replace - Course Title> Getting Started and Culminating Activities. These mandatory activities must be completed to help you prepare for your  <Replace - Course Title> experience and successfully earn the credential. The major Getting started and culminating activities include: