Course Development

Image descriptionCybergogy

In the field of educational sciences 'pedagogy' is known as the science of designing and delivering instruction to children. In the latter 20th century, 'androgogy' became known as the science of designing and delivering instruction for adults. Late in the 1990's 'cybergogy,' derived from the earlier etimology of the word pedagogy, has grown in use to the present time where it can be easily 'googled' (searched for via the Google search engine on the internet) and is fully discussed in Wikapedia. ( see Cybergogy Teaching--The Implications for Work with Adult Learners for more information about Cybergogy.)

Course Development Process

The process begins with a decision by the academic program or department to develop a fully online academic program. The program director, academic chair, and dean of school or academic unit must request of the NTEL DL (Non Tradiditional and Experiential Learning division of APU and the Office of Distance Learning) office by contacting director, Dr. Bruce Simmerok. Once the details have been worked out for program development, then course development begins and the Curriculum Specialist Course Developers begin working with the SMEs assigned for the courses. Presuming that all academic approvals have been obtain from the appropriate faculty governance councils, they create a course development and initiation sequence. This sequence involves four meetings per course, approximately 20 days apart. Course design, monitoring, and assessment is guided by the Office of Distance Learning Four-M Model (Mapping, Managing, Mastering, and Measuring).

  1. At the first meeting the SME has already electronically sent the department's latest approved version of the standard course syllabus. The CSCD and the SME work together to remove all representations of an 'on-ground' course' (such as: bring to class or in-class activity, or class attendence as a graded item) and replaces those terms with appropriate online descriptions. They also begin a review of the course requirements and discuss how relevant those activities will be for a online delivered course. One caveat here, however, is that the Office of Distance Learning does not endorse or create self-regulated courses or courses on auto-pilot. Our intention is to design a sense of real 'presence' by the instructor with the students, at the same level of intensity as should be achieved in an on-ground course. After working through all of the course content, the CSCD and the SME agree on the subsequent three meeting dates. We create a course shell and enroll the SME so that the two can work online on the course as it develops. The CSCD gives the SME (if a first time SME) a drive containing the Office of Distance Learning Handbook containing all of the forms and instructions necessary to submit back to the CSCD in time for future meetings. The SME must read and thoroughly understand all the following elements of the Office of Distance Learning handbook.
    • Putting a Program Online
    • NTEL Online Faculty Selection, Preparation, and Certification
    • eLearning Faculty Ready Check
    • On Being a SME
    • Curriculum Design and Development for Online Teaching
    • Points of Contact" Managing Cybergogy
  2. A second meeting is held in person or via the internet using a tool called eLluminate that allows audio and video conferencing. We also use Wikki Spaces to exchange text and documents in cases where the SME is not able to be present at the Office of Distance Learning office for meetings. We review the course layout and the alignment between stated course outcomes, program outcomes, and course learning activity requirements. We review the grade-weighting of the assignments. We decide the final content item-types that should be used for the best instructional strategies. The CSCD also helps the SME with personal technology skills necessary for inputting information into the course shell. We review and confirm the dates for the subsequent two meetings.
  3. In the third meeting the course is taken through a complete review to ensure all material is correct and is correctly alligned. The dates for 'rolling live' are decided and established. Between this and the final meeting the course is placed into a live term or a holding term pending it's time to go live with actual student enrollments.
  4. The final meeting happens after we have rolled the course into a final active term or holding term (depending upon program) but prior to students being enrolled. At this time we obtain final approval from the SME, the program director/department chair and recieve some assurances that the Dean is in agreement with this course to become active. The CSCD informs the Office of Distance Learning operations manager that this course is ready for student enrollment and it is given a call number by the registrar that we place into the enrollment system.

After the course has operated for two years, it undergoes an extensive review by the Office of Distance Learning faculty working collaboratively with the academic department faculty leaders to revise and refresh the course for the next implementation.

For assistance contact Dan Elliot at 626-815-5352 or delliot@apu.edu.