College-wide Instructional Design Standards have been adopted for all courses regardless of delivery method with a focus on course design standards (structural components in D2L), instructional and pedagogical standards and best practices, a faculty support system, and a training and faculty certification process. 

CCTC’s Instructional Design Standards provide a framework to guide and support faculty as they create and deliver engaging, accessible, and student-centered courses.

Instructional Design Standards with Strategies 

Unless otherwise noted, all listed strategies are required.

Student Orientation to LMS & Technology: Instructors orient students to LMS/technology and its use in the course.

Strategies:

• Encourage LMS Orientation Course
• Introduce student to LMS/technology
• Provide contact information for Help Desk/LMS Support

Rationale/Purpose:

Helping students get oriented to LMS minimizes questions and confusion and lets students focus on the important stuff in your course.

Accessibility: Instructors create a learning environment to accommodate the needs and abilities of all students. Instructors ensure all course materials meet accessibility standards.

Strategies:

• Comply with ADA accessibility guidelines
• Comply with official accommodation requests
• Self-evaluate course materials and personal methods for unconscious bias, micro-messages, other possible barriers
• Direct students to resources and information about accommodations, counseling, crisis management, etc. when appropriate
• Address accessibility in course design

Rationale/Purpose:

Web accessibility is required by law. Find more resources here:  http://sctechsystem.edu/faculty-and-staff/web-accessibility-resource-guide.html

Copyright: Instructors comply with copyright and fair use laws.

Strategies:

• Knowledgeable of copyright and fair use laws

Rationale/Purpose:

Find more resources here: https://cctech.libguides.com/copyright

Student Identity and Privacy: Instructors comply with FERPA and verify student identity.

Strategies:

• Comply with FERPA requirements for student privacy
• Verify student identity
  • Require proctored testing using Respondus Monitor or on campus proctored testing for at least one assessment

Rationale/Purpose:

The College is required to have methods in place to protect student information (FERPA) and to ensure the person receiving the grade is, in fact, the student who registered for the course. 

Instructor Presence & Communication: Instructors maintain ongoing communication and presence in their courses.

Strategies:

• Post a brief Welcome Announcement that includes instructions to go to Content to begin
• Post a weekly informative announcement that provides reminders of assignment deadlines
• Respond to student emails within 24 hours Monday through Friday; let students know your availability and when emails will be checked over the weekend

Rationale/Purpose:

The course home page is the first thing students see when they come into your class. It is a great place to initially establish the instructor's presence and later a way to keep students informed - like a class bulletin board.

Content Organization: Instructors apply consistent design, course navigation, and nomenclature.

Strategies:

• Overview includes the course description from the college catalog.
• First Module is labeled "Start Here", and includes only the following items (labeled/named exactly): Welcome letter or Welcome video (optional), College Information & Policies (located in Shared Files), Syllabus, Class Calendar & Due Dates
• No submodules in the first module and no more than one level of submodules within any other module
• Second Module is labeled "Virtual Classroom" (if using collaboration/conferencing program) and includes: Virtual class instructions, Individual session links, Recordings. This module is only required if you are teaching a virtual class
• Two additional modules may be added before the learning modules for specialized course materials such as publisher resources, labs, clinical information, etc.

Hybrid and Online:

• All course modules are complete for the course
• No more than one level of submodules within each module
• Modules are presented in a weekly (or other appropriate) format and have a consistent naming structure (Units, Weeks, etc.)
• Begin/end dates in module titles
• Each module description gives a preview of what students will be expected to do and learn
• Each module is consistent in design so students know what to expect

Rationale/Purpose:

 

Grades: Instructors update student progress via the Grades tool in LMS.

Strategies:

• Create grade items in LMS Grades that match the course syllabus
• Create a calculated midterm grade item
• Use the appropriate Grade Scheme
• Gradebook set to drop ungraded items
• Release Calculated Final Grades at the beginning of term
• Update Grades at least weekly                                                                                                               
• Release Adjusted Final Grades at end of term and ensure grades match Banner input
• Adjusted Final Grade must be a whole number

Rationale/Purpose:

Clearly explaining what the student will achieve (grade) based on what effort is exhibited (grade items) is a contract between the instructor and the student that is explained in the syllabus and exactly matches the Grades tool in LMS.

Attendance: Instructors maintain accurate attendance records in the Attendance tool in LMS. 

Strategies:

• Create Attendance Register for course
• Include dates for each session
• Add 80% as the Cause for Concern
• Use the System Scheme 2024
• Update Attendance at least weekly
• Contact students individually if they are nearing allowable absences
• Complete WA process as stated in attendance policy

Rationale/Purpose:

Recording attendance weekly for the full semester allows monitoring of progress and also ensures financial aid is appropriately awarded to students who continue to attend.

Instructor Initiated Feedback: Instructors provide constructive, specific, and individual feedback.

Strategies:

• Make grading criteria and measurements available to the student
• Give specific feedback to each student with details regarding the student’s performance, what they missed, and what steps they should take to improve
• Offer ongoing and consistent feedback using a variety of methods

Rationale/Purpose:

Providing meaningful feedback is essential to student improvement. 

Assessments: Instructors create assessments based on the measurement of student learning outcomes.

Strategies:

• Ensure assessments match program and course outcomes
• Ensure methods and grade calculations match the syllabus
• Assign assessments a specific due date
• Adhere to Directive 6.21 – tests/general assignments graded within one week of due date, major projects/papers graded within two weeks of due date

Online:

• Employ methods to verify student identity for major assessments. 
• Students can request proctored testing in the Testing Center or use Campus Computer Labs.
• Student learning outcomes are the same regardless of modality.

Rationale/Purpose:

If course assessments aren't matched to course outcomes, learning is unknown.

The student learning outcomes are the same for all sections of a course regardless of modality to maintain course integrity.

Interactions: Instructors provide opportunities for students to interact with the instructor and other students.

Strategies:

• Instructors provide opportunities for student-to-student interactions
• Instructors provide opportunities for student-to-instructor interactions

Rationale/Purpose:

Providing opportunities for students to interact and collaborate creates a community of learners and improves the student experience.

Active Engagement: Instructors encourage active engagement through the design and facilitation of experiential learning assignments and activities.

Strategies:

• Facilitate opportunities for students to demonstrate progress toward learning outcomes through a variety of assignments and activities
• Provide opportunities for reflection that assist in internalizing course content
• Develop activities that encourage application, independent learning and critical thinking
• Create assignments which allow students to choose from varying approved methods where possible

Rationale/Purpose:

Including students in the selection of assignments and activities gives ownership and improves learning. Using authentic assessments allows students to learn while applying concepts that are personal to them.

Course Management: Instructor complies with Instructional Design Standards

Strategies:

• Instructor reviews and updates course each semester to ensure compliance with Instructional Design Standards
• Instructor complies with appropriate departmental standards
• Use consistent naming across all areas of the course
  • Grade categories in the gradebook should match grade categories in the syllabus
  • Grade items in the gradebook should match the assignment/discussion/assessment

Rationale/Purpose:

Providing design continuity with instructional design standards is a way to strengthen and sustain the quality of instruction at CCTC.