1. Course Development Time Line
Development time for new courses begins with the identification of courses and faculty. Priority is given to a course that has significant enrollment potential either as general education or a "bottleneck" course.
If you would like to teach your course online, first discuss your
plan with your dean and/or department chair. You will need the permission of both,
as well as from the Office of Extended Learning (click on the link
in the left navigation column and copy the request form).
We recommend you meet with the OEL staff before starting the
course, or better yet, enroll in our
Intensive Course Development training.
2. Computer Knowledge and Equipment
We prefer that courses be developed in the latest Windows
environment, so you'll need basic computer skills. In particular, you
should be comfortable with word-processing, e-mail and the Internet. If you anticipate connecting to the course from home, you should consider a high-speed Internet connection.
3. Compensation for Developing an Online Course
Contingent upon funding availability, OEL will pay you a development stipend if
you are not compensated elsewhere. To receive payment, you must have 50 percent
or more of the course completed and approved by your dean and/or
department chair and the director of Extended Learning.
4. Expectations for Faculty Participation
Our office provides a course template that sets minimum standards for consistency and user-friendliness.
You will have creative latitude in the design of the course, however, and may organize content as
you see fit. You are responsible for maintaining course materials on the Web
and keeping your course up to date.
Faculty are expected to interact with students, assign and grade
student work, etc., just as in the traditional classroom, and we provide the tools and the know-how to do that.
As savvy users of computer communications, students expect quick
response times. Plan to login to the course at least four days out of seven and respond to questions and student work in a timely manner. It is wise to spell this out in the course information, e.g.: "You can expect responses from me to most questions on the next working day and to written work within X days."
To protect student privacy and control access to copyrighted materials, access to courses will be limited to enrolled students. Online course descriptions are available through the UMFlintOnline catalog and a sample course is open to visitors.
Throughout the year, and especially during course development, OEL provides opportunities to participate in a learning community with other UM-Flint
online faculty to share ideas, successes, shortcuts, etc. This allows us to provide an archive of best practices that will assist faculty developing future UM-Flint
online courses. We welcome your feedback and experiences.
5. Class Size and Waitlists
Maximum class size is typically limited to 30 students per section the first time a course is offered. Maximum class size for subsequent offerings will be determined by the department. Instructors may, in consultation with their department chair, increase class size up to 45 students. Waitlisted classes will be brought to the attention of the department. Additional sections may be added by departmental decision and concurrence with the Office of Extended Learning. Online courses are subject to the regular minimum enrollment requirement. The Office of Extended Learning reserves the right to seek cancellation of a course with insufficient minimum enrollment.
6. Course Development Assistance
OEL staff will meet with new online instructors to discuss course design options and plan applications for specific courses. Staff
are available to help you conquer interactive tools and course design techniques for the Web.
Plus, we have two faculty stations where you can experiment with different software and technologies. One lab is in 237 French Hall and the other is in 1109 WSW. Please contact our office to arrange an appointment to use one of the labs.
7. Ongoing Support
The Office of Extended Learning is here to help you create high-quality online versions of University of Michigan-Flint courses. If you have any questions as you begin to teach online or have software requests, please contact us any time. We have after-hours telephone support for faculty at (810) 237-6691. The Online Helpdesk support hours are Monday-Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 pm.
8. Copyright Policy
Please review the University policies related to copyright at http://www.copyright.umich.edu/ to ensure that materials you place in your online course meet the university policies and legal obligations for fair use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Are online learning courses taught in-load or on overload?
A. Offering of online learning courses will be negotiated between the faculty, dean and/or department chairperson and the director of online learning.
Q. How will teaching of online learning courses affect tenure and promotion processes?
A. No change. Participating in the online courses will require the same high-quality teaching performance that is expected of on-campus courses.
Still interested? Begin the process…
- Complete the online development application forms available from our office.
- Obtain approval from your chair and dean.
- Once the OEL review process is completed, we will provide an access ID and set up a training schedule.
- Begin working on your course with our help; add your own content and personal touches.
- Teach online and enjoy the new experience!
All online development forms are available at http://oel.umflint.edu/faculty/forms.
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