OVERVIEW
Each term, the College of General Studies (CGS) hosts a multi-month long interdisciplinary cohort of CGS-affiliated instructors who are embarking on the online (re)-design of their courses for the college’s academic programs. Faculty course developers work collaboratively and individually with a team of instructional designers and meet as a group three times during the cohort program. Participants examine established standards and best practices in instructional design; explore innovative ways for creating engaging and effective online experiences; self-assess and share their progress with cohort members; and produce a fully developed online course in the Canvas Learning Management system.
KEY BENEFITS
- Professional growth and skills enhancement in online course design and teaching.
- Personalized guidance from CGS instructional designers.
- Collaboration and networking with peers.
TIME COMMITMENT AND COHORT FIT
- The time commitment is 3-4 months, requiring several hours per week.
- Ideal for CGS faculty ready to design and / or upgrade their courses.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COHORT
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I've taught online before. Do I need to attend the cohort?
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Online education tends to reinvent itself every few years as new technologies and tools emerge. Even if you’ve taught online before, joining the cohort can still benefit you by helping you refine your skills, explore new Canvas features, gain insights into the latest best practices, and receive personalized feedback on your course design. Faculty who have previously completed the cohort and teach on-ground have reported that the knowledge and skills they gained also enhanced their in-person classrooms in new ways.
- Will I learn new tools or features in Canvas during the cohort?
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Yes, the cohort introduces a variety of Canvas features and EdTech tools, along with a template, to enhance your course's functionality and student engagement. These resources will help you make the most of the platform and incorporate proven methods.
- What can I expect from my one-on-one meetings with an instructional designer?
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In these personalized sessions, you'll receive targeted guidance to refine your course content, enhance online engagement through interactive design, and implement best practices for online teaching. Your instructional designer will support you in troubleshooting challenges, exploring new strategies, and creating an effective online classroom.
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What are the group sessions for?
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The group sessions in the cohort are designed to provide collaborative learning experiences, where participants can share ideas, discuss strategies, and address challenges related to course development. These sessions foster peer-to-peer learning and provide a platform for instructors to receive collective feedback while learning best practices for online teaching. Here is a brief overview of the sessions:
In the first group session Building Your Unique Online Course with CGS, faculty introduce themselves, share their teaching experiences, and review the course design process with instructional designers.
During session two Sharing Our Success, Planning for What’s Ahead, instructors share their early successes and challenges, showcasing new tools or course features they've implemented.
In the final group session Wrapping Up and Preparing for a Smooth Launch, instructors highlight what excites them most about their courses and discuss final adjustments for launch.
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What kind of feedback will you provide on my work?
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In addition to the individualized guidance you will receive from your ID and peers, we offer midpoint and final reviews during the development cohort. These reviews serve as structured checkpoints where all members of the Instructional Design (ID) team evaluate each other's courses using our established standards to provide comprehensive feedback and guidance.
The midpoint review allows you to assess your progress and receive collaborative feedback on your initial course structure (blueprint). The team checks for alignment with the 8 design standards we’ve implemented, helping you make any necessary adjustments early on to stay on track.
During the final review, the team evaluates your completed course to ensure its quality, content flow, and engagement features. This final feedback helps you refine any last details and test drive certain tools to ensure they are ready for student use.
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What’s the reason behind the cohort’s longer duration?
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The cohort lasts 3 to 4 months to give instructors enough time to thoughtfully develop or redevelop their courses. This duration allows for consistent, focused work on course design while balancing other work and /or teaching responsibilities. The time frame also ensures that faculty have ample opportunity to meet with their instructional designer, attend group sessions, and incorporate feedback to create an engaging, high-quality online course.
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I was informed that I will be part of the cohort. What are the next steps?
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If you've been informed that you'll be part of the cohort, the next steps typically include confirming your participation, setting up your schedule for weekly 1:1 meetings with your instructional designer, and attending the first group session. Our cohort facilitators will reach out via email to all participants several weeks before the launch, providing an agenda. Make sure to review any pre-cohort materials, training modules, and questionnaires sent by the program and prepare by setting aside the necessary weekly hours to work on your course.