ETS will help you to set up and maintain all of your course components, as well as provide technical training and ongoing support. You are responsible for knowing how to use D2L tools as you design and implement your course; however, you do not have to set up everything yourself. The following chart shows what services ETS can provide to help you prepare your online course.
Task |
Work breakdown |
Activity |
Description |
Faculty |
ETS |
| Course Shell Creation |
Create course space in the D2L course management system |
Fill out course request form |
- Create course shell in D2L for development phase
- Create active course shell when requested by faculty member
|
| Funding |
Get funding for online course and program development |
Contact Office of Extended Learning |
Go through Checklist for Online Readiness for Academic Programs and Guidelines for Online Course Development |
| Course Design |
Decide on the overall course structure, materials and technology to be used |
- Decide on course design, course outline/blueprint, and course structure (modules, weeks, or chapters)
- Decide on the technology and D2L tools to be used (discussions, blogs, videos, publisher’s sites, etc)
- Decide on assessment items and activities (amount of readings, number of quizzes, discussions, use of case studies, etc)
|
- Advise on course design, outline/blueprint, and structure (modules, weeks, or chapters) as requested by faculty member
- Help to identify technical resources for program and course development
- Provide input on effective online activities and assessment strategies
- Provide instructional resources
- Help with research into online education strategies and best practices in the subject area
|
| Course Development |
Develop/convert materials for online use |
- Supply materials as Word documents
- Supply other files to be posted online (PowerPoints, videos, etc.)
- Review posted items for accuracy
- Use File Management and Content area to update and maintain course materials
|
- Convert “online lectures” and/or instructions for modules, weeks, or chapters into .html using Dreamweaver
- Apply best web-design principles and accessibility guidelines
- If additional files are supplied as part of course updates and maintenance, design team member will upload .ppt, .doc, etc., into course and enter in table of contents
|
| D2L Components |
Set up course structure in D2L, load content and set up D2L tools (listed below): |
- Do basic troubleshooting
- Use basic D2L tools and areas (News, Table of Contents, Content, Quizzes, Dropbox, Discussions, and Gradebook) to deliver the course, as detailed below:
|
Set up all of the course components and help to maintain them, as detailed below: |
| Table of Contents |
Work collaboratively with ETS to establish course structure and navigation |
Set up course structure and navigation (e.g. outline of modules, links to assignments) |
| Content |
See Course Development Activity (above) |
See Course Development Activity (above) |
| Quizzes |
Provide quiz questions/answers in Word format at least 1 week prior to the scheduled date of the quiz
or
- Provide quizzes in other formats (publishers testbanks, CDs, online) at least 2-3 weeks prior to the scheduled date of the quiz
- Provide information about quiz properties: restrictions, attempts, time limits, special access, etc
- Verify accuracy of questions/answers and quiz properties published in D2L by ETS
|
- Import quizzes into D2L
- Set up quiz properties
- Inform faculty member when quiz is ready for review and approval
|
| Dropbox |
Determine if Dropbox is appropriate for course assignments |
Create Dropbox folders |
| Discussions |
- Provide information about forums/topics needed and their properties
- Create and maintain discussion questions
|
Set up discussion forums and topics |
| Gradebook |
- Provide assignment breakdown
- Post grades and maintain Gradebook
- Download and/or print Gradebook at end of every semester
|
Set up D2L Gradebook according to information provided |
| Copy Courses |
Copying an existing course for upcoming semester |
- Identify source from which copy is to be made and what is to be copied
- Verify that copied course is correct and complete
|
- Copy course and its components using instructor-identified source
- Inform instructor when course shell is ready for review and approval
|
| Backup Courses |
Create timely backups of online materials, assignments, grades, quizzes, etc. |
- Create course backups in the middle and end of the semester.
- Store backups locally and on MavDISK.
|
- Send backup reminders and instructions to all D2L faculty
- Help to back up courses and their content as requested by faculty
|
Technology and Tools:
|
Create:
- Flash games and movies, self-test activities
- Presentations with audio or video narrations
- Interactive software simulations
- Digital media development: CDs and DVDs
|
Consult with ETS to determine the most appropriate tool to accomplish course goals and objectives, taking into consideration the technical skills and access of both instructor and students |
- Train faculty in the use of these tools
- Provide technical support as faculty develop course elements using these tools
|
