Committee on Online Learning (COOL)

Course Proposal Overview

• view a flowchart (PDF) of the process
• obtain required forms (contain specific questions to answer, steps, and which signatures required)
• Read - What do I do first - Blackboard training or the proposal process?

The process below applies to all faculty, whether you are interested in teaching a course that is already offered online or not. While the forms consist of various checklists to guide you for each step of the process, we recommend that you first read everything below. At the end of this page, you will be directed to the forms page. If you have a question after reading everything below, check out the FAQ page or contact a member of the committee.

1. Research
2. Faculty Skills Assessment Development
3. Proposal Creation
4. Internal Subdivision Review
5. Submission of Proposal to the Committee on Online Learning

1. Research:

• First and foremost, read the Guidelines for Distance Education Review from the Curriculum Handbook.
• Contact colleagues on-campus with experience in DE delivery, as well as colleagues at other campuses already offering similar curricula in DE formats.
• Gather information on available resources, including costs. Involve members of your subdivision, sharing the strengths and weaknesses of possible media and delivery approaches:
  • Duplication services of media provided by Media Services
  • Reproduction/distribution copyrights of media
  • Online Learning Student Support (includes Blackboard support for students)
  • Library:  "What distance education instructors need to know about Chabot Library Services"
  • Blackboard. Ideally, the ITC staff strongly recommends that before attempting to teach online, you request Introductory Blackboard training, and gradually incorporate various uses of Blackboard into your on-campus courses for a few semesters.
  • Web Pages
• Review reading materials for teaching online, which not only provide structure but present fantastic ideas for encouraging an effective online environment.

Some of the key questions you might want to focus upon include:

• Who will be taking this class? What learning skills will be required for students to be successful?
• What are the MOST important concepts, demonstrations, discussions, and activities that you do in this class in its current on-campus format? How will you accomplish these via distance delivery modes? If a fully online delivery mode might not be optimal, how can you architect a hybrid class with flexible on-campus meetings, or create alternative assignments that will encourage equivalent learning?
• Where is this class being offered in similar online or hybrid online modes? What can we emulate? What additional technologies or services will be required?

2. Faculty Skills Assessment Development

Faculty should examine their own skills regarding technology and distance education. If the proposed course will involve the use of new technologies, the faculty member should define a timeline and roadmap of training required before the course may be delivered effectively (for example, Blackboard training is required prior to receiving a course site).

Select from the many training opportunities created for instructors just like you:

• Enroll in an online course at a college or university. search for online courses through the California Virtual Campus!
• Talk to a faculty member already delivering a distance education course and get first-hand impressions of the strengths and weaknesses of particular technologies.
• Find out who will support the technology when implemented, and what skills you must have as an online instructor to maintain the systems selected.
• Blackboard is the supported Online Course Management System at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. If you choose to use Blackboard, check out the resources available to students and request training. If you plan to teach with Blackboard, the COOL and CWS strongly recommend that before attempting to teach online, you request introductory Blackboard training, and gradually incorporate various uses of Blackboard into your on-campus courses for a few semesters.

3. Proposal Creation

Working with the CWS staff, divisional colleagues and administration, members of the Committee on Online Learning, and experienced online faculty, create a proposal (obtain proposal form of specific questions and view previously submitted proposals) that should be shared with subdivision colleagues. Use the following questions as a guide to the key issues to be discussed in your justification, focusing on the students who will take the course. (The proposal form will list the specific questions to answer).

• How will the online course meet existing (or new) course outline requirements?
• What combination of resources will be required for students?
• How will you assess the success of the delivery modes?

4. Internal Subdivision Review

Review the proposal formally with your division colleagues. Consider testing the ideas involved with an online or hybrid online section in "sub-sections" of current on-campus classes, offering students the opportunity to participate with online resources, and sharing the results with divisional colleagues concerned with issues of retention and quality. Where possible, consider using the same assessment instruments as on-campus classes to facilitate comparisons of student success.

• Note that formal review means more than casual consultation in the hallway; we suggest that a meeting be called with all subdivision colleagues invited, and a formal vote be taken about the curriculum proposal.
• If colleagues in the subdivision are not in favor of the proposal as formulated, seek ways to explore online delivery with existing classes to gain data and input about the viability of the approaches. Look for other similar sections already offered across the state and country, and gather data from instructors in those sections. But do not allow lack of understanding and familiarity about DE to be a roadblock to innovation. Criticism of the approach should be based not upon, "I don't think it will work" but rather upon specific pieces of the course content and outline that are not addressed in the proposed format.
• Colleague may disagree about whether the proposed delivery modes will be effective in helping our students achieve success. They may disagree about whether the institution can support the proposed class as designed. But disagreement about implementation does not mean that the proposal may not be workable. Use criticism constructively; look for existing, successful implementations at other institutions as evidence online delivery modes CAN be offered effectively.

5. Submission of Proposal to Committee on Online Learning

For instructors new to teaching online at Chabot College, presentation to the Committee on Online Learning is required. Click on Forms to begin completing required paperwork and find out where/who to submit them to.