Center for Teaching and Learning

Online Course Development

Distance Education

Courses which are approved for online delivery at SFA undergo a process through which best practices in online education are evidenced. Faculty members involved in the creation of online courses work closely with our learning experience designers to create quality educational experiences for online students. Review the Roadmap to Becoming a Certified Online Instructor and Developing an Online Course.

Deadlines for Approval of Online Courses

The CTL's deadlines for designing and reviewing online courses are tied to university deadlines for departments to complete upcoming semester(s') course schedules. 

The learning experience design team strongly encourages contacting them at least two weeks in advance of your desired meeting date to allow adequate time for scheduling, feedback and collaboration. 

First and final review meetings are coordinated by the learning experience designer assigned to your course. If you do not have an assigned learning experience designer, email Emily Dodson at Emily.Dodson@sfasu.edu.

Deadlines for courses that will be taught online for the first time in a summer or fall semester: 

We recommend holding a first review meeting by January 1. The deadline for first review meetings (all getting started materials and two content modules) is February 15. 

All courses to be considered for final review meetings must be submitted for review by March 1. All review meetings and paperwork must be completed by April 1 in order to be eligible for <WEB> coding in the summer/fall semesters. 

Deadlines for courses that will be taught online for the first time in a spring semester: 

We recommend holding a first review meeting by August 1. The deadline for first review meetings (all getting started materials and two content modules) is September 15. 

All courses to be considered for final review meetings must be submitted for review by October 1. All review meetings and paperwork must be completed by November 1 in order to be eligible for <WEB> coding in the spring semester. 

The Course Design Rubric outlines the best practices to be evidenced.

Course Development Resources

Course Review Forms

The following forms are completed during the review process: