CIS Online Course Development and Revision Cohorts

Online course development and revision cohorts refer to a small group of faculty working simultaneously and are under contract to develop and/or revise online courses. The cohort process facilitates the alignment of resources with the placement of the faculty subject-matter expert at the center of the process, resulting in a scenario where “faculty can concentrate on course content and the design of learning activities and assessment” (Luck, 2001, p. 1). Review and peer input come naturally as part of the cohort structure's ongoing sharing, demonstration, and discourse.

Within a cohort, individuals work on their course in an open, collaborative fashion, meeting online five times with an assigned instructional designer and various resource support personnel. Each meeting is an opportunity to introduce services offered by the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support (CIS) that are designed to support individuals at any stage of the development and revision process while also focusing on individual progress within the cohort model. In this way and many others, the process acknowledges that “online course development is a complex endeavor” and “production requires a highly organized, concerted effort from many players” (Caplan, 2004, p. 186). 

Cohorts begin three times each calendar year: January, May, and September, and last 12 weeks.  

Planning for each triannual cohort begins months prior; many steps must occur before courses or new programs are ready for development. Until a course has been approved for online development or revision and a faculty member is contracted to undertake the endeavor, it will not be included in a cohort. Please get in touch with CIS to learn more about cohorts. 

One of the most unique and powerful advantages of participating in an online course development or revision cohort is the strategically timed access to resources and supplemental support, including helpful tips, instructor guides, quality assurance, and peer reviews (CMICH login required). As mentioned earlier, specialized resource personnel will attend specific cohort meetings to promote various support opportunities tailored to the needs of the development process.  

Support from CoursePro (CMICH login required) services ensures that no time is consumed on the tedium of setup work in the LMS (Blackboard), including:

DesignPro (CMICH login required) examines aesthetics, design, and accessibility elements, such as:

The CIS Learning Media Production (MediaPro) team assists faculty in creating, developing, and using video, or other media, as an effective tool for content delivery, including:

Subject Librarians guide and facilitate access to library services and materials, including:

CIS’ online course development (or revision) cohort process was strategically designed to support faculty in developing and maintaining online courses to be offered at CMU. CIS is uniquely suited to partner with instructors through each step of the cohort process toward creating and offering the highest-quality online instructional experience possible. 

Caplan, D. (2004). The development of online courses. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca, AB, Canada: Athabasca University.

Luck, A. (2001, Jan/Feb). Developing courses for online delivery: One strategy. Technology Source.