Course development process

For a new or revised course, the course development process involves two components:

1. approval process prior to allocation of a course development team;
2. work by the course development team to develop and produce the course.

We also offer some suggestions on how a course team can develop an effective course within their given time frame.

Approval process

1. Request a hard copy of the Course Proposal Form from the Secretary of the Distance Education Unit at the CFL.
2. Complete the form and have it endorsed by your Head of Department.
3. Your Head of Department will then forward the Proposal Form to your Faculty Teaching and Learning committee to be endorsed for submission to the CFL board.
4. The HDE/SID then collates all Proposal Forms and submits them to the CFL board for approval for development.
5. The SID then assigns a course development team (consisting of the Course Coordinator/Writer [CW], Instructional Designer [ID], Education Technologist [ET], and an Electronic Publisher [EP]) to each course that has been approved.

Process for the course development team

The following steps are involved in the development and production of a new or revised course from the time when it is confirmed for offer to the time that the camera-ready masters are submitted for printing or, where the course is online, the text is uploaded.

This unit-by-unit process works well provided that the overall design has been properly planned initially. The most effective form of planning occurs when there is meaningful dialogue among course development team members who meet often in the initial stages. These frequent meetings continue throughout the course development process, providing opportunities to discuss ways of enhancing student learning and solving problems as they arise.

Step 1: Initial meetings

At initial meetings the course writer (CW), instructional designer (ID), education technologist (ET) and, as appropriate, Media Centre staff establish:

• student profile;
• course objectives;
• course structure and design;
• course materials;
• cover design;
• time lines; and
• complete blueprint (which is forwarded to DFL).

Step 2: Model unit

• CW writes a model unit (usually but not always unit 1). From this unit, the basic structure, style and features of all units will be established.
• CW follows up copyright matters.
• The ID, ET and Media staff attend to matters such as cover, graphics and other media aids.

Step 3: Unit development

• CW submits first draft of model unit to ID and ET.
• ID and ET consider unit in terms of interactive text, language levels, self-assessment activities, and other features to improve communication and pedagogy.
• ID, and CW meet to discuss suggestions.

Step 4: Production matters

ET and Electronic publisher (EP) attend to aspects of production such as requirements for media aids and cut and paste (e.g. for Reader). In consultation with ID, they may follow up icons and styles.

Step 5: Revised model unit

• CW submits revised model unit.
• ID and ET check new draft quickly.
• Course team meets to discuss any further amendments.
• Progress report is submitted through SID.

Step 6: Finalised model unit

• EP keys in any further corrections that have been agreed on.
• ID and ET check unit before passing to CW for proofreading.

Step 7: Development of subsequent units

Steps 2 to 6 are repeated until the final draft, following the pattern of the model unit, is completed for all units.

Step 8: SID input

SID looks through course to give independent view (“a fresh eye”).

Step 9: Camera-ready copy (masters)

• Course team views masters and approves printing.
• ET gives masters for printing to production officer.

After printing, books go to Despatch for regional distribution.

Note:
Although these steps are presented in sequence, in reality several tasks may be occurring simultaneously. For example, at a given stage:

• the course writer may be writing a unit;
• the instructional designer may be considering another unit for its pedagogical elements;
• the editor may be editing a different unit or following up copyright permission requests;
• the education technologist may be working on the Reader;
• the electronic publisher may be making final corrections to another unit; and
• one unit may be awaiting proofing.