Collaborative course design typically begins with a team of subject matter experts. These teachers and instructors contribute their knowledge, industry experience and practical knowhow to develop a curriculum that reflects their unique perspective on the course material. At ASU this educational content is directly developed from the existing campus based instance of the course.
Once the core curriculum is in place, a team of instructional designers goes to work adapting it and shaping it to work in the online learning environment. This process includes the creation of multimedia content such as video, audio, interactive presentations and imagery. The instructional design team also handles the ergonomics of delivering the course online – figuring out the best ways to structure and deliver the content so that students can get the most from it and interact naturally with it.
While the instructors and instructional design teams work to build the course content and structure, technologists are hard at work with the Learning Management System (LMS) and Content Management System (CMS) that drive all online learning programs. They make sure all systems are working correctly, can handle the total number of students in the program, and are integrated to create a seamless learning experience for every student.