Course Design Stakeholders

Course development at National Louis University (“the University”) is a collaborative and earner-focused process to design a new (or redevelop or revise an existing) learning experience that is inclusive, engaging, innovative, and compatible with how people learn. The Learning Experience Design (LxD) team at the University follows a shared stewardship model for designing and maintaining course templates, including but not limited to the following roles: Program Director/ Associate Dean; Department Chair; Librarian; Subject Matter Expert, Learning Experience Designer.

The Role Of The Program Director/Associate Dean

Prior to starting the course developments, the Director of Learning Experience Design will send a list of courses for the Colleges/Departments to confirm. The courses are agreed upon in advance during the annual budget planning period. The Director of Learning Experience will send the list 8 weeks before the course development kickoffs.

The College/Unit Point of Contact, Program Director/Chair, or Dean/Associate Dean is responsible for:

1. Determining which courses will be designed, and confirming important information, including course code, course length, modalities, development type (i.e., new development, redevelopment, revision).
2. Review and provide the approved, unexpired curriculum document for each course to make sure it is the most current and approved document.
3. Identifying the NLU faculty Subject Matter Expert who will be responsible for designing the course in collaboration with a Designer.
4. Provide the college’s decision, i.e., to develop, cancel, or postpone course development for specific courses. 

The Role Of Program Leader

Program Leader provides the oversight for each course development.

The Program Leader is responsible for:

1. Articulating program requirements, explains how the course supports an overall program assessment strategy, shares prior term student learning data, and provides additional insight into student demographics.
2. Provision or articulation of overall design guidelines for college or program, when applicable. 
3. Reviewing the course map and providing feedback prior to building the course in D2L.
4. Reviewing the course in D2L once LxD has completed the build.
5. Requesting maintenance or improvements allowing continuous improvement of the course through feedback, analysis, and adjustments to ensure that the course remains current, relevant, and effective for students.
6. Ensuring that the course meets all accreditation and compliance standards. 

The Role Of The Subject Matter Expert

A subject matter expert (SME) for an online or blended course is an individual with expertise in the course's subject matter. Their primary responsibility is to provide accurate and current information on the course content. They work closely with the Designer to create effective instructional materials and learning activities that align with the course objectives and meet the needs of the learners.

The SME is responsible for:

1. Confirming course information (course code, modality, length) for the course they are assigned to develop.
2. Reviewing course development templates, and resources provided by the LxD team.
3. Attending Kickoff meetings and other course development meetings agreed upon with the LxD.
4. Writing learning objectives that align with the course and program objectives.
5. Researching and identifying learning materials that are current, accessible, and appropriate for the needs of diverse learners, and aligned with the course goals and learning objectives.
6. Reviewing or creating learning activities that align with course objectives.
7. Creating and/or reviewing assessments and grading rubrics.
8. Completing the course map with all components, including module topics, module overviews, learning objectives, learning materials, learning activities, assessments and descriptions, and grading criteria (rubrics).
9. Complete the Credit Hour Compliance form ensuring that the course materials and activities align with the defined credit hour requirements, and that the course workload is appropriate for the credit hours assigned.
10. Reviewing course content in D2L after LxD has completed building the course. 

The Role Of Library Faculty

Library Faculty members are assigned to each course development project to help find accessible, affordable, and sustainable resources, support the use and creation of open educational resources (OERs).

The Library Faculty are responsible for:

1. Attending the kickoff course development meeting.
2. Providing guidance and resources to help SMEs find and select course materials that comply with copyright and fair use guidelines. [subject matter expert is expected to search for learning materials].
3. Providing guidance and resources to help SMEs search for learning materials that are accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
4. Recommending alternative resources if selected materials are not accessible, affordable, have not cleared copyright and fair use, or are outdated.
5. Reviewing the final course bibliography to make sure that the selected materials are appropriate based on copyright and fair use.
6. Develop research assignments, discussion prompts, and supporting guides/tutorials for courses with a research component.
7. Collaborate with LxD on library technology resources, i.e., maintaining eReserves.

The Role Of The Learning Experience Designer (Lxd)

After the colleges have confirmed the list of courses that will be developed in each development cycle, the Director of LxD will assign courses to Learning Experience Designers (LxD). Overall, the LxD brings expertise in pedagogy, learning design, and technology to ensure that the course is effective, engaging, and aligned with best practices in online and blended learning. There is great emphasis on project management for the LxD. The LxD creates the guidelines necessary for a smooth design and delivery process and ensures that each course, and its contributing deliverables, is developed and implemented within a desirable timeframe.

The role of the LxD is to:

1. Provide project management for the course development (set timelines, provide templates, keep the project on track) to make sure that the project is completed in time and with effective collaboration among all stakeholders.
2. Collaborate with the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Program Leader to review the course goals, objectives, and curriculum documents.
3. Collaborate with the SME to review and provide feedback on learning materials, learning activities, and assessments in order to create engaging, and effective learning experiences.
4. Provide ideas for incorporating multimedia, interactive elements, and other technologies to help enhance the student learning experience.
5. Review the course map and provide feedback based on best practices for online and blended courses including Quality Matters, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and other frameworks.
6. Review Credit Hour Compliance form and provide any feedback to ensure that the course materials and activities align with the defined credit hour requirements, and that the course workload is appropriate for the credit hours assigned.
7. Build course content in D2L following best practices in web accessibility, Quality Matters, and other quality standards.
8. Add reading materials in the eReserves.
9. Conduct quality assurance in D2L to make sure that all components of the course meet quality standards and expectations, and that the course is ready for students and instructors.