Teaching & Learning Center
Contact Information
Paul Lynch
Teaching & Learning Center
Coordinator, Instructional Designer
Ph: (406) 771-4321
Location: R220
Course Design Review Process & Guidelines
The course design review process will encourage open communication with faculty within departments/programs and will ensure the chosen courses align with design standards set forth by the 7th edition of the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (2023), SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric – OSCQR (2023), Montana Board of Regents Policy 303.7 – Online Learning (2024) and Montana University System Principles of Quality for eLearning Courses (2021).
In collaboration with the department/program, the instructional designer will review the course design, create an action plan/timeline for improvements, iterate the process and create a continuous cycle of enhancing each course’s design and delivery.
The guidelines cover:
- Course Overview and Introduction
- Learning Objectives (Competencies)
- Assessment and Measurement
- Instructional Materials
- Learning Activities and Learner Interaction
- Course Technology
- Learner Support
- Accessibility and Usability
Course Design Evaluation Rubric
Courses at Great Falls College are designed and evaluated using the Great Falls College Course Review Rubric. The rubric contains seven standards in which courses will be reviewed:
- Standard 1: Course Overview and Getting Started
- Standard 2: Learner Support
- Standard 3: Regular and Substantive Interaction
- Standard 4: Instructional Materials
- Standard 5: Learning Activities
- Standard 6: Assessment and Measurement
- Standard 7: Design and Accessibility
How it works
- The Teaching & Learning Center will review a course shell the first time a class is taught online, as a hybrid, or in a hyflex format using a course review checklist.
- The Teaching & Learning Center will provide a course review worksheet for faculty to complete prior to the review for a more collaborative process.
- Faculty will have the course review checklist to use as a guide as they set up the course shell.
- The review is meant to provide another set of eyes to make sure students can find and use the course information in the shell. It is not intended to evaluate the quality of course content.
- Once established, course shells will be reviewed every 3 years.
- Faculty teaching courses to be reviewed will be contacted at the start of each semester.
- Faculty may also request informal, collaborative course reviews from the Teaching & Learning Center at any time.
- The course reviews are separate from the faculty evaluation process.
- The results of the review are emailed to the instructor and the instructor’s department chair or division director.
