The summer is a good opportunity to set aside some time to design or update your online courses. University of Iowa Distance and Online Education has resources available to assist you in that process.

The Online Course Essentials page includes helpful tools for designing an effective online course and ensuring that your course meets the Quality Matters (QM) Essential Standards. It includes resources for designing a course structure that is clear and informative for students, including creating course modules and incorporating learning objectives into the design of the course. It also includes tips for effective online teaching, including how to design impactful online assignments and assessments and how to create meaningful opportunities for student interaction. You can use these resources to design a new course or to identify ways to improve an existing online course.

The Online Course Reflection Worksheet is a helpful tool for reviewing an online course you recently taught to identify areas of improvement and to develop creative ideas for refreshing the course in the future. It provides a checklist of some of the key features of an effective online course and gives you the opportunity to assess what went well and what areas could be improved.

Also, you can always contact Distance and Online Education if you have questions about online teaching or to request assistance.

For questions about CLAS policies regarding online course offerings, contact Associate Dean Cornelia Lang.