Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Per the college’s eLearning Standard Policy1, eLearning courses will be peer-reviewed for adherence to the
college’s faculty-approved eLearning Course Standards. This checklist will be used by the review team.
Required Standard2
1a. All eLearning course
components must meet all
required Section 508 regulations.
Per this standard, a course
must:

NOTE: Requirements for meeting
this standard are still under review.
Hence courses not meeting this
requirement (1) will be able to go
forward (2) will be flagged for
further review and (3) should be

corrected as soon as possible when
feasible.
1b. All eLearning course
components must meet copyright
laws inclusive of the TEACH Act
and Fair Use guidelines.
NOTE: It will be helpful to review
http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/In
tellectualProperty/copypol2.htm
before initiating the review
process.
1
Provide alternate means of access
to course materials for the visionimpaired or hearing-impaired
student (e.g. audio lectures include
text transcripts; video clips,
images, or animations are
accompanied by text transcripts;
embedded images include
alternate text descriptions)
Met?
Notes:
Yes
No
Internet links have meaningful
names and include alternate text
along with useful descriptions of
what students will find at the
linked sites

Icons used as links have alternate
text associated with them or an
accompanying text link

Course materials from outside
sources are properly cited using
MLA-, APA-, or Chicago-style
citation

Faculty has proper documentation
(that is, signed written agreement)
if he/she has uploaded resources
from publishers that include a
software licensing agreement

Materials posted do not include
the transmission of textbook
materials or materials "typically
purchased or acquired by
students”
Yes
No
The eLearning Standard Policy is available on the intranet at
http://intranet.lfcc.edu/documents/policies/Policy%20%2351006%20eLearning%20Standards%20Policy%202009-01.pdf
2
Standards listed in this column come directly from LFCC’s faculty-approved eLearning Course Standards
(http://intranet.lfcc.edu/documents/Office%20of%20Learning/processes/LFCC%27s%20eLearning%20Course%20Standards%
20(January%202009).pdf)
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Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Required Standard2
Per this standard, a course
must:
3a. All eLearning courses must
start in Blackboard.

3b. All eLearning courses must
include a navigation scheme that
makes it easy and intuitive for
students to find necessary
information.


If a link takes students outside of
Blackboard, students are able to
return to the Blackboard site in no
more than 3 steps
4a. The Blackboard course shell
must contain an announcements
content area.

Include an Announcements link or
button in the course menu
Course starts in the Blackboard
course shell provided by the
Instructional Technology Office for
the given semester
Yes
Hyperlinks included in the course
are in working order
Yes

Link or button has NOT been
renamed (that is, the link or button
is left as named:
"Announcements")

At a minimum, include a welcome
announcement in the content area
4b. The Blackboard course shell

must contain a faculty information
content area.
Met?
Include a Faculty Info link or
button in the course menu

Link or button has NOT been
renamed (that is, the link or button
is left as named: "Faculty Info”)

At a minimum, include contact
information, office hour
information, and a brief
professional biography (reference
standard #10 below) in the content
area
4c. The Blackboard course shell
must contain a syllabus content
area.

Include an Syllabus link or button
in the course menu

Link or button has NOT been
renamed (that is, the link or button
is left as named: "Syllabus")
5. A complete course syllabus for
the eLearning course must be
directly linked to the Syllabus
button on the Blackboard course
menu.

Provide a link to the Syllabus either
directly through the Syllabus menu
link/button or provide easy access
to the course syllabus in the
associated content area
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No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Notes:
Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Required Standard2
Per this standard, a course
must:
7a. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an
explanation of any technical

software and/or hardware
requirements of the course,
including having a reliable Internet

connection.
Provide an explanation of any
technical software and/or
hardware requirements that are
specific to the course materials
7b. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an

explanation of any physical
location requirements.
Include a statement that makes it
clear to students the location of
the proctored activities.
Met?
Yes
No
Emphasizes the need for a reliable,
preferably high-speed, Internet
connection
If the course requires special
software and/or hardware,
describe the minimum, courseNOTE: Information on the technical
specific technical skills expected of
software and/or hardware
the student
requirements for all eLearning
These statements must be clear and
courses is located in the Help &
easy to locate in the course Syllabus
Support content area included in
content area.
all Blackboard course shells.

Hybrid courses: Include a
statement that makes it clear to
students that the course includes
both online and face-to-face
components/activities
Hybrid courses: Specify any/all
requirements for participation in
the face-to-face portion of the
course

Hybrid courses: Include a
statement that explains where and
when students should participate
each week.
These statements must be clear and
easy to locate in the course Syllabus
content area.
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Yes
No
Notes:
Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Required Standard2
Per this standard, a course
must:
Met?
7c. In addition to following the
 State the instructor's preferred
college's standard syllabus
method of student-instructor
template format, eLearning course
communication
syllabi must also include an
 Include both a primary (preferred)
explanation of how students will
and secondary method of studentcommunicate with the instructor.
instructor communication
At least two methods must be
established by the instructor and  State the time frame for
responding to students
clearly explained in the syllabus.
These statements must be clear and
easy to locate in the course Syllabus
content area.
Yes
7d. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include clear
standards with respect to the
response times students can
expect for communication and
feedback on assignments.
State the time frame for providing
feedback on assignments and
posting grades.
Yes
7e. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an
explanation of how the student
will communicate with other
students. At least one method
must be established by the
instructor and clearly explained in
the syllabus.
Include a statement that is clear
and easy to locate in the course
Syllabus content area that states
how the students will
communicate with other students
Yes
7f. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an
explanation of how assignments
will be turned in to the instructor.
Include a statement that is clear
and easy to locate in the course
Syllabus content area that provides
instructions on how to submit
assignments
Yes
7g. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an
explanation of how feedback on
assignments will be provided.
Include a statement that is clear
and easy to locate in the course
Syllabus content area that provides
instructions on how students can
access grades for the course
assignments
Yes
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No
No
No
No
No
Notes:
Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Required Standard2
Per this standard, a course
must:
7h. In addition to following the

college's standard syllabus
template format, eLearning course
syllabi must also include an
explanation of how participation
will be assessed if class
participation is an assessed

component of the course
experience.
Include a statement that is clear
and easy to locate in the course
Syllabus content area that
articulates the instructor's
expectations with regard to
student participation
Met?
Yes
No
Clearly define the requirements for
the nature of the required
participation and expectations for
frequency and quality of the
student's responses

Where appropriate (for instance,
for individual task descriptions that
involve student-student
interaction), include a rubric
detailing how student interactions
will be evaluated, including reading
and responding to the instructor's
and classmates' threads/posts
8. All online courses must have a

direct link to an activity that gives
students and opportunity to reflect
and assess whether or not an
online course is appropriate for
them.
Include an activity that gives
students an opportunity to think
critically about the requirements of
an online course
Yes
Include a brief description of
professional experiences
Yes
10. All eLearning courses must
include the instructor's short
professional biography and a
welcome message.


Include a welcome message in the
Announcements area; this
message should be available on
the first day of semester and
remain available throughout the
first week of the class.
12. eLearning courses must be
current and in good operating
condition.

Hyperlinks included in the course
are in working order

Posted due dates must be current
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No
No
Yes
No
Notes:
Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
Required Standard2
Per this standard, a course
must:
13. All eLearning courses must

have a minimum of one proctored
assessment.
Include a statement that is clear
and easy to locate in the course
Syllabus content area that specifies
the details of the proctored
assessment, when and how it will
be administered, and how it will be
weighted relative to the overall
course grade
NOTE: The College's Instructional
Leadership Team recommends that the
proctored assessment account for at
least 10% of the student's overall grade
in the course to ensure that students
take the assessment seriously and
complete it as directed.
(Optional) Additional Reviewers’ Notes:
Course Reviewed:
Date of Review:
Signature of Course Instructor:
Signatures of Peer Reviewers:
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Met?
Yes
No
Notes:
Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
The standards included below must be checked off by the appropriate program lead, associate dean, dean, or
associate vice president.
Required Standard1:
Met?
6. All eLearning course content must be based on the
same course content summaries that are used for
traditional courses.
Yes
7. eLearning course syllabi must follow the college's
standard syllabus template format.
Yes
11. All eLearning course faculty must respond to
eLearning students' communications in a timely
manner.
Yes
Course Reviewed:
Notes:
No
No
No
Date of Review:
Signature of Course Instructor:
Signature of Supervisor:
Standards listed in this column come directly from LFCC’s faculty-approved eLearning Course Standards
(http://intranet.lfcc.edu/documents/Office%20of%20Learning/processes/LFCC%27s%20eLearning%20Course%20
Standards%20(January%202009).pdf)
1
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Lord Fairfax Community College
Checklist for eLearning Course Design
This table includes suggested best practices. Although these aspects of course design are not
required, the Faculty Instructional Technology Committee and the Instructional Technology Office
encourages faculty to include them in their course design so as to enhance retention and student
success rates in the eLearning Courses offered by Lord Fairfax Community College.
Best Practices:
Things to look for…
2. Faculty should adhere to the applicable
NOTE: This document is still in the draft stages. Once approved, it
guidelines and best practices documented in the
will be made available through the college's intranet and the
“Guidelines & Best Practices for the
applicable annotations will be added to this table.
Development and Use of eLearning in the VCCS”
3b. Faculty who maintain their own Web pages
and who link out of Blackboard to those Web
pages should follow best practices of Web
design personal design preferences
 Web pages designed and maintained by faculty should be
reviewed by the college's Webmaster for adherence to the
best practices of Web design
 If course materials contain links to sites outside of Blackboard,
linked pages open in a new browser window or tab
Include information about the College’s
disability policies and procedures.
(related to required standard 1a – ADA / Section
508 compliance)
 Reference and/or include a link to LFCC's policy regarding
accessibility and ADA compliance
 Include information that tells students how to gain access to
LFCC's disability support services
 Include a reference or link to Blackboard's ADA compliance
statement
 If special tools and software (other than Blackboard) are used
to deliver the course, documentation stating their degree of
ADA compliance should be included
 Appropriate font, color, and spacing is used to facilitate
readability and minimize distractions for the student
Foster meaningful interaction between the
instructor and student, among students, and
between students and course materials (related
to required standard #7e listed above)
 Include a learning activity that fosters student-student
interaction
Faculty information should include a picture of
the instructor (related to required standard #9
listed above)
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