H.3. – Course Development Manual
DEAC—2015
3. Course Development Manual
To comply with DEAC’s Standard II. Educational Program Objectives, Curricula and Materials, a degree-granting
institution should have a Course Development Manual. The purpose of the manual is to provide structural and
organizational parameters to which all courses material must adhere. The manual should also specify the working
assumptions faculty should use when setting course assignments, determining credit/clock hours required, writing
examinations, and anticipating administrative needs. Here is an overview of such a manual:
Content
Background
Purpose
Your Audience
Policy on determine credit/clock hours
Documenting Credit Hours and Course
Parameters
Designing a Course: Course Outline
Developing the Course
Course Materials
- course approval
- course syllabus
- textbooks and other instructional materials
- reading assignments
- study guides
- reading level and clarity
- comprehension quizzes
- other assignments and projects
- grading assignments
Journaling
Examinations
Research Papers
Learning Resources
Description
Mission statement and goals
Describes the structural and organizational parameters to which
courses materials must adhere
A description of your average student
The institution’s policies and procedures for determining
clock/credit hours.
Examples of how course developers establish credit/clock hours.
Documentation for each course/program for credit hours, hours
of study, average time a student takes to complete each course
and program hours of study, average time a student takes to
complete each course and program.
Name of course and number; prerequisite courses; catalog
description; terminal objectives; course materials lists; format;
grade determination; course topics lists; creating objectives
Considerations regarding student ability; description of different
levels and course numbers
DEAC approval and other appropriate approvals, i.e. state
The instructor’s plan for meeting the goals and objectives of the
course. Contains recommended texts, course policies, contact
information on instructor, study schedule, office hours, etc.
Title, author, ISBN, publisher, date, costs, etc.
It takes the average person one hour to read 25-30 pages of text.
Estimate amount of time per assignment.
Clarifies what student is expected to learn. Contains learning
objectives, study questions, synopses of important concepts,
definition of terms, additional resources, web links, etc.
Use Microsoft Word reading level option
Multiple-choice or true/false
Short essays, team projects, etc.
Grading rubrics
How often, length, other requirements, etc.
How to create exams, types of questions, length of exams,
posting new courses
Formatting requirements, length, footnoting, etc.
Library services, audio and video tools, webinars, PowerPoint
presentations, etc.
Distance Education Accrediting Commission, 1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 808, Washington, DC 20036
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H.3. – Course Development Manual
Content
Keeping Courses Current
Course Modules
Appendices
DEAC –2015
Description
Revision schedule and correction information
Individual courses that make up a degree program. Each module
contains overview of objectives, list of reading assignments,
specific study guide, comprehensive quizzes and how to access
them, exercises and projects, and quizzes and exams.
- Syllabus Examples
- Course Module Template
- How to Take a Course at Our Institution
- Policy Regarding Academic Freedom
- Policy on Intellectual Property
Distance Education Accrediting Commission, 1101 17th Street, NW, Suite 808, Washington, DC 20036
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