This is a presentation designed to orient new full time faculty to the curriculum design and development process at the Center for Distance Learning.

2. Center for Distance Learning
Curriculum & Instructional
Design
For CDL Courses
Nicola Martinez, Director
Faculty Orientation
July 2009

3. Curriculum Committee
The Curriculum Committee oversees the approval of
course proposals and development of policies and
procedures for Center for Distance Learning courses.
The committee provides leadership in identifying and
discussing curricular issues on the course and overall
curricular levels.
Committee Members represent each of the four area
of study subgroups.

4. Curriculum Committee Members
Phillip Ortiz, Chair and representative of the Science, Mathematics
and Technology subgroup
Carol Carnevale, Faculty Chair and representative of the Business,
Management and Economics subgroup
Eric Ball, Representative of the Cultural Studies subgroup
Julie Shaw, Representative of Human Development and Social
Science Research
Nicola Martinez, Co-Chair and Director of Curriculum and
Instructional Design
Valerie Chukhlomin, Representative of Marketing and
Management Studies subgroup
Laura Wait, Secretary to the Curriculum Committee

5. Curriculum Committee
Curriculum Committee Reviews are Required for:
• New courses - All proposals for new courses must be reviewed
by the curriculum committee and receive committee approval
prior to starting the full course development.
• Major revisions of existing courses - A major revision is
defined as an existing course that needs to be changed in one
of the following ways:
1. major change in focus/purpose of the course
2. major change in texts, necessitating a change in course
focus/purpose
3. change in level of course from lower < -- > advanced, in
credit amount, in liberal vs. non-liberal designation

6. Curriculum Committee
Curriculum Committee Reviews are Not Required for:
• Existing, previously-approved courses changing
delivery methods – E.g., print-to-web conversions, enhanced
learning contract-to-web conversions.
• Minor revisions – A minor revision is defined as a change
necessitated by a newer edition of the same text, the
introduction of a synchronous component, testing of new
software, revision of course title, etc., as long as these
changes do not change the focus/purpose of the course.
• Note: Your assistant area coordinator usually manages minor
revisions for you.

7. Our curricular and instructional design goals :
 Promote deep learning through visual
and multimedia approaches.
 Enhance collaborative learning –
teams, group presentations, debates,
students as facilitators.
 Integrate Case studies across the
disciplines to promote learning
transfer.
 Integrate library research and library
based activities into every course.
 Integrate optimal technology tools for
multiple pedagogical uses.
 Integrate work-based learning and
connection with social problems.
 Build community beyond courses Visual Approach to Mathematics

8. Curriculum and Instructional Design Group
 Advises area coordinators on curriculum
development
 Shepherds developers through the
development cycle
 Provides pedagogical, assessment, and
instructional development training as
needed
 Designs course development processes
 Facilitates team development sessions
 Aligns support for course developers
 Assures academic excellence and design
quality of courses
 Oversees program evaluation and
improvements.

9. Curriculum and Instructional Design Group
Nicola Martinez, Director of Curriculum and Instructional Design
Ken Charuk, Team Lead, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instructional Design(BME)
Robert Kester, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instructional Design (Social Sciences)
Lisa Snyder, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instructional Design (SMAT)
David Wolf, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instructional Design (Humanities)
Audeliz Matias, Coordinator of Curriculum and Instructional Design (SMP)
Betsy Braun, Curriculum Design Specialist (HUM; SMAT)
Claire Ouderkirk, Curriculum Design Specialist (Social, BME)
Darlene Dow, Program Aide
Tiffany Williams, Secretary/Curriculum and Instructional Design Group
MaryJane Baird, Secretary/Curriculum and Instructional Design Group

10. Course Development Teams
CDL courses are designed
by teams made up of
different configurations
of faculty, instructional
designers, librarians, and
various educational
technology specialists, as
follows:
An area coordinator (faculty supervisor)
A coordinator of instructional design & curriculum development who
serves as project manager for the course development
One or more faculty course developers (content expert/s who
develops course content & assessment activities)
One or more instructional designers; a multimedia developer; an
instructional technologist; a librarian; support staff

11. Course Approval Process
Coursetrak Screenshot
Course Concept Presented to All Faculty
 Discussion/feedback from Area Coordinators
Course Proposal Presented to Curricular Teams
 Open to Discussion/feedback
 from Area Coordinators and Course Development Teams
Course Proposal Review/Approval by Curriculum Committee
 With public feedback
Once Approved, course enters development cycle
 And is assigned a team
Once Completed, Course Review/Rating by Instructional Design Team
 using the course evaluation checklist

12. Coursetrak

13. Course Resource Needs Analysis
Records the resources, support, and services
needed for a course in development or revision.

14. Library Resources
 Librarians recommend electronic resources from:
 subscription research databases and online services
 the public Internet for use as supplemental readings
and related course materials (.edu; .gov; and .org)
Arts Management Course
Sample Library Request

15. Tier 3 Rating System
Tier Rating
Tier 3 Exemplary Course
Tier 2 Acceptable
Some criteria met, revisions
needed
Tier 1 Not Acceptable (recommend
postpone or cancel)

16. Online Course Evaluation Checklist
 http://www.esc.edu/coursetrak

17. Theory based design
For large-scale development of
pedagogically and academically sound
courses, instructional designers work
with course developers to ensure:
 Adult centered learning
 Active, deep, and authentic
learning
 Visual pedagogies
Studying with Scientists
 Media-rich and librarian
researched
content/resources.
 Student interaction and
collaborative learning
 With emphasis on
opportunities for teaching,
social and cognitive
presence
Virtual Research Cruise

18. Best Practices
 CDL uses a best-practice based Virtual Research Cruise
approach, as online learning is
relatively new; best practices are the
result of ongoing research,
discovery, and experimentation.
 Full time CDL faculty and staff attend
national and international
conferences to learn about emerging
practices, newest research and
technologies, and to share our
practices with external audiences.
 CDL faculty members and
instructional designers contribute
their best practice ideas so that
innovations and improvements may
be shared across the center and
college.
Marine Biology
 As a general rule, a new practice is
piloted in one course and tested in a
few more before implemented on a
larger scale.

19. Some of our distance learning methodologies applied to the design
of instruction include:
Visual Pedagogy
Collaborative
Learning
Scientific Field
Studies and Field
Study Support
Interactive Tools
Visual Mathematics
Research-Based
Discussion
Visual Case Studies

20. Quality Factors
• The key differentiating factors of quality in
CDL courses are:
 The teaching presence of instructor, e.g. through course
description, statement of goals and objectives, module-at-
a-glance and frequent feedback
 The internal consistency of the course, determined by
congruence between components
 Use of cognitive enhancement strategies such as library
review, problem solving, image and multimedia resources,
and Web links
 Use of collaborative learning, e.g. through discussions,
icebreaker and group projects
• All of these factors are amply supported by research
on online learning.

21. Contact Information
Nicola Martinez
Director of Curriculum and Instructional Design
Center for Distance Learning
111 West Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-587-2100, ext. 2276
Nicola.Martinez@esc.edu
• Visit our web site at:
http://www.esc.edu/cdl