CGS - College of General Studies - University of Pittsburgh

CGS Online Course Proposal Process

The proposal process is coordinated by the online program coordinator in the College of General Studies. Pitt faculty members interested in developing a course for CGS Online should contact Blaine Connor for further information at blcst26@pitt.edu or 412-624-6173.  Course approval forms are accepted on a rolling basis. 

• Course development approval form
  Here is an example of a previous course development proposal  (DOC)
• CGS Online demonstration course
  When you come in to discuss your course, we will show you sample courses to help you see the range of possibilities, including a demo course designed by one of CGS Online's most innovative Instructional designer/technologists. 

Course Development

Once the proposal to develop a CGS Online course is completed and approved, the program coordinator will schedule an initial meeting to begin the course development. This first meeting will be an opportunity for faculty to meet their assigned instructional designer/technologist and determine a timeline and benchmarks for completing the course for start-of-term. The following are several resources available to help you as begin a course development.

• Introduction to Instructional Design (PPT) 
• Developing Modules (DOC)
• Teaching Your Course (DOC)
• Interactivity Rubric (DOC) - Your course will be assessed against this rubric.  You should aim to complete the course at least one month prior to the term in which you wish to run it, to allow time for revisions and give students time to enroll.
• Blackboard Tip Sheets (PDF)
  “10 Easy Steps to Creating Your Online Course”
  “Building a Blackboard Course Web Site Checklist”

Course Instruction and Management

The following topics will be of importance to you as you implement your online course(s) and engage with your students in the Web environment.

• Expectations for CGS Online Faculty (DOC)
• Online Discussion: Strategies and Considerations  (DOC)
• Active Learning Handbook (Weber University) (PDF)
• Assessing Student Learning
• Copyrighted Materials (PDF)

Useful Readings

Student Satisfaction and Perceived Learning with Online Courses: Principles and Examples from the SUNY Learning Network, Fredericksen E., Pickett A.M., Pelz W., Swan K., Shea P, JALN, Volume 4, Issue 2 - September 2000.

Factors Influencing Faculty Satisfaction with Asynchronous Teaching and Learning in the SUNY Learning Network, Fredericksen E., Pickett A.M., Pelz W., Swan K., Shea P, JALN, Volume 4, Issue 3. .pdf file format.

A Preliminary Investigation of “Teaching Presence” in the SUNY Learning Network, Shea, P., Fredericksen, E., Pickett, A., Pelz, W., (2003) Elements of Quality Online Education, Needham, MA.

A Follow-up Investigation of "Teaching Presence" in the SUNY Learning Network,JALN, Volume 7, Issue 2 - July 2003, Peter J. Shea, Alexandra M. Pickett, and William E. Pelz.

(My) Three Principles of Effective Online Pedagogy, William E. Plez, JALN, Volume 8, Issue 3 - June 2004.

Teaching in a Virtual Classroom, Hiltz, S.R., International Journal of Educational Telecommunications (1995), 1(2/3) 185-198.

Effective Facilitation of Computer Conferencing, Eastmond, D.V., Continuing Higher Education Review, 56(1/2) 1992 p. 23-32

Virtual Teacher Education: Affordances and Constraints of Teaching Teachers Online, Swan K., Bowman J., Holmes A., SITE 99 Conference, San Antonio, Texas (1999).

Issues in Distance Learning, Lorraine Sherry.

Soldiers as Distance Learners: What Army Trainers need to Know, Millie Abell.

Seven Principles of Effective Teaching - A Practical Lens for Evaluating Online Courses, Charles Graham, Kursat Cagiltay, Byung-Ro Lim, Joni Craner, and Thomas M. Duffy , The Technology Source, March/April 2001.

How People Learn, Bransford, J., Brown, A., Cocking, R., Donovan, M., and Pellegrino, J. W., National Academy Press, 2000.

Chickering, A. W., and Gamson, A. F. Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. Racine, WI: The Johnson Foundation, Inc/Wingspread, 1987. Applying the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.

Assessing Teaching Presence in a Computer Conferencing Context. Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. R., and Archer W. JALN, Volume 5, Issue 2- September 2001.

Using Peer Teams to Lead Online Discussions, Liam Rourke and Terry Anderson, Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2002 (1).