Curriculum Development and Approval

Proposals for the development of distance learning courses are initiated, evaluated and approved by full-time faculty in the discipline. In disciplines without full-time faculty, this process should be initiated with the approval of the appropriate Dean.

In general, Distance Learning course proposals are evaluated for appropriateness by the DE and Instructional Design Coordinator and Curriculum Committee, and only those courses demonstrating suitable content and sufficient rigor should be approved.

Distance Learning Course Proposals

Most disciplines can adapt on-campus courses for distance learning delivery. Courses that include clinical experiences and laboratories can be, and have been, offered via distance learning technologies. The decision to offer a course via distance learning must be made on a course-by-course basis within the appropriate departments, with consideration given to course content, student needs and the flexibility of the delivery mechanism. When faculty propose and develop a distance learning course, they often see their course(s) from a new perspective, which often results in improvements to both their on-campus and online courses.

Separate Course Approval

Title 5, Section 55206, requires that before an online course is provided it is separately reviewed and approved according to the district's course approval procedures. Course Outlines must be either created or updated before they can be submitted to the Curriculum Committee. Distance education courses should be reviewed and updated through the four-year cyclical review process of Program Review pursuant to Title 5, Section 55202. New courses should follow all current curriculum guidelines.

As per AP 4105, the Distance Learning Addendum addendum shall specify:

How course outcomes will be achieved in a distanced education mode;
How the portion of instruction delivered via distance education meets the requirement for regular and substantive interaction between instructor(s) and students, and among students; and How the portion of instruction delivered via distance education meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The addendum shall be separately approved according to the district's adopted curriculum approval procedures.

Resources

Review the COS Curriculum Handbook