Standards for quality course design expectations for online courses delivered through Colorado Online. The Healthy Course Checklist takes a high-level approach to identifying key criteria, as well as highlighting examples of strategies that address each criterion. The six criterion categories are : Learner Guidance, Measurable Outcomes, Alignment, Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Learner-Centered Design.
Criterion 1: Learner Guidance –
Design provides course overview, clear policies and expectations, success resources, communication pathways, and consistent structure for ease of navigation.
Criterion 2: Measurable Outcomes –
The course represents current CCNS course outcomes and is structured around measurable module-level objectives that are mapped back to CCNS outcomes.
Criterion 3: Alignment –
Materials, activities, and assessments are aligned with course outcomes, through the measurable module objectives, and are scaffolded to facilitate progressive attainment of content/skills.
Criterion 4: Accessibility –
All text, images, media, and activities meet web accessibility standards. Examples:
- Images have alt text; complex images have long descriptions.
- Videos are captioned.
- Heading styles are in correct sequential order.
- If there is content that is not accessible, a plan is in place to remediate or provide alternatives.
Criterion 5: Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity in Course Design –
- Includes representation of diverse perspectives and cultures.
- Invites learners to respectfully share diverse identities, applications and resources.
- Offers multiple means of representation, action, and expression, and engagement per Universal Design for Learning.
- Incorporates Open Educational Resources/Zero Textbook Cost where possible.
Criterion 6: Learner Centered Design
- Facilitates active learning and metacognition.
- Makes connections between concepts to promote comprehension.
- Invites learner voice.
- Builds and leverages community and social presence.
- Caters to mobile learners.
- Exhibits flexibility.