Payment for the development of an online course is covered under the current YSU-OEA Agreement. The application for online course development approvals will be considered for courses that:
- have not been taught as web-based for the past 3 years. (Note: This new language means that the course must be approved for development via the application to develop an online course prior to the start of the first term in which it will be taught as web-based).
- are part of an approved online program or general education course used in an online program.
- are being developed as a web-based (asynchronous) course.
For purposes of identification and payment, web-based courses are classified as follows:
Web-based (WB) – 100% online course where students interact asynchronously with the instructor and other students. Students do not meet in a traditional classroom setting during the semester. Although there is no set time for instruction, there are likely deadlines placed on assignments. Off-campus proctored exams and/or presentations may be required at authorized proctoring sites or at designated locations in compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) provision regarding student authentication. The following also applies:
- All WB courses are to be developed and taught within Blackboard.
- All WB courses are to be developed using the YSU DE template. Developer templates can be requested through the Department of Cyberlearning.
- No course can be developed and taught in the same term.
Application and Development Instructions:
Note: Due to the new YSU-OEA Agreement language, the application to develop an online course must be approved by the Provost or Provost's Designee prior to the start of the first term in which it will be taught as web-based. See the YSU-OEA Agreement for details.
- The developer completes the Application to Develop an Online Course. Include expected enrollment and reason for putting the course online as well as if it is part of an online program. The department Chair and Dean should sign, then forward to the Director of Cyberlearning. Send by mail to Lincoln 207 or by email to jrchill@ysu.edu.
- The Director of Cyberlearning will sign and forward the application to the Provost for final approval.
- Once the Provost makes the final decision, the Director of Cyberlearning will reach out to the developer to discuss the approval status and whether it is okay to begin development. If approved, a Blackboard course shell will be issued and an Instructional Designer will contact the developer to offer assistance with the development process. Development approval is good for six months from PROVOST (or Provost’s designee) signature date. A new application must be submitted and approved to proceed with development beyond this point.
- The developer registers for the required training for developing and teaching an online course if they have not completed it already. The internal training course is titled “Preparing to Teach online at YSU” and registration can be completed through YSU's Training & Development page. This can be done earlier in the process, but must be completed before development begins.
- When the course is completed, the developer should let the Department of Cyberlearning know so that they can start the rubric review process. An email can be sent directly to the Instructional Designer they have been working with or to iddc@ysu.edu. The review process includes two reviews of the course, one from an Instructional Designer in the Department of Cyberlearning and one from a colleague of the developer’s choice. Each review will evaluate several criteria based on our internal review rubric to determine whether the course is ready to be put online.
- Once the rubric review is passed, the Department of Cyberlearning will complete the payment form and the compensation will issued on the posted pay period dates through Payroll. The compensation amount is based on the current YSU-OEA contract.