10 Steps to a Successful Online Course Launch
When it comes to teaching online, a common myth is that it is somehow easier than face-to-face instruction – and there is no doubt that each method of delivery has its challenges. That said, when it comes to preparing for the first day, there is just something – or many things – about teaching an online course (and having to launch an entire course at once – even if you can stagger the opening dates of lessons) that can feel even more stressful than preparing to walk into the classroom. The truth is that learners may not be the only ones who might be feeling uncertain and overwhelmed. What follows is a step-by-step process designed to help you ensure your online course is in tip-top shape on the first day of class.
Step 1: Check to be sure you have access to your (empty) course shell
As with online learning itself, much of online teaching is self-directed, so the minute you receive communication that you are teaching an online course, it’s critical that you start to check your learning management system for your new course shell. Do not wait for someone to tell you that your shell has been created, because that communication may never come.
Warning! Even when you get access to your course shell – it’s probably going to be empty, so be sure to read on!
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Step 2: Review the course outline
In most cases in higher education, much of the course outline (or syllabus) – which must be made available to students in the first week of class – is static and can’t be changed by an individual instructor, but there are some elements that need to be updated to reflect a new term. These elements include the professor’s name and contact information, (virtual) office hours (if applicable), the delivery method (that is if the course is offered in multiple modalities), the semester, the section code and last date to drop the course. If you are new to the course and awaiting access to the shell, reviewing the outline can also serve as a great first step in familiarizing yourself with the description of the course, the weekly topics, the activities, and assessments.
Step 3: Assess your access to content
If you’re teaching an online course that you’ve taught before, you may very well have what you need to get started. That said, online course materials – especially links to external learning tools and resources – can change quickly and often, so if you haven’t taught the course in more than a semester, it is a good idea to reach out to the course lead or program coordinator to see if there are any changes or updates that need to be made. And if you haven’t taught the course before … proceed to Step 4!
Online course materials – especially links to external learning tools and resources – can change quickly and often, so if you haven’t taught the course in more than a semester
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Step 4: Access your content
If you are new to teaching an online course, it’s important to be sure that you are connected to someone who has the capacity to help you access content. Typically, this is a colleague, a course lead, or a program coordinator. This contact will help ensure you have access to either the master shell or the most recent section of the course, which goes a long way to helping make launch day a lot easier on you!
Step 5: Import/copy components
Once you have been added into an existing course shell as faculty or course migrator, you are ready to import/copy components, de-selecting any components (like posts to the news feed) that you don’t want carried over to the new shell. If you’ve never done this before, do not be afraid to reach back out to your contact. Often this person will work through the process with you virtually – and sometimes they’ll even offer to do it for you to give you a head start!
Step 6: Work through the course content in order and make the necessary changes
With the essential components imported into your new shell, now is the time to start working through the content to familiarize (or refamiliarize) yourself with the course. Often the best way to do this is to work through the Table of Contents – moving from top to bottom – and clicking on the link to each web page inside each module. Online courses will always include some variation on the following:
Getting Started
Course Outline
Schedule / Critical Path
Evaluations
Although relatively standardized, there are still some elements of the above modules that need to be updated to reflect a new term – such as the Meet Your Professor page (be ready to include a short bio and a profile picture on this page, as these elements can go a long way to helping you foster a strong sense of social connection in the virtual classroom). Naturally, the updated course outline should be uploaded and all pages in these modules should be scanned for specific references to dates and modified accordingly – or better yet, converted to weeks (which won’t require adjusting in future terms).
Updated course outline should be uploaded and all pages in these modules should be scanned for specific references to dates and modified accordingly
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Step 7: Review the lessons
Once you’ve reviewed and updated the first few standardized modules in the course, it is time to start reviewing the lessons. As you do, review each page of content for clarity, spelling, grammar and formatting – and adjust all of the instructor- or term-specific elements (like names and contact information of previous instructors and outdated release and/or submission dates). Be sure that all quick links – be these to external learning tools or other areas of the course shell – have been updated (where applicable) and that they work. Finally, take time to “view as student” to be sure that all content and links are visible and accessible from their perspective, too.
Step 8: Modify the dates
Once you feel confident that the information in the course shell has been updated accordingly, it’s time to get out the calendar to modify the release dates of each module to reflect the new term – ensuring that each lesson opens up on the desired day, and at the desired time – keeping in mind that typically, modules are designed to open every week or every other week. From there, it’s important to check to be sure that all assignment folders, discussion forums and quizzes are set with the appropriate dates (start date, due date, and end date, if using) too.
Step 9: Send out a calming, welcoming email
As learners will have access to the learning management system in the days leading up to the first week of class – but will not have access to the course shell itself until 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the term – consider crafting a warm and welcoming email to to introduce yourself and to let them know when to expect the course to open. Aim to send that email out a few days before the first day of the term.
Aim to send an email out a few days before the first day of the term.
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Step 10: Create and schedule your Week 1 post to the news feed
After all of the work that’s gone into getting the course ready to launch on Day 1, the news or activity feed is a great place to connect with students in a fun and creative way! Write a compelling headline, if you can – then start your post by embedding a music video, inserting a compelling image, telling a funny story, or sharing a powerful quote to get their attention. As you will have done with your welcome email, strive to strike a warm and welcoming tone with the body of this post and keep it light and positive. Introduce yourself again – remember that learners usually have up to four weeks to enroll in the course, so there is no harm in repeating yourself in the first few weeks of a new term – then give them an overview of what’s to come in the week, or weeks, ahead. Share some of the elements of your teaching philosophy and be sure to include a photo to put a face to your name and a quick link to your email address to make it easy for learners to reach out to you with any questions.
