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Online Courses for Observation

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How To “Observe” A Course Posted for Observation

The online courses posted for observation have been nominated as exemplar models for you to observe as you create your own online courses. They demonstrate approaches to course content layout, design of interaction, criteria for assessment/evaluation, instructions, and some creative ways to implement a variety of learning activities and objectives. If you have already filled out the form to request access to observe the current courses posted for observation, you will receive an email with a username and password. If you have not yet requested access, you can use the “Request Access” link above.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

  • You have been granted access to “copies” of online courses stripped of ALL student content and interaction.
  • These are exemplar online course designs that have been nominated by SUNY campus-based online instructional designers based on criteria.
  • The nomination process requires that that the courses show strong alignment with criteria outlined in the OSCQR, the SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric.
  • All courses are presented with the expressed and confirmed permissions from each individual instructor and their respective campus.
  • All courses are provided for observation to the broadest possible online teaching community regardless of affiliation with SUNY.
  • Courses have been copied from their home campus environment to reside on the SUNY Online DLE Brightspace environment, therefore, the course homepages, navigation bars, and certain links may not function as they would in their home environment, and are presented to demonstrate the design, rather than to provide actual authenticated access to protected campus resources.
  • You will be able to view all of the course content, with the exception of access to any 3rd party tools and/or content that may require authenticated, or protected access.
  • You may use the courses posted for observation for ideas on how to structure, pace, and lead your own course.
  • You may view courses posted for observation as models for the design of your own online course.
  • You have the confirmed permission from the instructors to use and/or adapt their instructions, approaches, or activities as best practice models, and as the basis for the design of your own course activities, instructions, assessments, and/or approaches..

Please respect the work by the online faculty you observe in these exemplar courses with attribution, if you use, or adapt any of their materials, approaches, etc. (This information is available in the Overview of every course.) For example, you can simply state in one of your course overview documents:

Certain activities, instructions, and approaches in this course, have been informed, influenced, copied, or adapted from a SUNY Online Exemplar Course for Observation with the permission of the instructor: [full name of the instructor], [course title], [SUNY campus], and [date].

Before adopting, or adapting any course design elements, check with your campus for any policies or requirements regarding online course design.

If you have any questions about effective online course designs, or online pedagogical best practices, please contact your assigned campus-based instructional designer for assistance.

If you have any questions about the design of any of the online courses posted for observation, please feel free to contact the specific online instructor directly. You will find their contact information in the Overview of the course posted.

Learn More:

Learn more about our SUNY Online Courses for Observation program.
See the current list of Courses posted for Observation.
Listen to podcasted interviews with early SUNY online faculty.