{"id":11349,"date":"2025-06-17T19:51:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T23:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/?p=11349"},"modified":"2025-08-07T09:30:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T13:30:34","slug":"course-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/2025\/06\/17\/course-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Tell Every New Course Reviewer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This post was prompted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/carlaswanson325\/\">Carla Swanson<\/a>, an online course quality consultant. She had completed an OSCQR certification, and was looking for examples of completed online course quality reviews, or resources that might help improve the quality and reliability of her reviews. And was particularly interested in examples that demonstrate effective commenting and &#8220;scoring.&#8221;<!--more--><\/p>\n<div style=\"float: left; margin: 0 15px 15px 0; text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6vMZ-5f1A9c?si=cSuQJkBIdxfuxMeL\" width=\"360\" height=\"215\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; color: #555555; margin-top: 5px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6vMZ-5f1A9c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Watch on YouTube<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>I&#8217;d recommend our OSCQR Online Course Reviewer webinar and certification to any new instructional designer, or course reviewer. You can view a recent recording of that session on our youtube channel, or register for one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/oscqr.suny.edu\/certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free sychronous webinars<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What I usually tell new online course reviewers is that the more online courses you review, the better at it you will get, and the more you will learn about what works and what needs improvement in online course designs. The <a href=\"http:\/\/oscqr.suny.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OSCQR website<\/a> is also full of suggestions and ideas for addressing and improving every OSCQR standard, if you are looking for evidence-based best practices and suggestions.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"float: right; width: 250px; margin: 0 0 15px 15px; font-size: 1.2em; font-style: italic; color: #444; border-left: 4px solid #ccc; padding-left: 10px;\"><p>It is also important to note that <strong>OSCQR is not a scorecard.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t \u201c<strong>fail\u201d<\/strong> OSCQR.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is also important to note that <strong>OSCQR is not a scorecard. <\/strong>This is an important distinction between OSCQR and other online course quality rubrics. <strong>You can\u2019t \u201cfail\u201d OSCQR.<\/strong> OSCQR is a tool for online instructional designers (IDs) and faculty to self-assess, or review what is working in the online course design, and what needs to be improved. It helps with identifying areas for improvement, helps with prioritizing things to fix, but most importantly supports a culture of continuous online course design improvements. The standards should be introduced to new online faculty formatively as they design their first online course, followed by a self-assessment, and provide the opportunity for informal, or more formal, consistent, and systematic reviews of courses by IDs, peers, or multidisciplinary groups of reviewers.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giving Effective Feedback<\/h3>\n<p>Learning how to give feedback takes practice. You can bake a cake \u2014 it starts with flour and ends with a fork and a cuppa. Or you can spend a lifetime learning to bake. A good ID knows how to give <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1QFfj6ySUL1FFLcR8EzAEY_bL2rfE7wf9A7oCsETvXPc\/edit?usp=sharing\">warm and cool feedback<\/a>,. A great ID knows how to assess and how to present that feedback in a way that is most persuasive and tailored to the individual instructor. Everyone is different and may need different words or approaches to understand suggestions \u2014 especially when those suggestions feel counterintuitive, challenge long-held assumptions, or push against familiar practices.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes it won&#8217;t matter if the suggestion is theoretically-supported with heaps of evidence backing it up. That\u2019s when the ID needs to check their ego at the door and tap into their superpowers: understanding the instructor\u2019s perspective, becoming a chameleon, and adapting their approach to uncover and respond to the underlying fear, concern, discomfort, bias, or belief behind the resistance.<\/p>\n<p>They also need to stay open to the idea that the instructor might be right \u2014 and be willing to let them try it their way, even if you&#8217;re convinced it won\u2019t work. You have to know which battles to pick. At the end of the day, it\u2019s their course. They\u2019re the ones teaching it, interacting with students, and learning as they go. Just like in baking, every course \u2014 and every instructor \u2014 has their own flavor. And while you can suggest a recipe, it\u2019s their cake. It\u2019s their practice. And like any good baker, they\u2019ll learn over time \u2014 through trial, error, and experience \u2014 how to make it their own, and how to make it better.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some examples of some online course reviews, which are just examples\u2026 not intended to suggest that you do the reviews in that manner, but just to give you an idea of one person\u2019s review style: <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/103E3KFnhDV4NhhH_9TuerGKsGNlMzcJ1r9HsuRkna8g\/edit?usp=sharing\">Course reviewer feedback and examples<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding Continuous Improvement vs. Perfection<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One thing I\u2019ve noticed with new instructional designers \u2014 and even seasoned online instructors who are new to quality rubrics \u2014 is that they often want to \u201cperfect\u201d their course <strong>before<\/strong> doing a self-assessment or review. And I get it. There\u2019s this natural instinct to perceive the review like a judgment, rather than what it really is: a tool for improvement. Some folks feel like they need to have everything just right before letting anyone else take a look, especially if they\u2019re used to being the expert in the room. Others may not fully understand that the rubric isn\u2019t meant to grade them \u2014 it\u2019s there to help guide improvements. Sometimes it\u2019s just a matter of pride and ownership; they\u2019ve put a lot into their course and want it to look polished before anyone else sees it. And occasionally, they\u2019re just trying to be helpful \u2014 thinking it\u2019ll make the review quicker or easier if everything\u2019s \u201cfixed\u201d ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the truth is, trying to perfect things before the process can actually get in the way. The real power of the OSCQR rubric and the process comes when we use it to help us figure out how to prioritize in terms of improvements, and what to tackle <em data-start=\"1173\" data-end=\"1180\">first<\/em>, not everything all at once. If we can help instructors see the review as a collaborative, supportive process, it takes the pressure off \u2014 and that\u2019s when the best improvements and ideas can really happen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then there are those who genuinely believe their course doesn\u2019t need any improvement \u2014 and maybe it <em data-start=\"253\" data-end=\"258\">was<\/em> great when it was first built. But things change. Technology evolves. Content gets updated. Learners\u2019 needs shift. And our understanding of what works \u2014 grounded in research and practice \u2014 keeps growing. That\u2019s why course design is never really \u201cdone.\u201d It\u2019s an iterative process, part of a culture of continuous improvement. There\u2019s <strong><em data-start=\"592\" data-end=\"600\">always<\/em><\/strong> something to revisit, rethink, and refine. OSCQR can help.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I recommend that instructors\/reviewers spend time looking deeply into the suggestions and resources found on pages on the <a href=\"http:\/\/oscqr.suny.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OSCQR<\/a> website to see what resonates. For example,<\/p>\n<ol style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>What is one way you could improve the ability for learners to understand and navigate your course? <em>Do you have a video\/screencast that introduces you AND that gives a tour of the important areas of your course?\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What could you do to improve the trust and sense of community in the course?\u00a0<em>Do you have a forum for informal learner networking\/ conversation?\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What one thing could you do to help learners develop self-regulated learning skills?\u00a0<em>Do you provide a tip of the week announcement to help learners set goals, organize, and create a structured environment? Do you have a forum set up to facilitate study groups or where students can ask\/answer questions for each other?\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What one thing could you do to support the development of their\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/resources\/supporting-online-student-success\/\">sense of self-efficacy<\/a><em>?\u00a0Do you send a note or notes of encouragement helping learners to believe that they can succeed and that you believe in them? An individual email at midterm, and\/or at the end of the course is one very effective strategy. Did you use\u00a0the<a href=\"https:\/\/cat.wfu.edu\/resources\/tools\/estimator2\/\">\u00a0workload estimator<\/a> to check your course workload? And compare with <a href=\"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/page\/timeontask\/?highlight=workload\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">information to help calrify time on task<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li>What is one thing you could adjust to be more learner-centered?\u00a0<em>Can you let go of control of something? Have you asked your students what they think about your due dates, assignments, workload? Have you considered offering options for how learners demonstrate master or their \/learning that the learners decide on? Do you offer the opportunity of Student-led discussions? Peer\u00a0reviews? Assignment\/Assessment Rubrics?<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Is there anything you do to improve the accessibility of the materials for your course?<\/li>\n<li>What could you add to your course to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1ia2QItGrCRMyi3HjuFC7C1nnjAtVHhMst59VntImGmo\/edit?usp=sharing\">demonstrate compliance with the RSI regulation<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li>Are there any critical reflection activities you yourself could undertake to interrogate your own implicit biases?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/implicit.harvard.edu\/implicit\/takeatest.html\">https:\/\/implicit.harvard.edu\/implicit\/takeatest.html<\/a><\/li>\n<li>What one thing could you do in the design or facilitation of your course that would address what you learn from that critical activity to address and improve inclusivity and a sense of class community?<\/li>\n<li>What is one thing you could do in your course to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dei-annotations.notion.site\/Practices-Organized-by-Rubric-0d17702e364246f68066fb4c25930776\">help learners feel like they belong<\/a>?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are just some ideas. All this stuff is in the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/oscqr.suny.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OSCQR<\/a>\u00a0website. There is always something that can be improved, right?\u00a0\u263a\u00a0 It is important for the\u00a0reviewer to really deeply understand that, so that you can guide faculty who may think their course is already good and done\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a\u00a0reviewer, this understanding is essential. The point of the\u00a0OSCQR\u00a0is not to rubber stamp the quality of an already well-designed course, but to consider what could be improved in the course even if it is already well designed \u2013 to support and encourage a <em><strong>culture of continuous improvement.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d be happy to answer any questions you may have and to share anything we have to assist you in your journey as an online course reviewer. And, I invite you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/oscqr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">join our OSCQR user group<\/a>\u00a0to continue this conversation, and to share any examples you may have of course reviews you have conducted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post was prompted by Carla Swanson, an online course quality consultant. She had completed an OSCQR certification, and was looking for examples of completed online course quality reviews, or resources that might help improve the quality and reliability of her reviews. And was particularly interested in examples that demonstrate effective commenting and &#8220;scoring.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8158,"featured_media":11355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[602,319,519,179],"tags":[600,309,302],"class_list":["post-11349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-instructional-design","category-professional-development","category-teaching-online","tag-course-review","tag-online-course-design","tag-oscqr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11349"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11349"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11412,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11349\/revisions\/11412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/online.suny.edu\/onlineteaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}