This guide answers some frequently asked questions about planning a distance learning course.

How do I begin?

Like their classroom equivalents, both credit and non-credit courses offered by distance learning at the University of Washington are reviewed and approved by the related academic department. To start the process for course approval, contact the curriculum committee or division chair of the academic department most closely related to the content of the course.

Each academic department at the university has its own process for initiating, reviewing, and approving distance learning courses. This process usually mirrors departmental procedure for initiation and approval of on-site offerings, but may have unique requirements. Determining departmental policy and procedure before you develop your course will ease the approval process when the materials are complete, and will help you to secure the resources you need for course development.

What resources will I need for course development?

As compared to a traditional classroom course, a distance learning course requires more time, resources and people. This is mainly due to the requirements of the technology used to create and deliver the course and to of the novelty that development process represents for most instructors.

Who can support me in distance learning course development?

If you are affiliated with an academic department, you have two options for developing a distance learning course at the University of Washington - working with the Academic Programs division of UW Extension (a part of Educational Outreach), or working within your department with support from Catalyst and other service organizations on campus.

Distance learning course development requires expertise in the subject area, skills in curriculum development, knowledge of distance learning strategies and techniques, facility with media production and/or computer-based technologies, and administrative acumen. Providing this range of knowledge and skill is usually accomplished by assembling a team of people to jointly develop the course. If you choose to work with Educational Outreach, a team is assigned to work with you during course development. Call Academic Programs at UW Extension at 206-685-UWEO to begin this process.

If you work on your own within your department, you can assemble this team yourself from departmental and campus-wide resources. These campus resources are listed and their services detailed in various places throughout these distance learning resources.

If you are a community or adjunct faculty member working with UW Extension or another continuing education division of the university, you will work with the Academic Programs division of Educational Outreach to develop and offer your course. You are also welcome to use Catalyst resources.

How long does it take to develop a distance learning course?

There is no standard schedule for developing a distance learning course. Variables which affect the timeline include:

• the complexity of the subject area;
• the availability of existing materials which can be successfully repurposed;
• the number of people on the development team and their availability;
• the variety and types of technology used;
• media production schedules; and
• institutional support levels.

Assembling and managing your own development team or doing most of the development tasks yourself takes more time than working with an experienced institutional team such as that at UW Extension. Most university-based distance learning course development in which faculty work largely on their own on top of their usual workload takes at least 9-12 months of consistent effort. Working with an experienced team which can devote primary work hours and expertise to the tasks can shorten the period to 6 months.

How much does it cost to develop a distance learning course?

Just as there is no standard timeline for distance learning course development, there is no standard budget for developing a distance learning course. Variables which affect the size of budget required include:

• the complexity of presenting the content in new formats;
• the cost of converting relevant existing materials into new formats;
• the number of people on the development team, percentage of their time used, and their salaries;
• the variety and types of technology used, including media production costs; and
• the amount of existing institutional infrastructure which can be used in this process (equipment, facilities, computer hardware/software, etc.)

Doing most of the development tasks yourself is the least expensive process if you have, or are willing to develop, the required skills and knowledge, can seek help from campus resources, and are affiliated with a department with sufficient resources to support distance learning course development.

Otherwise, working with an institutional team such as that in UW Extension can be cost-effective. Generally courses offered through Educational Outreach are self-supporting rather than state-supported, and development costs are covered by student enrollment fees over a period of three or more course offerings. For more information, contact Academic Programs at UW Extension at 206-685-UWEO.