Online Course Design Cycle

The ECTL and the Office of Online & Continuing Education partner with instructors to develop engaging online courses that meet UW Online Course Design Standards. These standards are based on the most widely recognized standards for quality assurance in online course design. There are two design cycles per year – Fall and Spring. Each cycle lasts approximately 16 weeks (about 3 and a half months), beginning the week before the start of the term. Upon successful completion of a course development project, the instructor receives a $3000 supplement. Instructors who would like to participate in the design cycle may submit a request.

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Four Design Phases

During the cycle, an instructional designer, media specialist, and librarian work collaboratively with instructors through the design phases, providing support and guidance along the way. We refer to this collaboration of colleagues as a "design team." Depending on a project's scope, the design team collectively determines which steps in the design phases are needed. 

Eligible Courses

The cycle supports any course that has some level of online effort (synchronous, asynchronous, hybrid), with priority going to courses that are part of new online programs or existing programs, have high enrollment, or where the instructor has shared elevated need for assistance.

Additional Information

For detailed information about the design process, standards, and tools used in the cycle, please visit the Course Design Guide. Additional details can also be found in this FAQ under “Online Course Design Services.”