Introductory Information
SECTIONS A-C
SECTION D
SECTION E

The OEI Course Design Rubric was developed in 2014 by the OEI Professional Development work group to assure that all courses offered as part of the initiative promote student success and meet existing regulatory and accreditation requirements. It has undergone three major revisions since then, including the current iteration, in response to changes in available instructional technology and feedback from both instructors and reviewers.

For a course to be offered to students in the CCC Course Exchange, it must first go through a course review process that ensures alignment with the OEI Course Design Rubric. The Rubric is divided into five sections.

Creative Commons Licensed Content

In addition to preparing courses for the CCC Course Exchange, the OEI Course Design Rubric is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and can be used as:

A roadmap for instructors designing new online courses.
A tool for instructors seeking to update or improve existing courses.
The foundation for starting a local POCR (Peer Online Course Review) Club.

Visit ccconlineed.org for more information on the OEI, the Rubric, and the Course Review Process. We welcome your feedback and suggestions

SECTIONS A-C

Section A: Content Presentation

The 13 elements for quality course design in this section address how content is organized and accessed in the course management system. Key elements include course navigation, learning objectives, and access to student support information.

Section B: Interaction

The 8 elements in this section address instructor initiated and student initiated communication. Key elements of quality course design covered in this section include regular effective contact, student-to-student collaboration, and communication activities that build a sense of community among online learners.

Section C: Assessment

The 8 elements in this section address the variety and effectiveness of assessments within the course. Key elements include the alignment of objectives and assessments, the clarity of instructions for completing assessments, and evidence of timely and regular feedback.

Scoring for Sections A - C

Following a review by a team of trained faculty peer reviewers, each element in Sections A-C will be marked in one of three ways:

Incomplete:: The element is missing or present to a degree that does not adequately support student success in online learning.
Aligned:: The element is present and effectively designed to support student success in online learning.
Exemplary Elements:: This designation recognizes design choices that further enhance the student experience in the online learning environment.

Review Results

If any element in Section A-C is Incomplete, the instructor will receive on-going support from a dedicated Course Design Specialist to bring the element(s) into alignment with the rubric.

SECTION D

Accessibility

The 23 elements in this section are reviewed to determine if a student using assistive technologies will be able to access course content as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (also known as “508 Compliance”).

Since Section D addresses elements that are required by law to be present, the elements in this section can only be marked as Incomplete or Aligned.

Review Results

If any element in Section D is Incomplete, the instructor will receive on-going support from a dedicated Course Design Specialist or an Accessibility Expert to bring the element(s) into alignment with the rubric.

SECTION E

Institutional Accessibility Concerns

The 4 elements in this section cover accessibility of external tools and third-party content. While the accessibility elements in Section D are primarily under the control of faculty when developing a course, the elements in Section E may be outside the purview of the instructor which would require additional consideration or intervention at the institutional level.

Review Results

If a course is aligned in all Sections except E, the OEI Chief Professional Development Officer and the Director of Accessibility will look at the specific accessibility issue(s) and work with the instructor on a plan for making the course accessible.

Guide Home Section A Section B Section C Section D Section E