About Course Development
UNLV Online provides comprehensive support to faculty in developing high-quality UNLV Online and UNLV Online general education courses through the creation of departmental model courses (DMCs). Each DMC is designed by a faculty member serving as the subject matter expert (SME), who collaborates closely with a team of course development specialists to create a fully online course that meets rigorous quality and design standards.
Once completed, the course can be reused for future sections at the department’s discretion, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with learning outcomes across all online offerings of the same course.
Before You Begin
Carefully read the following before working with the UNLV Online team.
Course Material Ownership
In accordance with NSHE Board Policy, Chapter 12, Section 4, the faculty member who develops the DMC retains ownership of the course materials, while UNLV is granted a non-exclusive license to use the course for academic purposes. Any multimedia assets created through UNLV Online third-party licensing agreements must be removed before a faculty creator may sell, license, or otherwise commercially benefit from their ownership interest in the course.
Online Development Agreement
This course development agreement formalizes the partnership between UNLV Online and the subject matter expert (SME) for the creation of an online or hybrid course. It outlines the expectations, responsibilities, and development standards that guide the collaboration. The agreement must be signed by the SME, the department chair, and the designated UNLV Online representative, and the SME is required to initial the itemized responsibilities and limitations included.
In addition, this agreement functions similarly to a memorandum of understanding by documenting the support provided by UNLV Online throughout the development process, including design guidance, course review, and eligibility for faculty compensation.
Faculty are encouraged to engage with UNLV Online early in the planning process to ensure they receive timely consultation, instructional design support, and guidance that will strengthen both the development experience and the final course.
Quality Assurance Review
As the course reaches completion, it undergoes a formal quality assurance (QA) review conducted by UNLV Online. Using the course design inventory (attached separately), the review ensures alignment with established standards for high-quality online learning. The required score for approval and faculty stipend is 80% or higher.
Our Process
Development Phases
Creating a fully online course is a multi-stage, collaborative process that typically extends over several months and may take up to a year to complete. At UNLV Online, course development is structured into four key phases designed to support faculty from initial planning through continuous improvement.
In this initial stage, faculty and UNLV Online establish the foundation for the course by reviewing learning outcomes, mapping course structure, and gathering existing materials. This phase sets clear expectations and prepares the team for a smooth development process.
During this phase, faculty collaborate closely with a dedicated UNLV Online development team, which may include a digital teaching & innovation technologist, instructional designer, instructional artist, and an interactive applications programmer.
Similar to working with an interior designer, the process is highly collaborative. Your UNLV Online team relies on your subject matter expertise, ideas, and prior teaching experience to shape a cohesive and high-quality online learning experience.
Faculty meet with their development team every two to three weeks to review progress, provide feedback, and make key design decisions. As the SME, you will review and approve the project timeline, course design framework, and prototypes of major instructional elements.
Once the course begins its first term of instruction, faculty receive ongoing support from a digital teaching & innovation technologist. This includes regular communication and meetings to address student needs, troubleshoot challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement. These conversations provide space to discuss potential edits, enhancements, or modifications that may be incorporated after the initial course run.
Following the live-teaching period, faculty have the opportunity to proactively revisit the course. The course enhancement phase focuses on improving clarity, usability, interactivity, and overall student learning outcomes based on data, observations, and feedback gathered during the initial offering.
Your Course Development Team and Roles
Once the online development is approved, a dedicated course development team partners with you as the subject matter expert. Together, you collaborate to thoughtfully translate an existing face-to-face course into the online environment or design a new course specifically for successful online delivery.
The digital teaching and Innovation team provides comprehensive development support to faculty through a collaborative and evolving model of service. This structure includes two complementary roles: the functional instructional technologist (FIT), who provides technical support for online teaching tools, including WebCampus, Panopto, Zoom, and third-party integrations, and the digital teaching and innovation technologist (DIT), who provides direct support to faculty in online teaching, including pedagogy, course development, and effective instructional practices across all modalities.
The instructional designer (ID) assists you in ensuring that the course instructional goals are accomplished. They work with you to organize the course content and visualize concepts, assessments, and assignments to engage students in learning online.
The artist lends their professional expertise to communicate course content in engaging visual and multimedia formats. They convey complex ideas through images, slide presentations, audio, and video. The artist ensures that the course visuals are distinct and coherent, as well as meet copyright and accessibility requirements.
The video production specialist supports the creation of high-quality, engaging video and multimedia content for online and hybrid courses at UNLV. Working in collaboration with faculty and instructional design teams, this role produces and edits video, audio, and other digital assets that enhance teaching and learning. The specialist provides guidance on best practices for video production and media integration, ensures all content meets accessibility standards, and helps bring course concepts to life through effective visual storytelling.
Submit Your Course Development Request
- To begin the Course Development Process, complete our Course Development Request Form.
- For additional information or support please email teachonlinesupport@unlv.edu.