Course Design Partnerships

The Course Design Partnership is a model of ongoing partnership and consultation between a member of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) and a faculty member, instructor, or other individual tasked with developing a course. This partnership provides much more support than an individualized consultation.

You can request a partnership for any course: in person, hybrid, staggered attendance, or online. The process and resources we provide will be customized to your experience and goals. In general, you can expect to have a series of meetings with your CITL partner, individualized professional development, and a wealth of resources, templates, and checklists.

Partnership for Designing an In-Person, Hybrid, or Staggered Attendance Course

We are happy to support your work to design or re-design a course that will be delivered fully in person or that will incorporate online components. This is particularly helpful for incorporating active learning strategies, blending online and in-person components, or utilizing live streaming and lecture capture to simultaneously teach in-person and remote students.

This framework includes:

  • a series of consultations based on your needs,
  • individualized professional development on classroom technology,
  • resources and templates, and
  • an optional Blackboard course template.

Partnership for Building an Online Course

This partnership is intended for the initial design and development of an online course. The partnership model is consistent with the instructional design process used when CITL is providing full development support for an online degree program.

The framework includes:

  • recommended professional development for the faculty member or instructor,
  • a sequence of recommended consultations to guide the development process, 
  • checklists and templates to simplify the project, and
  • a customizable Blackboard course template that incorporates quality standards.  

Partnership for Improving an Online Course

This partnership is an excellent option if you have already taught the course online or if you are taking over the course from someone else who originally developed it. CITL staff will help you reflect on the strengths and challenges of the course; assess the alignment between course objectives, assessments, and content; and prioritize enhancements to improve the student experience. 

The framework includes:

  • an informal quality standards review, 
  • a sequence of recommended consultations,
  • checklists and templates to simplify the project, and
  • an optional Blackboard course template.

Transitioning to Blackboard Ultra Course View

This partnership is an excellent option if you have already taught your course (online, in-person, blended, or hybrid) in Blackboard Original Course View and want ongoing support for moving it to the Ultra Course View. CITL staff will help you review your course structure and tools to identify the most efficient way to convert or rebuild your course. They can offer guidance on best practices for structuring your course in the Ultra Course View and provide feedback on your progress.

The framework includes:

  • a review of your course structure and tools and guidance on converting or rebuilding your course efficiently,
  • a series of meetings for individualized training and problem-solving,
  • best practices for structure and tools for a mobile-friendly course, and
  • an optional Blackboard course template.

Requesting a Partnership

You can request a partnership by completing the brief form at citl.niu.edu/request-partnership or by clicking the button below. 

Request a Partnership

Contact Us

Center for Innovative
Teaching and Learning

Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu

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