Online Course Design Institute
The Online Course Design Institute (OCDI) is an asynchronous, online training for K-State instructors that guides the development of an online course. With the support and guidance of instructional designers from the Center for Academic Innovation, you will apply what you learn about online course design methodologies and best practices to the development of your K-State online course.
"Participating in the Online Course Design Institute was a fantastic experience! Using a backward design framework, the program helped me align learning objectives, activities, and assessments to create a cohesive and engaging course. Having the accountability to ensure all aspects of my class were aligned with best practices was a true gift. My favorite outcome from the program was gaining the ability to clearly share how each assignment connects to specific learning objectives which I think really increased my students' interest and motivation to complete the projects."
Megan McCoy, Ph.D., LMFT, AFC®, CFT™, Associate Professor Personal Financial Planning
COMING SOON!
New OCDI Design and Microcredential Pathway
Because you have a million and one responsibilities and time for professional development is limited, we are redesigning the OCDI to be more self-paced, maximizing your time-management. Additionally, upon successful completion of the new OCDI, you will earn the Online Course Design Institute microcredential! Pilot testing is underway, so check back for updates about the full launch soon!
The New Design
The New OCDI is designed as a series of four mini-courses:
OCDI 1 Objectives Participants will be able to: OCDI 2 Objectives Participants will be able to: Participants will be able to:
OCDI 3 Objectives
OCDI 4 Objectives
While the mini-courses must be completed in sequence, you pick the schedule! From the moment you register, you will have 60 days to complete each mini-course, so you can register to start the course when you feel you have the time. We estimate each course to be about 12 - 15 hours of engagement. Once you finish OCDI 1, you can enroll in OCDI 2 at your convenience. If you need to wait until time opens up in your schedule, that’s fine! While you set the start date, each course is still facilitated by an instructional designer, allowing you to get individualized feedback and one-on-one support.
The Microcredential
When you complete each of the four OCDI mini-courses, you will earn a stackable microcredential. When you earn all four credentials and complete the full Online Course Design Institute, you will earn the OCDI Achievement Badge. Badges are available as both a digital badge and a printed certificate, making it easy to showcase your achievement across professional platforms and formats.
Online Enrollment
Even with the new, self-paced design and the professional credentials, the OCDI remains free to all instructors and graduate students who are currently teaching or planning to develop an online course in the next year at K-State!
Required Prerequisites
While free of cost to participants, the OCDI requires the following:
- Basic knowledge of Canvas is required for participation. If you need Canvas training prior to the OCDI, a free, self-paced Canvas 101 training is available online.
- All OCDI courses must be completed in sequence: OCDI 1 serves as a prerequisite for OCDI 2, OCDI 2 is required for OCDI 3, etc.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact the Center for Academic Innovation instructional designers at idteam@k-state.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each mini-course is designed to be 12 – 15 hours of work. While you are welcome to work at your own pace, once you register, you will have 60 days to complete each mini-course.
There are four mini-courses, each designed to be 12 – 15 hours of work, for a total of 48 - 60 hours. However, these hours are not consecutive. You will register for each mini-course separately, allowing you to integrate each step of the OCDI training into your schedule when it is convenient.
You will be able to demonstrate a wide range of competencies as well as earn OCDI credentials. Additional benefits include receiving feedback on course design elements from instructional designers and access to a guided pathway for course design using research-based principles. All elements included in the course build on one another, and you will see a range of methods demonstrated throughout the program that you can include in your own course designs.
This program fits a range of audiences, including professors, instructors, and graduate student teachers, because the primary focus is guiding instructors through the course design process. Participants new to online teaching will certainly benefit, and experienced instructors should gain new ideas. This program is meant to offer a step-by-step guide for course design, so instructors designing an online course from scratch will benefit from this “guided tour” of course design.