This customizable Excel template provides a master framework to plan and organize learning activities for online courses. The template contains sheets to outline course modules, schedule weekly learning objectives and activities, plan assessments and assignments, and track student progress. Columns are provided to capture activity details like name, type, description, duration, assignments, and more. The template is fully editable so course designers can add or remove sheets as needed to match their planning process. By providing a structured planning template, this Excel file aims to help streamline the instructional design process for online learning. Use it to map out engaging and effective learning experiences for modern online courses.

This syllabus outlines a 16-week online course using exclusively open educational resources. An instructor can take the outline here and modify it to fit their own preferences (and institutional requirements). This is not intended as a final syllabus that can be directly passed to students, but rather to serve as a starting point to enable and encourage more instructors to explore OER options for teaching Music Appreciation.

A beginner guide for conducting needs assessments. Page 2 provides a definition of needs assessment and discusses the importance and process of conducting needs assessments. Page 3 visualizes the process as steps 1 through 6 which include: defining the purpose and goals, identifying stakeholders, gathering data, analyzing data, designing the course, and evaluating and adjusting content. 

A SMART goal is a comprehensive target statement used to guide planning and performance. In online course design, SMART goals ensure clarity, focus, and accountability, helping educators and course designers create effective and well-structured learning experiences tailored to student needs and outcomes. This infographic describes the elements that make up S.M.A.R.T. goals and provides an online course example. **Note that this item is intended to be used in conjunction with the Needs Assessments: A How-To Guide for Online Instruction handout.