Office of Online Learning
The Office of Online Learning (OOL) is committed to supporting online education at Nashville State Community College for all faculty, staff, and students interested in utilizing NS Online/D2L and supported technologies for online learning to promote collaborative, interactive, and creative learning experiences for all users.
Utilizing Universal Design strategies to generate authentic learning experiences for our online learners, OOL works with faculty to develop quality online content applying foundational pedagogical theories, innovative technology, and sound instructional design principles. Our goal is to build a supportive campus network to meet the needs of our online faculty members and improve our online student learning experiences.
Get In Touch
Program office
James Edwards
Diana Blackburn
Hannah Hurdle
Maryellen Nash
- Questions about Online Learning, email online.learning@nscc.edu
- Need technical support, contact our Service Desk at servicedesk@nscc.edu
Quality Assurance and Review Process
The Office of Online Learning (OOL) has implemented a quality review process for online
prime courses (WEBO). Prime Courses are developed, managed and updated by designated
faculty leaders and these courses are cloned to semester offerings based on delivery
methods. These quality reviews are essential to meeting federal requirements and accreditation
standards for online learning. Course leads/maintainers are the points of contact
for a prime course review. The Office of Online Learning (OOL) conducts these reviews
while promoting a process that is both collaborative and efficient in consideration
of workload and time.
The OOL plans to conduct quality reviews of online prime courses based on a 4-year
cycle to ensure NSCC online courses are meeting and maintaining NC-SARA requirements for distance education. We have also adopted the SUNY OSCQR rubric as OOL's review rubric as it represents the desired elements of quality and accessibility
in online course design. Our goal is to comprehensively review the design of the course
and not the delivery, as we want to ensure that students are able to comprehend the
course materials as instructed to meet expectations, determine if objectives and assessments
are aligned, identify how students are being assessed and to what levels of mastery,
and ensure that general accessibility standards are being met.
As we complete reviews for web prime courses, we will be able to provide updated information
for courses that have successfully completed meeting quality standards and outline
the 4-year cycle listing of planned course reviews. More detailed information is available
by contacting the Director of Online Learning.
Stipend Online Course Development
The Office of Online Learning (OOL) has updated the process and procedures for stipend online course development by offering the following options:
Quality Course Design Certification (QCDC)
QCDC is a 12-week professional development process lead by instructional designers to work with faculty members to build a prime course in D2L. We are excited to work with faculty members and provide engaging online professional development opportunities for development of quality and innovative online courses. The goal of this design process is to provide a consistent and reliable outlet for online course development and promote a cohort model for participants to engage within the LMS to communicate, access resources, and promote best practices in quality online course design. Participants are provided instructional design support, vetted resources, and opportunities to be innovative while adhering to federal, state, and institutional standards that specifically fall under the scope of online learning.
Open Educational Resource (OER) Course Design Academy
Similar to QCDC, the team at Online Learning has developed a professional development opportunity to redesign prime courses using OER and no-cost textbook content. The OER conversion process is decided based on a three-tier system relating to minimal, moderate, or major impact on a current prime course design. Stakeholders work with an instructional designer to update an aligned course map, research and curate OER resources, implement content into a new D2L course, and evaluate the course through the quality review process.
How to Request a Course Development or OER Contract
Currently, opportunities for both OER and QCDC are available at the start of each semester. Requests should be made through the school dean and VPAA. All decisions on funding availability and priority of the number of course development requests fall under the VPAA. Decisions related to meeting quality, best practices, and standards for online course development fall under the Director of Online Learning.
Discovery in D2L
OOL has created several open enrollment courses for faculty and staff at NSCC. To access, login to D2L and select the Discovery option in the top left. Here is a list of our current offerings.
Competency-Based Education (CBE) Course Design Academy
Based on the success of QCDC, the Office of Online Learning has created professional development for the design of the CBE program design. CBE varies itself from online course design as student success is based on progression and assessment of skills rather than depending on a semester timeframe. Any requests for CBE design offerings should be made through the division dean and the VPAA.
Accelerated Course Design Academy
As we pursue NSCC LEADS Vision 2030, the Course Design Academy was created with the Teaching Center to support faculty transitioning content to 7-week courses. Shifting the length of the semester poses unique challenges and opportunities. The Course Design Academy is designed to help create learning experiences that engage learners through active learning strategies, purposeful navigation, and intentional planning. Online Learning and The Teaching Center created this academy to provide support and resources as you develop your 7-week course(s) and teach during the 7-week term.
