How to Implement Curriculum for Distance Learning Programs
Online learning gives students many options for expanding their horizons. To implement curriculum for distance learning programs, assign qualified instructors to each course. Provide appropriate curriculum resources and assessments. For best results, use learner feedback forms to evaluate the success of each program.
- Assess students' curriculum needs. Some courses may easily be studied in a distance learning program, and other topics may require hands-on supervision.
- Assign a teacher to each course. Ask instructors to submit lesson plans, course reading materials and assessment procedures. Depending on the goal of the distance learning program, assessments may consist of online tests, phone conversations with instructors or term projects submitted via email.
- Establish a schedule for the course. If the curriculum is extensive and cannot be covered in one term, break the course into multiple levels. In this case, require students to sign up for courses in sequence.
- Assign a deadline for registration. Set limits for how late students may join the course. Some programs also allow students to drop a course if they determine within the few sessions that they are not interested or cannot meet the requirements.
- Determine requirements for curriculum completion. This may be mandatory attendance of live online instruction sessions, completion of class projects or a satisfactory grade on the final exam.
- Distribute online course feedback forms. Improve curriculum implementation by gathering information about how students liked the course structure, curriculum, instruction and assessments. For greater authenticity of responses, allow students to remain anonymous when responding.