eLearning Faculty Resources
Instructional Design with eLearning
The eLearning department is here to serve you in the pursuit of quality, accessible, and engaging online, hybrid, and on-ground courses. If you have questions, email eLearning@pepperdine.edu or schedule a consultation with an eLearning instructional designer.
Table of Contents
Course Development
In the process of developing or refreshing a hybrid or online course? Meet weekly or biweekly over 12-14 consecutive weeks for consultations with an instructional designer. We offer course development support in the areas below.
Alignment
Alignment is the integration between the course learning outcomes and student assessments and learning activities. Stemming from this integration, an aligned course design unifies all learning activities, assignments, and assessments whether graded or ungraded. A student should be able to see the relationship between the course learning outcomes, instructional materials, assessments, learning activities, and course tools. During a consultation focused on alignment, faculty and an instructional designer will work on a Course Map together.
Online Course Build
Do you have the content gathered and ready, but are not sure where to begin in building the course in the LMS? Instructional designers can ensure the course blueprint is developed in the LMS meeting quality assurance and accessibility standards, and ensuring course learning objectives are met.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance at PGBS is derived from the latest Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric for Online and Hybrid courses. PGBS eLearning completes a review of sampled courses at the beginning of each term to arrive at trends in the achievement of eLearning standards. These are not course evaluations. Faculty are encouraged to collaborate with eLearning with attention to quality assurance for continuous improvement.
Video Recording
In the process of developing or refreshing your course, you may wish to integrate recorded video content into the online portion of the course. Collaborate with an instructional designer to develop the slides and script for the videos, and receive support in ensuring your recordings meet recording standards.
New Faculty Support
New to teaching at Pepperdine? Schedule an eLearning consultation to learn more about setting up your course site and preparing to teach using our Learning Management System (LMS), Panopto (video recording tool), and Zoom.
Syllabus Review
Faculty members are responsible for updating and posting the Syllabus before the term launch. When creating or developing a syllabus, please use the PGBS syllabus template. If you would like someone to review your syllabus with an eye for alignment with the PGBS template and accessibility, schedule an eLearning consultation or reach out elearning@pepperdine.edu.
Student Engagement and Integrating Technology
Teaching an online or hybrid course for the first time and wondering how to engage students in the same way you can in person? Trying to integrate technology into your course in meaningful ways? Wondering how to translate an activity traditionally done in person into an online or hybrid course? Schedule an eLearning consultation or reach out to elearning@pepperdine.edu.
Accessibility
Course Accessibility is not only encouraged but is also required of all courses at PGBS, as it is federal law. PGBS courses must be Section 504 compliant; see Pepperdine University ADA Compliance. PGBS eLearning is dedicated to partnering with faculty to create accessible courses for all students. For general information on digital accessibility, check out this resource. For assistance in accessible course design and course content, please schedule a time to meet with eLearning.
Learning Management System (LMS) Troubleshooting
Experiencing a challenge or a bug in Courses? eLearning may be able to help.
After reviewing Courses Faculty Guide, if you are still facing challenges in Courses, please email elearning@pepperdine.edu. An instructional designer will respond and coordinate with you to resolve your issue.
Quick Links
Links containing answers to frequently asked questions are below.
- Courses Faculty Guide
- Schedule an eLearning Consultation
- eLearning Instructional Resources
-
eLearning Online Course Foundational Best Practices Checklist, Examples, and Non-Examples
- eLearning Course Index Score Overview
Online Course Policies
Resources related to online course design processes and standards can be found below. If you are in the process of redesigning a course, tasked with building one for the first time, or looking to record videos for inclusion in your course these resources are for you.
- eLearning Online Course Foundational Best Practices Checklist, Examples, and Non-Examples
- Hybrid/Online Course Development Process
- Accessibility Requirements
- Video Recording Standards
- Pepperdine Credit Hour Policy
Online Course Templates
Below are the course and syllabus templates we recommend using in order to ensure online courses meet eLearning quality assurance standards. These templates also save you time and effort in the course preparation process.
Teaching Online
The resources below are meant to provide guidance on enhancing your online teaching practices beyond the technical aspects of eLearning. These resources range in focus from suggestions on encouraging student engagement in online courses to leveraging AI in your course.
Teaching Online with Courses
- Online Teaching and Learning Recorded Trainings
- Courses Accessibility Checker and How-To Guide
- AI in the Classroom
- PGBS Teaching Philosophy Online Teaching Crosswalk
- Asynchronous Content Guidance
- Weekly Learning Objectives Guidance
Teaching Online with Canvas
eLearning Latest Updates
From the May, 2024 Faculty Affairs Newsletter:
Technology & Learning has recently initiated the most recent LMS Study. Driven by the University's needs to meet faculty and student satisfaction, academic program objectives, and LMS functionality to deliver content for traditional, hybrid, and fully online modalities, the study seeks feedback from our current students and faculty about Courses LMS. In addition, Pepperdine will launch an LMS pilot. We will be evaluating the Canvas LMS for fall 2024 and spring 2025. Learn more.
Pepperdine will be piloting the Canvas LMS for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, with the potential of fully migrating to Canvas in Fall 2025.
During the LMS study, some PGBS programs will migrate their courses completely to Canvas. Other programs will allow faculty to decide if they wish to migrate their courses to Canvas or continue using Sakai.
Should you participate in this LMS study, eLearning will provide training sessions, resources, and support to assist you in transitioning to Canvas smoothly.
An LMS pilot offers opportunities and challenges. Please review this document for more about the pros and cons of participating in the LMS pilot in the upcoming academic year.