Course Design Standards

It consists of eight subcategories: Course Overview and Information, Course Technology and Tools, Design and Layout, Content and Activities, Interaction, Assessment and Feedback, Asynchronous Course Video, and Synchronous Course Delivery.

Students' interaction with a course begins with accessing the general information the instructor provides about it. The "Course Overview and Information" standards aim to ensure that, in their first interaction, students can access all necessary information about the course within the same framework in all courses. The technological learning materials to be used in the course and the necessary technical information about them are defined by the “"Course Technology and Tools" standards. The "Design and Layout" standards aim to ensure adherence to instructional design principles whose effectiveness has been proven by subject matter experts, so as to prevent cognitive load that hinders learning. The "Content and Activities" standards provide a framework for content and activities that support learning and participation, facilitate communication and enhance collaboration in courses. Learners' mutual communication with the course and the instructor is addressed by the "Interaction" standards. Standards on the effective use of feedback in the teaching and learning process are included under "Assessment and Feedback." Finally, standards related to "Asynchronous Course Video" and "Synchronous Course Delivery" are presented.

Defining courses and determining the face-to-face/online ratios for their delivery are among the most important factors in the success of online courses. When many courses of the same type are delivered in different ways, the effect of the course definition on students is reduced. Courses offered as hybrid but containing no LMS activities other than face-to-face activities negatively affect perceptions of and attitudes toward online courses.

Instructors who wish to offer any of these three course types, and whose courses are approved by the department committee, are expected to meet the standards and prerequisites for the course type they choose. In addition, explicit criteria on the implementation of these standards will be added to faculty performance evaluations, and course evaluations will be updated according to course type.

Course definitions, with ratios observed in line with the framework set by YÖK, and the blending ratios for these courses are given below. Blending ratios indicate the maximum online activity permitted for that course type.