1. Home Page  & Course Navigation

• Home Page

  • Clear and Welcoming department approved home page (standard, department approved home page)

  • Direct links to critical components (i.e., Syllabus, Modules, Meet Your Faculty, etc.)

  • A clean, uncluttered design with a consistent layout to enhance usability.

• Navigation Menu

  • A streamlined navigation menu with only essential links (e.g., Home, Modules, Discussions, Assignments, Grades). 

  • Extraneous or redundant links (e.g., unused tools or external resources) are removed to minimize confusion.

• People

  • ID is enrolled in Dev Master

  • Chair and SME are enrolled as Reviewers

• Naming Conventions of Master (DPD)

  • Example: ABCD####: Dev Master (DPD) 

  • Identify week number if more than one version (8 wk)

  • Do we want to change name of “master” to Dev Template, Dev Pack, etc. for inclusivity or keep it?

2. Resources Sections

• Instructors Only Section

  • Embedded Google Slide of departmental info, contact info, instructions, and expectations for faculty

  • Course Notes on specific information for faculty teaching the course on what faculty need to modify or enable prior to course launch.

• Student Resources Section

  • Meet Your Faculty Page

    • A dedicated page introduces the instructor(s), including:

      1. A professional bio highlighting expertise and teaching philosophy (or link to Canvas Bio)

      2. A photo or introductory video (optional but recommended for engagement).

      3. Contact information and response time expectations (e.g., within 48 hours).

  • Student Resources page

    • Embedded Google Slide of departmental info, links to APU resources, and other important information.

  • Course Specific Information (optional): include page specifically for course information that is not redundant with other pages.

  • Additional Content: Additional gatekeeping quizzes or forums can be added (i.e., Class Introductions, Prayers & Praises, etc.) as department requires

3. Module Content

• Design. Each module follows a predictable format to support student navigation 

  • Includes consistent nomenclature for module headings and pages

  • All links are functional via Link Validator

  • Date range for dev master imports: (upon import dates will be adjusted  by import team to current term.)

    • 8 week: Jan 1, 2018 - Feb 23, 2018 

    • 16 week: Jan 1, 2018 - April 20, 2018 (or as needed to accommodate holidays)

• Content. The course is divided into weekly or topical modules containing:

  • Learning Materials 

    • Clearly labeled, accessible resources (e.g., overviews, readings, videos, slides, PDFs, APU library articles, etc.) aligned with learning objectives with all content embedded on page(s) as needed.

    • No use of linked files in modules, these should be embedded on a page.

  • Discussions 

    • Weekly discussion with clear prompts, expectations, and rubrics to foster engagement and critical thinking. (Required for OA)

    • Weekly Discussions are not required, but highly encouraged for OS courses

  • Lecture/Teaching Content

    • Synchronous Meetings Page(s) (OS Courses)

      • Include topics or agenda for meeting and where to get meeting information. 

      • Use Zoom in Canvas so students can access link and view recordings.

    • Video Based Teaching Content (OA Courses)

      • Direct Faculty Instruction equivalent to the Credit Hour Policy in syllabus

  • Assignments and/or Quizzes

    • Weekly assignments with detailed instructions and submission guidelines.

  • Course Evaluation

    • Instructions page added into last week on how to complete course evaluation.

• Accessibility. All content (text, images, videos, PDFs, pages) complies with accessibility standards: 

  • Alt text for images

  • Captions/transcripts for videos

  • Readable fonts and high-contrast color

  • Screen-reader-compatible formatting (i.e., heading levels, etc.)

4. Faith Integration Component

• At least one activity (e.g., reflective journal, discussion prompt, or project) explicitly connects course content to faith-based principles or institutional values aligned with institutional mission and learning outcomes.

• Can be part of a another assessment or stand-alone.

5. Grading & Grading Schemes

• Grading Rubrics

  • Every graded assessment (e.g., discussions, assignments, quizzes) includes a clear, detailed rubric specifying criteria, performance levels, and point values. 

  • Rubrics are active in the LMS so students can view before assessments are due.

• Grading Standards

  • A program grading scheme is outlined in the syllabus and enabled in LMS Settings