Whether you are trying to identify trouble areas for existing courses or considering best practices for developing new courses, these questions can help you ensure that your course has a strong foundation.

• How would you visually depict the structure of the course?

• Is there anything that feels out-of-place?

• How do various elements align together with one another?

• What opportunities are there for students to share in the responsibility for learning?

• How does the course create relevant learning activities that draw from, wherever possible, authentic experiences?

• How does your course provide multiple means/modes of learning?

• How are materials distributed to both physically present and virtual students?

• Is there a “start here”/“welcome” email?

• Do you provide a course tour or overview?

• Do students know how/where to begin?

• Do students know where, how, and when they can contact you outside of class?

• Do students know your preferred method(s) for certain communications and/or your anticipated response times/availability?

• What do you share about yourself as an instructor, scholar, and person?

• Can students find everything they need to engage with course material and to submit coursework?

• How can students find everything they need on TLEARN (or in another repository)?

• Do students know what they should be doing before, during, and after class?

• Can students find tutorials to hardware/software needed for the course?

• Are troubleshooting tips provided to help students navigate through tech issues?