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Need to revamp a course? Wondering what to do with an assignment that seems to "flop" on delivery? Want to incorporate more team-based learning? At a consultation, instructional designers listen to your specific concerns and collaborate with you to find a solution, whether you are teaching online, face-to-face, or in a blended format. Deliverables from consultations are unique to each faculty member, but often include:

• tools for creating engaging assignments and measurable assessments (e.g. rubric templates and assessment ideas)
• a blueprint for your Blackboard course (e.g. navigation and layout tips/models)
• communication strategies aimed at increasing student success (e.g. planning grids and best practices for retention)
• syllabus revisions that address instructional goals

Moving from a 12-week to an 8-, 5-, or 3-week course format can be a huge undertaking. So can going fully or partially online. Instructional designers can help you prepare for this kind of shift through a course mapping process that focuses on student learning, and takes into consideration the pacing and engagement strategies that make courses effective no matter the format. 

Sometimes faculty need feedback on a specific assignment, lecture component, or other element of a course. Designers look at course materials as a part of the larger learning picture and provide recommendations based on what we know about how adults learn in various environments and what supports learners need in order to achieve the desired outcomes. In addition, our office can help connect new faculty and teaching staff to peers in related disciplines for additional feedback. 

The Instructional Design & Learning Technologies team uses a quality course review instrument designed by Open SUNY to offer thorough course reviews and to facilitate peer-to-peer course reviews across campus departments. Faculty can request a review from IDLT online or can inquire about using the Open SUNY Course Quality Review rubric as a part of a peer review process. [LINK]

Instructional designers also build courses from the ground up, working with faculty as subject matter experts. See a sample of our work [LINK] and read testimonials from other faculty [LINK]. Request a consultation to discuss your course building needs. [LINK]

Before introducing a new tool or technology-driven process to your students, think about giving it a test run with IDLT. We are delighted to help faculty integrate technology into their classrooms as seamlessly as possible. From audience response systems to online assignment submissions, we help faculty investigate the many tools available and find the best option for each learning situation. [LINK back to toolkit here? the revised bb 9 tool guide?]

Sometimes an entire department or faculty team takes on a new challenge, like moving a program online or building consistency across multiple sections of the same course. For these situations, IDLT can customize a workshop or facilitate a discussion to meet the unique needs of the group. Past examples range from hosting specific technical sessions, such as using Zoom to facilitate office hours and increase student support, to offering workshops on course design models that make building and revamping courses more efficient for faculty and effective for students. 

Whether you need a quiet place to record a lecture or access to special technology like lightboards and virtual reality equipment, IDLT can help you find a working space on campus.