Designing Online Courses That Work for Students

Course Design

Course Design: ISM 3309C

ISM 3309C, Agile Product Ownership, was my first full course development after completing the Harvard certificate. I built the baseline D2L course shell from scratch as eight modules organized around a single design idea: students learn each Product Owner technique on a low-stakes practice product, then apply the same technique to their own product, building toward a Final Project Portfolio that integrates all five course learning outcomes. My design decisions supported:

• Alignment traceable end to end — the official course outcomes appear on every module and activity page, and a Course Learning Outcomes Map shows coverage across all assessment types.
• Formative-to-summative scaffolding — Application Exercises with analytic rubrics, mastery-graded Project Milestones with a resubmission cycle, and a Final Project rubric that rewards integration and revision.
• A consistent page design — a professional, repeatable module template that lowers cognitive load and makes the course easy to navigate.
• Complete instructor support — a Quick Start Guide with term checklists, suggested schedules for 6- to 16-week terms, and a textbook reference, so any section instructor can teach the course as designed.

The course was reviewed through Broward College’s e-learning course design process. On the BC Faculty Reviewer Form (September 2026), it met all five General Standards reviewed (GS1–GS5) and was recommended for delivery. On the BC Quality Standards for E-Learning Course Design Sign-Off Form, which integrates Broward College standards with the Quality Matters Higher Education Rubric (7th edition), the Senior Instructional Designer and the Faculty Reviewer confirmed the applicable standards across all eight General Standards, including Course Technology, Learner Support, and Accessibility and Usability. The review described the course as an exceptionally well-designed asynchronous course and a model course.

I treated the review as a chance to make a strong course better. Within two days of receiving the reviewer’s suggestions, I submitted a written feedback utilization to the Senior Instructional Designer documenting what I changed and what I planned: I aligned the syllabus and course calendar with revised extra credit opportunities, added a submission checklist to each project milestone, corrected the instructional materials for Application Exercise 3, and planned new sample announcements for the baseline shell before the next offering.

Content Knowledge

Content Knowledge and Depth

I primarily teach Microsoft Office and CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and Linux+ courses. Drawing on my own training, certifications, and industry experience, I select course materials aligned to certification objectives and update courses as those objectives change.

Each course pairs an e-text with instructional videos, virtual labs, and certification-style practice exams, giving students multiple ways to engage with the same content: reading, watching, and practicing hands-on. This approach reflects the Universal Design for Learning principle of providing multiple means of representation, so students with different backgrounds, preferences, and needs can each find an effective path to mastery. Since becoming a full-time faculty member, I have developed or redeveloped online courses including CTS 1111C, CTS 1133C, CTS 1134C, CTS 2120C, and ISM 3309C.

Instructional Management

Syllabus, Materials, and Alignment

The syllabus is available when the course opens and is reviewed with students during the first week. Course materials are mapped to the learning outcomes they develop: e-book chapters and quizzes build core concepts, labs and certification practice exams build hands-on skills, and LinkedIn Learning videos and discussions support higher-order outcomes such as analysis and evaluation.

Employer Needs

Responding to Employer Needs

Employers consistently report that they seek candidates who hold industry certifications and current knowledge in the field. In response, since becoming a full-time faculty member I have redesigned the following certification courses so that students learn current, exam-aligned content.

Instructional Delivery

Instructional Delivery in an Asynchronous Course

Each term begins with a live walkthrough of the syllabus and D2L course shell, recorded for students who cannot attend. Weekly announcements preview the content and work for each module. Discussion boards, real-world examples, and hands-on labs connect concepts to IT practice, and virtual office hours give students direct access to me. How I respond to students and return feedback is documented on the Student Success Indicators page.