Online Course Review Process (OCR)

The goal of online course quality processes is to support faculty in applying YC’s Essential Design Standards. OCR is one of those processes.

Yavapai College’s Online Course Review (OCR) is a comprehensive review of an 8 or 16-week online course. During the OCR process, Instructional Designers (ID) with expertise in online course design, course development, and adult learning will review the design and development of online courses to promote continuous improvement of the learner-centric experience.  

The OCR process does not evaluate a faculty’s teaching method. Instead, it is a focused review of course design and its alignment with the YC Essential Design Standards and the course in the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).  

All full-time faculty teaching online who have not completed an online course review. All full-time faculty teaching online will need to have one of their courses completed by May 2024. Opportunities for adjunct faculty to complete this process will come later. No stipends are currently included in the OCR process.

The OCR process includes: 

  1. Full-time faculty teaching online will choose one online course after confirming with their Dean and complete the Course Submission for OCR form by June 1, 2023.
  2. Stacey Hilton, Dean of Instructional Support will confirm course submission and follow up via email.
  3. An Instructional Designer (ID) will be assigned from Teaching & eLearning Support (TeLS) and will establish contact with faculty.
  4. Beginning in August 2023, the ID will email faculty, requesting a link to their course in Canvas, and providing an estimated timeframe for the initial review based on the YC Essential Design Standards to be completed.
  5. After the ID completes the initial review, the ID will reach out to faculty to establish a meeting to review findings.
  6. Based on ID recommendations, faculty will update the course.
  7. Faculty will notify ID when they have made the course updates.
  8. ID reviews the course and notifies faculty if any further changes are needed or if they have met the OCR standards.
  9. ID notifies TeLS Director that OCR is complete and emails faculty member’s Dean and copies the faculty.
  10. A survey evaluating the OCR process will by sent to faculty.