Creativity and Consistency in Online Courses: Finding the Appropriate Balance

To maintain quality and ensure instructional alignment, many institutions are turning to predesigned courses (PDCs) or master course templates for online courses. How can we balance the need for quality control via course consistency with the ways master teachers adapt content and pedagogy to continually meet real-time student needs in an online environment? This session shares early research results in two main areas: (1) customization possibilities and pitfalls of specific course tools, and (2) strategies for building an engaged faculty community through appropriate communication, organizational structure, and faculty development opportunities.