Charting a New Course in the Age of COVID: SDSUs Flexible Course Design Institute

This session reflects on the decisions made, challenges faced, and lessons learned from the Flexible Course Design Institute (Flex-CDI) at San Diego State University (SDSU). In summer 2020 and January 2021, SDSU’s Flex-CDI trained more than 1,000 faculty in online instruction. Our program, designed and facilitated in virtual space, featured faculty helping faculty. Nearly 30 module designers and peer mentors created content and mentored faculty through three three-week sessions in summer 2020, and we revised for yet another two-week iteration in January 2021. Flexibility, empathy, and teamwork were key: participants completed four required modules and four elective modules catered to their instructional needs. Each co-presenter offers a unique perspective on the training: from administrative logistics and buy-in to faculty needs, Canvas architecture to facilitate flexibility, and assessment of the institute’s efficacy across its two main iterations (so far...).