This document provides guidance for developing an online course structure in Blackboard, including a course syllabus. It recommends including specific elements in the syllabus such as course objectives, evaluation policies, technology requirements and an academic calendar listing weekly topics, activities and resources. It also recommends setting up various online course components in Blackboard like announcements, assignments, discussions and groups. The spreadsheet is meant to be used to explicitly list all activities and resources needed each week to help students achieve goals and to guide course production.

1. WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY WSSU:
Course name Use this spreadsheet as a strutural guide for two things:
Course number
1. The development or revision of your course syllabus. Include e
with grey color y column D, from rows 14 to 34.
Yes No NA CS ONLINE COURSE COMPONENT
Course shell available 2. The creation of your course structure in Blackboard. Take into
of the groups highlighted in orange color.
Customized course menu
Customized course design
Customized managing tools
Customized settings WSSU:
Read me first Contact Nancy Hope (x 2053) to create a course shell.
Explains how the course is organized and how to use the course materials Janice M Smith (x 2457) to learn about course authoring
Contact
Course description Blackboard
Rationale states how the course fits into the overall paradigm of the program
Course description in WSSU catalog is included
Prerequisits (if any) are clearly stated
General objectives declare the intention of the course
Specific objectives state learning outcomes. Should be measurable and should reflect the final
competences that the course should develop
Professional standards (if applicable) should be stated and co-related with course objectives
Academic calendar should state individual and/or group learning activities on a weekly basis.
Academic calendar should state assessment/evaluation activities on a weekly basis
Academic calendar should state learning resources on a weekly basis, combining onsite and online
resources as needed
Rules of engagement in this course state the different aspects of online participation that will be
taken into consideration, e.g., participation, netiquette,
Evaluation policy states formative evaluation activities and their corresponding weight in the final
score
Evaluation policy states summative evaluation activities and their corresponding weight in the final
score
Online testing rules (if applicable) state how quizes and exams will be offered, what to do with power
interruptions or technology problems. If attempts should to be cleared, how many and under what
circumstances
Technology requirements should be stated for course deliverables
Grading policy states how to get A, B, C, D, F, I
Honor code / academic integrity policy should be explicit. See WSSU catalog, policy and regulations
p.30, concerning cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, academic dishonesty
Dissability information states how to request reasonable accomodation if needed
Facilitators
Each one has name, email, work phone, office location, office hours (face-to-face or online), and a
close-up picture
Each one (if applicable) has a web site
Each one shares how s/he will be involved in course activities, what relevant professional experience
s/he brings in, how s/he wants to be contacted, the amount of time that the student can lapse before
the student can expect a response, and any other personal information s/he want to share
NA = Not applicable
CS = Course syllabus

2. WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY WSSU:
Course name Use this spreadsheet as a strutural guide for two things:
Course number
1. The development or revision of your course syllabus. Include e
with grey color y column D, from rows 14 to 34.
Yes No NA CS ONLINE COURSE COMPONENT
Announcements 2. The creation of your course structure in Blackboard. Take into
of the groups highlighted in orange color.
Each week has basic announcement information (subject, short message, dates to show the
announcement)
Messages
WSSU:
This feature should be part of the menu if students and instructor will communicate in this way create a course shell.
Contact Nancy Hope (x 2053) to
Communications
Contact Janice M Smith (x 2457) to learn about course authoring
Options in this feature should be customized and only include those that will be in use
Blackboard
Tools
Options in this feature should be customized and only include those that will be in use
Assignments
Each week has a folder with the corresponding dates, short explanation, and activation options
programmed according to rules
Discussion board
Permanent interaction spaces (social, technical) have a forum, description and settings defined
Weekly discussion spaces have a forum, description and settings defined
Course Blog
A course blog has been configured and created if students are required to post and share in a
collaborative journal
Resources
Enlisted online resources should be enough to support learning activities proposed
There is a folder for each type of resources or for each group of activities. Be sure that enlisted
online resources will be enough to support learning activities proposed
Work groups
This feature should be part of the menu if students will have private or group forum spaces
NA = Not applicable
CS = Course syllabus

3. strutural guide for two things:
vision of your course syllabus. Include each of the elements
D, from rows 14 to 34.
ourse structure in Blackboard. Take into consideraction each
in orange color.
2053) to create a course shell.
(x 2457) to learn about course authoring in
NA = Not applicable
CS = Course syllabus

4. strutural guide for two things:
vision of your course syllabus. Include each of the elements
D, from rows 14 to 34.
ourse structure in Blackboard. Take into consideraction each
in orange color.
2053) to create a course shell.
(x 2457) to learn about course authoring in
NA = Not applicable
CS = Course syllabus

5. Academic calendar and resources
WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY
Course name
Course number
Week of the course Course structure link Weekly activities Educational resources
Type:
Unit # / Specific A-active, Type Status
Number Topic Activity description Resource name / URL
name objectives I-interactive, (Ex,Ax,Ix) (Sx)
X-expositive
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4 WSSU:
Use this spreasheet to make explicit all the activities and resources that you
will need to include in your online course. Be sure that they are enough to
Week 5 help your students achieve their weekly goals in your online course.
READ THIS COMMENT
Add extra rows to include one activity per line.
Week 6
When you complete this spreadsheet you should do two things:
Week 7
1. Doublecheck the weekly agenda defined in your course syllabus,
verifying that it reflects what you have defined here.
Week 8
2. Make a production plan that includes all the S2 and S3 resources that you
have identified. Look at your course production contract to be sure that you
Week 9 can finish production on time.
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16

6. Type of weekly activities
A - Active Students build knowledge exploring and reflecting on learning objects that behave as organisms
I - Interactive Students build knowledge in collaboration with other people that care about shared learning objects
X - eXpositive Students build knowledge by appropriation of ideas or mental models proposed by others
Status
S1. Available, ready to use
S2. To be updated / permissions
S3. To be produced
Educational resources
Expositive Active Interactive
E1. Text book A1. Digital Tool I1. group work
E2. Periodicals A2. Physical tool I2. email / emessage
E3. Audiotape A3. Manipulatives I3. Instant messaging
E4. Videotape A4. Probes I4. text discussion forum
E5. Audiocast A5. Modelling systems I5. audio discussion forum
E6. Videocast A6. Simulation systems I6. blog posting
E7. Power point slides A7. Expert systems I7. wiki using
E8. Demo A8. Drill and practice I8. Audio conferencing
E9. Still images A9. Tutorials I9. Video conferencing
E10. Lecture A10. Search engines I10. Collaboration tool
E11. Papers
E12. Case studies