Course Design Rubric

Online Course Review Information

The OEI Course Design Rubric was developed in 2014 and most currently revised in 2020 by the OEI Professional Development work group to ensure that all courses offered as part of the initiative promote student success and meet existing regulatory and accreditation requirements. It has undergone revisions and updates in response to changes in available instructional technology and feedback from both instructors and reviewers.

Courses that are peer-reviewed and aligned to the OEI Course Design Rubric have met the CCC’s highest level of design standards to support online student success and can be made available for cross-enrollment to students at participating colleges.

The Rubric is divided into four sections (A-D):

Section A: Content Presentation

The 14 elements for quality course design in this section address how content is organized and accessed in the course management system. Key elements include course navigation, learning objectives, and access to student support information.

Video Length
1 Hour
3 Minutes

Section B: Interaction

The six elements in this section address instructor-initiated and student-initiated communication. Key elements of quality course design covered in this section include regular substantive contact, both between and among instructors and students.

Video Length
50 Minutes

Section C: Assessment

The eight elements in this section address the variety and effectiveness of assessments within the course. Key elements include the alignment of objectives and assessments, the clarity of instructions for completing activities, and evidence of timely and regular feedback.

Following a review by a team of trained faculty peer reviewers, each element in Sections A-C will be marked in one of three ways:

- Incomplete: The element is missing or present to a degree that does not adequately support student success in online learning.
- Aligned: The element is present and effectively designed to support student success in online learning.
- Additional Exemplary Elements: This designation recognizes design choices that are aligned and go even further to enhance the student experience in the online learning environment.

Video Length
52 Minutes

SECTION D: Accessibility

The 16 elements in this section are reviewed to determine if a student using assistive technologies will be able to access the instructor’s course content as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (also known as “508 Compliance”). The accessibility elements in Section D focus on instructor-generated content that is primarily under the control of faculty when developing a course. Since Section D addresses elements that are required to be present, the elements in this section, when applicable, are only marked as Incomplete or Aligned.

Reference the Accessibility of Distance Learning Courses for Students with Disabilities document for more information. Visit CVC.edu for more information on the OEI, the Rubric, and the Course Review Process. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Video Length
1 Hour
6 Minutes

A summary of the components that consist of the CVC Course Design Rubric