Curriculum Development & Delivery

Course development process

Academic Oversight

  • Development projects initiated and driven by departments
  • New course and major revision proposals require approval by EPC and APPC
  • PMAC helps clarify department aims for each project (Associate Deans on PMAC)
  • SME qualifications provided by departments
  • Two of three voting members on hiring committee are TRUFA
  • Department chairs review and approve course blueprints before further development occurs
  • Alignment with equivalent campus courses (course description, learning outcomes, and consultation with campus SMEs)
  • Regular communication with departments and faculties re: course issues, ongoing and future needs
Curriculum development overview
(as of 09/29):
  • 426 TRU courses offered through OL
  • 88% of courses updated within the last five years
  • 74 ZTC courses (28 using OER)
  • 17 new courses currently in development
  • 50 major revisions in progress
  • 62 maintenance projects in progress (OLFM work)
  • 2021-22 contracts: 32 TRUFA, 34 TRUOLFA, 27 external to TRU

Course creation

What does an OL course look like?

What characterizes an OL course?

  • Learner-centred and learning-centred design
  • “Instructor” presence built in to guide students
  • Mostly self-paced and continuous entry
  • Designed thoughtfully and carefully by subject matter experts who are highly accomplished teachers and researchers
  • Increasingly ZTC and built with OERs 
  • Media-rich, well-edited, intentional design
  • Built on a foundation of evidence-based practice in distance and open learning that draws on OL’s 44 years of experience and expertise in the field

How are OL Courses Delivered and Supported?

  • Continuous registration
  • Instructor presence built in to facilitate self-pace modality
  • Paced courses
  • Student Engagement and Experience
  • Support teams (Exams, Delivery Support)
  • Moodle course management and scheduling
  • Materials team

Who are the Open Learning Faculty Members?

  • 261 OLFMs located throughout BC
  • Diversity of OLFMs – Inclusive Excellence
  • 31% are TRUFA, includes a number of TRU department chairs and associate deans
  • OLFM compensation tied directly to enrolment
  • 78% of Arts OLFMs have a PhD (46/59)
  • 68% EDSW (17/25)
  • 63% SoBE (30/48)
  • 37% Science incl MLAP, VTEC etc. (35/94)
  • TRUOLFA Collective Agreement
  • TRU and OL service

OLFM academic oversight and Support

  • Qualifications for OLFMs are set by the School/Faculty
  • Campus faculty representative (non-voting) on every Selection Advisory Committee (SAC)
  • 3 OLFMs (voting) on each SAC, plus non-voting union rep and OL Admin rep
  • Associate Deans/Chairs are consulted on SAC recommendation
  • Recommended candidates for Graduate courses are the Program Committee, the Dean and the Graduate Studies Committee before being sent to the AVP Research for approval
  • OL Delivery team provides on-boarding, support, training and orientation
  • The OL Delivery Team work closely with campus colleagues when additional information or guidance is required for OLFMs within specific subject areas
  • Most student issues with OLFMs can be dealt with quickly by the OL Delivery Support team in consultation with the OLFM
  • When student issues are significant the Associate Dean/Program Coordinator or designate are informed and consulted about action to be taken
  • The OL Delivery Support Team deal with OL Student Academic Appeals in the early stages and keep the Deans informed when the Appeal may be forwarded to them.
  • The Deans receive Student Academic Appeals when the student is still not satisfied with the Associate Director of Delivery’s response
  • The Deans are the final stage in the Student Academic Appeal form process before the Appeal for is forwarded to the Office of Student Affairs to arrange an appeals hearing
  • Program plans and graduation audits are the responsibility of dean or designate

Integration and alignment

OL is already deeply integrated at many levels:

  • The TRU Copyright office located in OL serves campus and OL needs 
  • The Curriculum Services editing and copyright teams support campus research projects, OER development, and present to f2f classes and faculty orientations 
  • The Learning Design and Innovation department, including Instructional Designers, serves all of campus
  • OL admin, staff, faculty and OLFMs contribute actively to many TRU committees, including EPC and APPC, Senate, Student Success, Budget committee, and the Coyote Project 
  • OL is recognized internationally for our work in areas like open educational practices, educational technology, OER development, and academic integrity research
  • Academic oversight ensures schools/faculties and departments drive course and curricular development

Challenges to Integration and Alignment

Academic oversight and accountability is hampered by a significant lack of capacity at the school/faculty and department level

Systems and policies that ignore or exclude OL are barriers to integration, but overlooking or eliminating key differences can be just as problematic. All of TRU needs to see itself as being responsible for OL programs and, more important, students

TRU students taking OL courses being treated like they are second-class TRU students (no voice or representation, limited access to services, limited recognition)

Steps Forward

A clear central mandate for inclusion and integration of OL in academic plans and institutional vision is a significant step forward. It’s what we’ve been waiting for. 

OL can play a vital role in ensuring TRU achieves its identified strategic priorities:

  • Inclusive excellence in faculty and staff recruitment and retention
  • Student wellness and belonging will enable us to achieve the change goal of eliminating opportunity gaps, and Honouring Truth, Reconciliation, and Rights
  • By 2033, TRU will be highly ranked provincially, nationally, and internationally for its unique academic and trades programs, that provide students with flexible learning pathways into research informed curriculum and experiential opportunities

Potential projects: improving communication and sense of belonging for TRU students taking OL courses (“A TRU student is a TRU student”); building support capacity in schools and faculties (designated Associate Deans or Academic Directors for OL areas); increasing enrolment and brand awareness by returning to targeted ads for TRU OL courses and programs (Be a TRU student anywhere); improving recognition of Open Learning Faculty Members (website presence, award eligibility, research funding).