Draft a copy of general information for the course. This includes required resources, technical requirements and a syllabus. Keep in mind that the general information might change as you continue to design the course.
Consider the needs of your students. A beginning teacher has very different needs than an experienced teacher. Carnegie Mellon University suggests that prior knowledge, intellectual development, cultural background and experiences and expectations interact "to impact learning and performance." Consider these aspects to form an image of an average beginning teacher in your course and the requirements in order for her to experience success. Create a readiness assessment to reveal your students' technological skills attitudes toward online learning.
Investigate other online courses that are similar to the one that you are designing. Look for ideas that you like, ideas that you don't like, and aspects that you would like to replicate. Pay close attention to coursework, course content and scheduling and how the professor motivates students.
Decide how the course will be structured and organized. Mesa Community College recommends that online courses use the same principles as regular classroom-based courses, such as interaction among students and teachers, high expectations and rapid feedback. Using specific learning objectives, decide how many classes will be required and the number of assignments that will be expected. Plan appropriate instructional strategies and a mixture of project-based assignments, case studies and theoretical coursework.
Develop a plan to encourage communication and interaction between students as well as between students and professor. Utilize individual assignments and group assignments. Allow students to collaborate. Plan practical strategies that you will use to communicate with students, such as email and discussion boards.
Plan a variety of assessment strategies. Decide what aspects of a student's performance will be assessed such as participation in class, participation on discussion boards or collaboration with peers. Develop a plan for how you will assess and keep records of assessments.