Faculty teaching online classes are required to complete a Quality Matters (QM) training course before teaching. Visit the Quality Matters CETL page to identify the right course for you and contact an instructional designer at CETL to start the enrollment process. For more information about ECU’s policy on online course development visit the Online and Blended Course Policy section on CETL's ECU Policies for Faculty page.
If you are developing an ECUO course through the third-party OPM provider, you are not required to take QM training in addition to that process. However, applying QM principles is encouraged.
Contact CETL for assistance at any stage of instructional design, from building a course map to adding activities and trying new tools and features.
The CETL team also provides one-on-one or group instruction on any issues you or your department may have, whether they are related to Blackboard Ultra or general instructional design.
Send a message to the Help Desk at helpdesk@ecok.edu.
Describe your problem as specifically as possible. Make sure to include:
Once submitted, your request will be routed to the appropriate support staff.
Reach out to CETL, or you can find a list to a quick accessibility checklist here.
Most online courses open to students one week before the start of classes.
In certain cases, two classes can be combined into a single Blackboard shell. However, due to potential complications when students drop or add classes that causes Blackboard to get caught in a never-ending Add/Drop loop, this is recommended only for cross-listed courses.
Requests must come through the department chair to the CETL and Academic Affairs teams.
Online courses often follow weekly learning modules.
University holidays, when the campus is closed, are not included in these weeks. For instance, in the Fall B term (second eight weeks), the university closes for two days during Fall Break and three days for Thanksgiving. This results in nine calendar weeks but only eight full weeks of classes.
Instructors should align their courses with the official Academic Calendar, though they may choose to provide optional activities during breaks.
If the end-of-term date falls on a Friday, instructors can decide whether to accept work over the weekend, considering the grade entry deadline.
Many instructors set weekly assignment deadlines for Sunday at 11:59 p.m., as this allows students flexibility over the weekend. However, deadlines can vary; the key is ensuring that they are clear and consistent to help students manage their workloads effectively.