What Is the SME Guide?

The SME Guide outlines the process and leading practices for creating online courses. It provides SMEs with the tools and resources needed to design and structure course content effectively. The guide emphasizes collaboration with all course build stakeholders, alignment with learning outcomes, and consideration of learner needs. Key steps include planning, content development, accessibility, and quality assurance.

Why It Matters

The SME Guide is crucial for ensuring that:

  • Course content aligns with institutional standards and learning outcomes.
  • Learners receive a cohesive and engaging educational experience.
  • Content is accessible, inclusive, and tailored for online delivery.
This structured approach to course development promotes collaboration between SMEs, instructional designers, and educational developers, resulting in courses that are both high-quality and learner-focused.

Preparing for the Online Course Build

Before the first meeting with an ID, please ensure you have completed the Design Your Online Course (DYOC) module and have met with your Associate Dean/Manager to identify the following details about the course:

  • The modality of the course.
  • The digital platform(s) this course will use (Blackboard, Articulate, both).
  • The dates and length of time associated with the build (i.e., What is the completion date of the build and when will the course be offered in its new online format?)
  • Any additional expectations that your Associate Dean/Manager may have about the course build.
💡 Unsure about 1 or more of these elements? Connect with the Associate Dean who assigned you to this project.

Meeting with the Innovative Learning’s Course Build Team

This section outlines the roles and responsibilities of three key stakeholders involved in the online build: the Educational Developer (ED), Instructional Designer (ID), and Subject Matter Expert (SME).

Educational Developer (ED): The faculty-to-faculty liaison. Provides project support, including connecting SMEs with specific resources, running faculty development sessions, and holding office hours for faculty to discuss issues that may arise. The ED will also keep the Project Coordinator up-to-date on progress being made in each program.

Instructional Designer (ID): The pedagogical advisor. ID expertise will be used to consider course material from a learner-centered focus and ensure there is engagement and retention in the course through a variety of learning activities and check-ins. Additionally, the ID will review content from an accessibility perspective to ensure the content and format aligns with AODA standards. This role involves liaising with the SME.

Subject Matter Expert (SME): The course content expert. The SME will write, review, and validate the content for accuracy. The SME will also build/develop the course in Articulate (if the build is in Articulate). This role involves regular communications with the course build team and sharing updates with their Associate Dean/Manager on the status of the course build.

Kickoff Meeting

In our kickoff meeting (i.e., the first meeting the SME has with the build team), we will:

  1. Meet the course build team (ED, ID, and SME).
  2. Define project roles and expectations.
  3. Set a clear timeline for deliverables.
  4. Walk the SME through the Module Template.

SME-ID Meeting

In our first SME-ID meeting, we will discuss the details of the Critical Path (also called the Schedule of Study or Topical Breakdown of the course). Please ensure that you review the Critical Path prior to meeting. This meeting will help determine the level of work (or re-work) that is required for the course build. In addition to reviewing the Critical Path, please:

  1. Gather and review existing course materials, such as:
    • Course Outline
    • Critical Path
    • Course materials (e.g., PowerPoint slide decks, lecture notes, course readings, etc.)
    • Learning activities (e.g., discussion board prompts, Kahoot!, Mentimeter, etc.)
      1. Consider referring to assessment data from previous offerings of this course (e.g., results from Exit Tickets, course evaluation feedback, class participation metrics, etc.) to reflect on the effectiveness of previous topics and learning activities.
      2. How can engaging learning activities be adapted to fit the new course modality?
    • Assessments and Feedback Tools
      1. Do the summative assessments effectively align with and measure the knowledge, skills, and attitudes stated in the learning outcomes?
      2. Evaluate the balance between formative and summative assessments. Are the opportunities for feedback (formative assessments) balanced with measurements of overall learning (summative assessments)?
      3. How can the formative and summative assessments be revised to fit the new course modality?
    • Multimedia Resources (e.g., images, diagrams, videos, podcasts, etc.)
      1. What existing material should be included in the new build?
      2. What needs to be revised to fit the new course modality, improve accessibility, and engagement?
  2. Reflect on the last time or few times you taught this/a course and answer the following questions:
    • What topics and/or activities were most engaging for learners?
    • What topics and/or activities were challenging for learners?
    • What made specific topics and/or activities either engaging or challenging for learners?
    • What (if any) modifications might you make to the course in an online format?
    • What skills, abilities and tools do all students need to be successful in completing this course in the online format?
  3. Based on the gathered materials, sketch a proposed plan for the online format and identify how course content will be divided:
    • How many modules are in the course?
    • How are course learning outcomes (CLOs) connected to each module?
    • What topics and thematic units are included in each module? How do these topics align with the LOs of the module?

Content Development

After gathering and reviewing course materials, the SME will complete the selected Module Template. The following resources are helpful for completing the Module Template.

  • COSSID: Locate the Course Outline in COSSID. You can use the information in the most up- to-date course outline to complete the first page of the Module Template.
  • Module Exemplar: Provides guidance on effective writing style and ways to structure your content.
  • APA & MLA & Academic Integrity | Humber Libraries: Used to refer to the correct format to reference documents (e.g., required textbooks, chapters, journal articles, etc.)
  • Writing Tips: Provides strategies for writing module content effectively.
Once the Module Template is complete, the SME will send it to the ID. The ID reviews module content, provides feedback and suggestions, and identifies opportunities to improve engagement.

Content Testing

Once the course has been developed in Articulate, the SME and ID will review the course together. The SME and ID will collaborate to ensure accuracy, quality, accessibility, and flow of content using the Articulate Rise built-in review process. This constructive feedback will be implemented before moving on to the next module.

Tips for Writing Module Content:

Prerequisite Knowledge: Consider what topics or concepts learners should already be familiar with. If necessary, provide a brief review of these concepts before the lesson to help learners connect their existing knowledge to the new knowledge in the lesson. A pre-assessment activity can also be included at the outset of a module to provide learners with the chance to actively interact with the content and assess their current understanding.

Writing Style: The writing style of the content should optimize the online learning experience, making it as clear, effective, engaging, and accessible as possible.

  • Explain thoughts, ideas, and concepts using complete sentences, proper grammar, and punctuation.
  • Use clear and straightforward language, define key terminology, acronyms, and avoid jargon, where possible.
  • Think about how a textbook is written: There is an element of storytelling involved in the sharing and writing that utilizes a lighter, conversational tone, without being too informal.
  • Connect theory and practice together by using real world examples, case studies and well-known examples that will aid in learners’ understanding of course materials.

Self-Contained Modules: Consider conceptualizing modules in terms of hours, not days. The duration of a module shouldn’t be rigid but rather should be shaped by its content. It’s perfectly fine for one module to include two lessons, while another more comprehensive module might include four or five lessons. Where possible, keep modules self-contained so each individual module can be understood out of context of the rest of the course. This modular approach allows students to grasp the essentials of each topic independently, while still benefiting from a scaffolded structure where earlier modules lay the foundational knowledge and skills for subsequent topics. Ensure the relevant information is presented and contained in module content. In other words, each module should include all the necessary writing, resources, and exercises that will help learners achieve the module learning outcomes.

  • For example, images, videos, external links and resources to visit or read, diagrams, formative exercises, and case studies should be included in the module content.
  • Note: Exceptions include summative assessments, discussion board posts, links to review tools (Kahoot!, Mentimeter, Quizlet), and other tools hosted in the Blackboard LMS.

Meaningful Content: Module content should be crafted with the aim of empowering learners to acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to meet course learning outcomes. That is, the written content, learning activities, readings, and resources should be carefully selected to align with the specific outcomes of the course. Although we encourage additional resources and optional readings, by maintaining a targeted focus on learning outcomes, educators can enhance the effectiveness of the learning experience by ensuring that each module contributes directly to the achievement of course outcomes.

Didactic Elements: Include elements like exercises, case studies, key definitions and terminology, videos, and images to break up text and enhance engagement.

  • They should add relevance to the learning process and be well-thought out to ensure written content provides the right information to support them. For example, a concept needs to be adequately explained so learners have sufficient information to complete an exercise. A theory, process, or procedure needs to be thoroughly explained before a case study is given to learners.

Interactivity and Engagement: Where possible and relevant, provide multiple means of engagement and interactivity with content (such as guided questions, knowledge checks, or reflection activities). Explore this resource from Vanderbilt University for ideas on incorporating interactivity into your asynchronous course.

  • Provide prompts for engagement activities with clear directions. For example, if you include a video in the course, provide 1-2 sentences explaining its relevance to the course material. Instruct learners to reflect on a few questions or themes to identify while watching. Follow up with a debrief on the important concepts covered in the video that relate to the course.

Create multiple ways to engage with content: Providing multiple means of content representation is an essential element of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that helps increase access and engagement. Providing multiple means of representation, such as text, images, diagrams, videos, and other interactive elements, can maximize knowledge transfer and promote sustained engagement. For example, you can visualize a complex concept using a diagram, or incorporate real-world examples via podcasts.

Overview of Tasks to Complete during the Course Build Process

Creating a successful course involves careful planning and collaboration to ensure an engaging and effective learning experience. Below are the essential tasks to follow throughout the course build process:

Thoroughly review the course learning outcomes (CLOs) to deepen your understanding of what students should be able to achieve after completing the course. Having deep familiarity with CLOs will help you effectively align instructional strategies, assessments, and learning activities with these predefined goals.

Determine the course structure. Will you organize course content by week, by module (number and/or title), by units, or lessons. This structure should include the topics to be covered, subtopics, and any required resources, as well as CLOs for each lesson, unit, or module.

Determine how students’ understanding will be evaluated.

  • Formative Assessment: Formative assessments are implemented on an ongoing basis to gauge student understanding and provide ongoing feedback for learner growth. Consider when and where formative assessments should be placed so that learners can benefit from feedback.
    Formative assessments are not graded. They provide an opportunity for learners to practice new skills and knowledge. Formative assessments serve as a bridge to success in summative assessments.
  • Summative Assessment: Summative assessments are implemented at the end of a learning cycle (i.e., end of module/unit/course) to evaluate the extent to which learning outcomes have been met. These assessments may include end-of-unit tests, portfolios, capstones, assignments, etc.

Work with your ID to review the existing content you have. They can then assist in organizing, creating, and/ or suggesting additional materials such as charts, diagrams, and library resources (as needed).

Work with your ID to discuss:

  • The use of documents, multimedia, text, videos, or other resources.
  • The use of discussion forums, interactivity, and peer collaboration (see technology integration below).
  • Technology integration. While the delivery technology is already decided, you may want to incorporate additional technologies to enhance learning such as digital whiteboards, interactive collaboration spaces, virtual polls, etc. Work with the build team to choose the appropriate tools.

Your ID will help to ensure that the course materials are inclusive. An inclusive course design ensures accessibility and equity for all learners, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, or abilities. It involves providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression, fostering an environment where every student can actively participate, engage with the content, and showcase their understanding in various ways. In an inclusive course, considerations for diverse needs are embedded from the outset, promoting an educational experience that accommodates the unique strengths of each learner.

Collaborate closely with IDs during the content development phase. Review drafts of course materials and provide feedback for revisions.

Conduct a thorough quality check before the course launches. Ensure that all links work, multimedia elements function correctly, and content is error-free.

After the course has started, monitor learning analytics, assessment data, and student feedback and performance. Collaborate with the course build team if needed to make necessary improvements.