The Exemplary Course Program recognizes faculty and course designers whose courses demonstrate best practices in four major areas: course design, interaction and collaboration, assessment, and learner support. Submitted courses are evaluated by a peer group of faculty and staff using the Exemplary Course Program Rubric.
Download Exemplary Course Rubric (PDF)
The Exemplary Course Program Rubric uses numerical point values for each standard. These point values (from 1 to 5) have been assigned to indicate the relative importance of that standard, with values of 5 representing compulsory standards. Compulsory standards must be met in order to receive an Exemplary Course Award. The 14 compulsory standards are as follows:
Course Design addresses elements of instructional design. For the purpose of this rubric, course design includes such elements as structure of the course, learning objectives, organization of content, and instructional strategies.
| Standard Subcategories | Exemplary Standard | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Goals and Objectives | 1.1 Goals and objectives are clearly written and appropriate for the course level. | 5 |
| 1.2 Goals and objectives are easily located within the course visible in a variety of areas (e.g., within the syllabus and each individual learning unit). | 4 | |
| 1.3 Goals and objectives are written in measurable outcomes (e.g., learners know what they are expected to be able to do). | 4 | |
| Content Composition and Structure | 1.4 Content is made available or “chunked” in manageable segments (i.e., presented in distinct learning units or modules). | 5 |
| 1.5 Content is enhanced with multimedia (e.g., video, audio, images). | 4 | |
| 1.6 Navigation is user friendly. Students know what steps to take next and where to navigate. | 3 | |
| 1.7 Digitally accessible materials are used when available. | 1 | |
| Learner Engagement | 1.8 It is clear how the course activities will enable learners to reach course goals and objectives. | 5 |
| 1.9 Course design includes guidance for learners to work with content in meaningful ways (e.g., clear instructions, content outline, video, course orientation) and how to proceed. | 5 | |
| Technology Use | 1.10 Learning Management System (LMS) tools are used efficiently to reduce the labor intensity of learning (e.g., providing links to needed resources, using 4 native LMS tools where available). | 4 |
| 1.11 Technology available in the course is used to facilitate learning by engaging learners with course content (e.g., integrating publisher resources that are tailored to the course materials, and providing streamlined access to supplementary materials). | 3 | |
| 1.12 Technologies are used in ways that transcend traditional, teacher-centered instruction (e.g., peer-led instruction, technology-supported learner choice, flipped classroom). | 3 | |
| Accessibility of Course Design | 1.13 The design and delivery of content supports inclusive pedagogy by integrating alternative options (e.g., transcripts), enabling assistive processes (e.g., voice recognition), and inviting choice to support and engage students with diverse learning needs and preferences. | 5 |
| 1.14 Course files (e.g., documents, PDFs, presentations) use built-in accessibility formatting options to support assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, screen magnification). | 5 | |
| 1.15 Course includes multiple modalities for learner engagement (e.g., visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), kinesthetic (moving), and tactile (touching)). | 3 | |
| 1.16 Design factors such as color, text size manipulations, audio and video controls, and alt text use consistent and standard formatting to reflect universal accessibility considerations. | 2 |
Interaction and Collaboration can take many forms. The ECP criteria place emphasis on the type and amount of interaction and collaboration within an online environment.
Interaction denotes communication between and among learners and instructors, synchronously or asynchronously. Collaboration is a subset of interaction and refers specifically to those activities in which groups are working interdependently toward a shared result. This differs from group activities that can be completed by learners working independently of one another and then combining the results, much as one would when assembling a jigsaw puzzle with parts of the puzzle completed separately then assembled. A learning community is defined here as the sense of belonging to a group, rather than each learner working independently.
| Standard Subcategories | Exemplary Standard | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Strategies | 2.1 Communication activities include interactive components/elements (e.g., learners gain practice discussing course content spontaneously). | 4 |
| 2.2 There are a variety of collaborative opportunities for learners to communicate (e.g., live meetings, chat, discussions, messages). | 3 | |
| 2.3 Communication strategies promote critical reflection or other higher order thinking aligned with learning objectives. | 3 | |
| Development of Learning Community | 2.4 Collaboration activities reinforce course content and learning outcomes, while building workplace-useful skills (e.g., teamwork, cooperation, negotiation, consensus-building). | 4 |
| 2.5 Learner-to-learner as well as learner-to-instructor interactions are required as part of the course. | 3 | |
| 2.6 Activities are designed to help build a sense of community, rather than each learner working independently. | 2 | |
| Interaction Logistics | 2.7 Learners are provided a rubric or scoring guidelines to evaluate participation and interaction. | 5 |
| 2.8 Instructions are written clearly (e.g., quantity of interactions, levels of participation). | 3 | |
| 2.9 Expectations for interaction are clearly outlined (e.g., what constitutes a "good" response in discussion forums). | 4 |
Assessment focuses on instructional activities designed to measure progress toward learning outcomes, provide feedback to learners and instructors, and/or enable grading or evaluation. This section addresses the quality and type of learner assessments within the course.
| Standard Subcategories | Exemplary Standard | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Learner Expectations | 3.1 It is clear to learners how performance in assessments will be evaluated (e.g., rubric, scoring guidelines, section in syllabus). | 5 |
| 3.2 Assessments align to goals, objectives, and content and are visible to the learner. | 4 | |
| 3.3 Instructions are written clearly (e.g., grading, acceptable file formats, due dates, number of attempts, required posts) and presented inline. | 4 | |
| 3.4 Template or examples of quality work are provided to the learner where appropriate (e.g., successful research papers from prior semesters, template 4 with guidelines, written discussion responses). | 4 | |
| Assessment Design | 3.5 Formative and summative assessments occur regularly throughout the course to gauge student success and inform learner progress toward course objectives. | 5 |
| 3.6 Multiple types of assessments are used (e.g., research project, objective test, discussions, etc.). | 5 | |
| 3.7 Assessments are designed to mimic authentic environments to facilitate knowledge transfer (e.g., role-playing, scenario-based questions, clinical experience, practicum). | 4 | |
| Learner Self-Assessment | 3.8 Opportunities for learner self-assessment are provided (e.g., practice test/quiz, journal, self-reflection, knowledge check, etc.). | 2 |
| 3.9 Self-assessments are purposeful and clearly marked as such. | 2 |
Learner Support addresses the support resources made available to learners taking the course. Such resources may be accessible within or external to the course environment. Learner support resources address a variety of learner services.
| Standard Subcategories | Exemplary Standard | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation to Course and LMS | 4.1 Orientation materials explain how to navigate both the LMS and the course. | 5 |
| 4.2 Orientation materials are readily identifiable within the context of the course. | 3 | |
| 4.3 Information regarding required/optional technology, including how to access/acquire, and any additional costs, is provided. | 3 | |
| Instructor Contact Information and Communication | 4.4 Contact information for the instructor is easy to find. | 5 |
| 4.5 The instructor’s methods for collecting and returning work are clearly explained (e.g., submission details, accept early or late assignments). | 4 | |
| 4.6 Acceptable communication methods for contacting the instructor are identified and included (e.g., email, phone, messages, chat, social media). | 4 | |
| 4.7 Expected response time for instructor replies is included. | 3 | |
| 4.8 The instructor’s role within the course is explained (e.g., full instructor versus facilitator of self-paced course, etc.). | 3 | |
| Course/Institutional Policies and Support | 4.9 Course/institutional policies (e.g., decorum, behavior, netiquette) are clear and easy to find. | 5 |
| 4.10 Links to institutional policies (e.g., academic honesty policies, accessibility statement, DEI/DEIB statement), materials, and forms relevant for learner success are included and easy to find. | 4 | |
| 4.11 Links to institutional services that support learners (e.g., tech support, help desk, library, writing center) are included and easy to find. | 4 | |
| 4.12 Links to institutional contacts and procedures for supporting learners with disabilities are included and easy to find. | 4 | |
| Digital Accessibility and Technical Factors | 4.13 Content is accessible and supports the needs and preferences of students with a wide range of abilities (e.g., transcripts for audio/visual content, file format options, platform neutrality). | 3 |
| 4.14 Lengthy/large files are broken into smaller segments for improved content consumption and usability (e.g., six 10-minute audio/video files versus a single 60-minute file, five 10-page documents versus a single 50-page document). | 2 | |
| 4.15 Multimedia is optimized for web delivery (e.g., videos are streamed whenever possible, graphics are optimized for web delivery). | 2 | |
| 4.16 Course materials use standard formats to ensure usability. | 1 | |
| 4.17 If technology is required for a specific learning activity, the link to that technology is included along with the instructions. | 1 | |
| Feedback | 4.18 Learners have opportunity to give formative feedback to the instructor regarding course design, content, and presentation of course delivery. | 5 |
| 4.19 Feedback mechanisms allow learners to participate anonymously in course evaluation (e.g., course evaluation information is listed in syllabus, via course announcement, link to institutional announcement, etc.). | 3 |
There are 191 total points available in the Exemplary Course Program Rubric. In order to receive an Exemplary course rating, a score of at least 85% must be earned. Ratings of Compelling and Promising will be awarded with scores of 80% and 70%, respectively.
Exemplary 85% (162 points or more)
Compelling 80% (153-161 points)
Promising 70% (134-152 points)
For more information about the Exemplary Course Program, please visit community.anthology.com/ecp or email ecp@anthology.com
815-753-8100
servicedesk@niu.edu