For online programs that are in production with UGA Online, we use a process that looks a bit different from the way many faculty members build courses on their own.

We begin working at the program level to standardize the course shells the entire program will use; we do this because our focus is helping adult learners concentrate on the content and skills they need to be successful in a program, not on figuring out how one instructor has organized an assignment dropbox differently from the last.

This standardization carries through to how modules are introduced. By and large, programs working with us choose to use week-long modules that begin with a description, learning objectives, steps to completion, and a few other consistent elements. Some programs choose video overviews for the week, while others prefer text. Within that shared structure, we build relevant and meaningful instructional activities into each week of the online course.

We ask programs to standardize as many attributes of their courses as possible. This includes aspects like academic honesty expectations and AI policies, as well as broader instructional qualities across the program. Faculty consider the mix of formative and summative assessment and how much weight is placed on tests, written work, discussions, and other assignments. These choices vary widely by program, but standardization within a program reduces cognitive load for learners and establishes clear expectations for pacing within each course, and across each semester.

We also handle much of the technology setup for faculty. We use our design system, which operates like a pattern library for websites, inside the learning management system to create accessible content with a consistent UGA branded look. All components in the design system are WCAG 2.1 AA compliant and aligned with University Brand Guidelines.

Because our websites and advertisements also use this same design system, students feel as though they have been dropped into courses that look and feel like UGA across the board.

Could these processes be taken and slotted directly into another institution’s production pipeline with immediate success? That would be difficult. Our approach has been built iteratively over more than seven years, shaped by input and feedback from faculty, programs, and deans. We have engaged in process improvement every single year, and the results speak loudly. When levels of student success begin to climb the way they have in these programs, people notice.

Every institution is different, but with sustained investment over years and a commitment to serving the university, its colleges, deans, programs, and faculty, this kind of progress is possible. Student success is worth every minute of every year it takes to get there.