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ONLINE COURSE DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Compass of Online Teaching Excellence (COTE)

Quick but robust guidelines for instructors to create student-centered online learning experiences infused by high-impact pedagogical practices.

What is COTE?

The Compass of Online Teaching Excellence (COTE) Framework is a comprehensive guide that provides clear guidelines and practical strategies for college instructors to create and deliver student-centered, high-impact online courses. Represented symbolically by a compass, the framework emphasizes the interconnectedness of its guiding principles, promoting a holistic approach to effective course delivery. The framework consists of four core Keystones supported by adaptable Omni Elements.

Keystones of Successful Instruction

The Keystones include Course Structure, Technology Integration, Community Building, and Student Engagement. Represented by the compass cardinal points, the Keystones form the foundation of the framework. The Course Structure Keystone guides the organization and flow of learning experiences, promoting coherence and effectiveness. The Technology Integration Keystone supports faculty in selecting and implementing effective technologies to promote collaboration, foster engagement, and strengthen student retention. The Student Engagement Keystone promotes active participation and meaningful interactions to cultivate a dynamic learning environment. The Community Building Keystone highlights strategies that enrich the educational journey by fostering a sense of community through collaboration and shared experiences.

Community Building

Course Structure

COTE logo

Student Engagement

Technology Integration

 OMNI Elements

The Omni Elements are flexible tools that make each Keystone more inclusive, resilient, and responsive to diverse student needs.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Omni Element promotes inclusive teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities.

The Accessibility Omni Element ensures that all course materials and activities are accessible to every student, removing barriers to learning.

The Evaluation Omni Element emphasizes continuous assessment and feedback to measure and enhance the achievement of course goals.

The Resources Omni Element provides essential academic resources and technical support to facilitate a comprehensive learning experience.

Who is COTE For?

College Instructors

COTE equips college instructors with practical tools and strategies to develop engaging, student-centered online courses. It emphasizes inclusivity, accessibility, and innovative use of technology to create dynamic and effective learning environments.

Instructional Designers

COTE offers instructional designers a detailed blueprint for creating accessible, well-organized, and pedagogically sound online courses. The framework supports the design of inclusive learning experiences that meet diverse student needs while maintaining coherence and quality.

Online Course Reviewers

COTE provides course reviewers with robust tools to evaluate the quality of online courses against established benchmarks. By emphasizing best practices and institutional standards and policies, the framework encourages effective and accessible online learning environments, aligned with educational goals.

How to Use COTE?

1
Select a Keystone

Select a keystone based on your focus, or review all for a broader view.

2
Use the Checklists

Each keystone is supported by checklists that provide a concise reference to essential practices and a Learn How to Implement section that expands on these practices with actionable strategies and examples.

3
Apply the Learn How to Implement Section

Follow the strategies and examples in the earn How to Implement section.

COTE Checklists

CHECKLISTS

Course Structure Keystone

compass pointing up
compass pointing right
CHECKLISTS

Technology Integration Keystone

CHECKLISTS

Student Engagement Keystone

compass pointing down
compass pointing left
CHECKLISTS

Community Building Keystone

License

Edition

Version 1.0. Published on February 7, 2025.

Background and Foundations of COTE

The COTE framework is the most recent update of the long-lasting Hostos Online Course Development Guidelines that have been providing a framework for creating effective, student-centered, and engaging online learning experiences. The COTE framework is aligned with approaches from several sources that bridge institutional policies and industry best practices, including the California State University (CSU) guidelines for online learningCalifornia State University, Chico guidelines for online learning, Quality Matters, IDEAS Framework for Teaching Online and the SUNY Online Course Quality Review Rubric (OSCQR) scorecard adopted by the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). The OSCQR framework, a widely recognized tool for evaluating and improving online course quality with a learner-centered focus, was thoughtfully integrated into COTE’s design.

In addition, COTE heavily relies on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework developed by CAST.

The COTE framework will be continuously adapted to address the changes in the field infused by a variety of teaching modalities and AI enhancements, assuring that online courses meet the highest standards of quality and effectiveness in the rapidly evolving educational landscape.

Ethical Use of AI Statement

The development of this project has been assisted by the use of advanced AI tools (Chat GPT, Miro, Sider, Copilot, and Perplexity) in the research, data analysis, and content drafting adhering to established academic and professional norms.The tool has been used in adherence to established academic and professional standards. All content has been thoroughly reviewed, and fact-checked by Ana Marjanovic, Carlos Guevara, and Wilfredo Rodriguez, and aligned with current educational theory and national standards. Revisions have been made to ensure accuracy, relevance, and originality, while also mitigating any potential biases of AI algorithms. No identifiable personal data was included in AI inputs. The final product represents a blend of AI’s computational efficiency with careful human oversight and expertise, adhering to the highest quality and integrity of this program.

We’d Love Your Feedback

Your input helps us improve and better support your teaching needs. Share your thoughts on the COTE Framework and how we can enhance it further.

Credits

Portrait of Ana Marjanovic

Author

Ana Marjanovic

Instructional Designer & LMS Administrator, EdTech

Caros Guevara

Strategist/Advisor

Carlos Guevara

Director of EdTech, Co-Director, Center for Teaching and Learning

Reviewers

  • Wilfredo Rodríguez, Coordinator of EdTech, Hostos Community College
  • Ljubica Depovic, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at LaGuardia Community College
  • Nelson Nunez-Rodriguez, Professor, NIH IRACDA BETTR Program Coordinator, Natural Sciences Department, Hostos Community College

Editors

  • Kate Ascher, Milstein Professor of Urban Development, Columbia University
  • John Romano, Senior VP And Executive Director, DigitalAMN

Designer

  • Ana Marjanovic, Instructional Designer & LMS Administrator, EdTech
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