Countdown Guide for Planning Online/Distance Degrees

October 11 2006
Version 1.4 - Judith V. Boettcher

Note: This is a work in progress. Please send comments and suggestions to judith@designingforlearning.org

Countdown Guide Introduction

This is a management tool for any staff member or administrator who is planning an online or distance degree offering within higher education. This timetable describes six major phases of the planning and development of the degree and assumes a launch of the program 24 months out. Each of the phases describes tasks in five major areas of a planning a distance learning or fully online program:

• Overall Program Design and Business Plan
• Target Audience — Learners for the program
• Curriculum/Program Plan, i.e. content and performance goals and attitudes
• Instructional team for the program, faculty, mentors, program directors, etc.
• Environment and infrastructure for teaching and learning

See the full Countdown Guide

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Judith is an author and consultant in online and distance learning and a lecturer at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

judith@designingforlearning.org
Revised February 10, 2010
Copyright Judith V. Boettcher, 1997-2010