OCDI
Online Course Development Initiative (OCDI)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Online Course Development Initiative (OCDI) empowers faculty to develop or redevelop undergraduate online courses to meet internationally recognized standards of quality and deliver a high-quality educational impact for UHD students. This initiative centers on course development or redevelopment to meet standards of the Quality Matters Higher Education 7th Edition Rubric and culminates in the Official QM Certification of the online or hybrid course. Participating faculty will be awarded $1000 upon the conclusion of the OCDI cycle. OCDI 2026-2027 Applications are due October 16th, 2026.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Eligibility
UHD faculty of any rank may apply for the 2026-2027 OCDI. To ensure a strong foundation in course design, OCDI applicants should first complete APPQMR Applying the Quality Matters Rubric. Please follow these steps to apply:
- Complete a QM Self Review of your course or prospective course*.
- Fill out the 2026-2027 OCDI Application.
- Attach a course map
- Submit the 2026-2027 OCDI Application.
*If you are applying to develop a new course, simply fill out all application materials to the best of your ability. Use the example course map in the Call For Applications to start planning your course structure. You may request a Canvas development course (sandbox) in order to begin adding any content that you may have. Complete the self review by evaluating the content in your development course.
Timeline
OCDI is primarily a Fall/Spring initiative, with applications selected in the fall, course design and development occurring over the fall/winter semesters, and QM course certifications attained during the spring semester. The Quality Matters Course Review process is conducted over the course of six or more weeks by a team of external reviewers.
OCDI Application Review Rubric
Several criteria will be weighed when selecting OCDI Applications. Please see the rubric below and email Megan Scales if you have any questions.
| Criterion | Does Not Meet Expectations | Approaches Expectations | Meets Expectations |
| Course-Level Outcomes (CLOs) | CLOs are missing, incomplete, or primarily instructor-focused. | Course map includes CLOs, but some are not measurable or are not consistently student-centered. | Course map includes measurable, student-centered CLOs that clearly communicate what learners will accomplish upon course completion. |
| Module-Level Outcomes (MLOs) | Course map is complete but MLOs are missing. | Course map includes MLOs, but some are not measurable, too similar to, or not aligned with CLOs. | Course map includes measurable, distinct MLOs that appropriately support the CLOs. |
| Course Elements | Course map is missing one or more elements and gaps are not addressed in the self-review. | Course map is missing one or more elements, but gaps are identified and addressed in the self-review. | Course map includes materials, activities, assessments, and instructional tools for all modules. |
| QM Self-Review | Self-review is complete but provides limited evidence, reflection, or improvement planning. | Self-review includes evidence and identifies some opportunities for improvement. | Self-review includes evidence, thoughtful reflection, specific improvement goals, and demonstrates readiness to redesign. |