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The Thorpe Center

Online Teaching

The Dean of Curricular and Faculty Development, along with Thorpe's Instructional Design team, coordinate routinely with Faculty to develop IWU's approach to online teaching. As online learning becomes more prevalent, it is more important than ever to encourage best practices for all instructional modalities. We are here to support you in that endeavor!

Online Learning at IWU

To ensure IWU meets HLC Accreditation standards and Title IV funding requirements for online learning, all online learning courses must include the following three components:

  • Course Approval
  • LMS Approval
  • Instructor Approval

Methods of Approval

Each of the components can be completed in any order within one of the following two methods of approval:

Preferred Method: IWU Online Cohort

  • Course Approval: The course content/proposal is approved by CC for the curriculum. 
  • LMS and Instructor Approval: The Canvas course LMS and Instructor are approved upon successful completion of the IWU Online Course Development Cohort. Visit our Events and Workshops section to see when the next cohort is scheduled and register to participate.

Note: LMS approval is given for the course in development during the cohort only. Additional LMS approvals will need to follow the alternative method for approval.

Alternative Method: Evidence-Based Evaluation

  • Course Approval: The course content/proposal is approved by CC for the curriculum. 
  • LMS Approval: The Canvas course LMS is approved by the Thorpe Center for use in online instruction, based on the IWU Online Course standards. or complete the .
  • Instructor Approval: The instructor is approved upon successful submission of the Excellence in Online Teaching Evaluation, which includes both of the following:
    1. Evidence of acting as the lead instructor within the last 5 years of at least 1 fully online course  
    2. A self-evaluation of recent (within the last 5 years) online teaching experiences.

The self-evaluation portion asks the instructor to describe how measurable, regular and substantive interaction is facilitated in their online course. The Provost Office/Thorpe Center collects the evidence of online teaching development for each instructor and adds it to the permanent faculty file, which is required for online teaching accreditation. or complete the .

Note: Exceptions to this process may be made in extenuating circumstances. Please direct questions to the Dean of Curricular and Faculty Development.

Course Approval Process

FAQs

NEW! A Special Call for Curriculum Development for Online Courses has been put out by CETAL. The deadline to submit this CD grant is March 28, 2025 by 4 p.m.

The Thorpe Center offers an annual Online Course Development Cohort, The Design and Practice of Online Teaching, and is the preferred method for completing instructor approval to teach online at IWU. Details and registration can be found under Events and Workshops.

The stipend for the Spring 2025 cohort is $500 for completion of the 12-week cohort course. The expected workload includes a 1 hour in-person meeting and 1 hour of asynchronous work each week.

Please note: Stipends for future semesters have not been determined and are not guaranteed.

Federal Regulations require online courses to include 'Regular and Substantive Interaction.鈥� Understanding these elements has important implications for federal financial aid eligibility.

Regular Interaction

Regular interaction includes engagement between a student and instructor(s) by, prior to the student鈥檚 completion of a course:

  • Providing the opportunity for substantive interactions with the student on a predictable and scheduled basis commensurate with the length of time and the amount of content in the course or competency; and
  • Monitoring the student鈥檚 academic engagement and success and ensuring that an instructor is responsible for promptly and proactively engaging in substantive interaction with the student when needed, on the basis of such monitoring, or upon request by the student.

Substantive Interaction

Substantive interaction is engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment, consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following:

  • Providing direct instruction
  • Assessing or providing feedback on a student鈥檚 coursework
  • Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency
  • Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency
  • Other instructional activities approved by the institution鈥檚 or program鈥檚 accrediting agency.

Below are some articles that provide best practices for online teaching and learning.





There are four ways to get support with Canvas courses.

  1. Complete the asynchronous Canvas Course, , which includes self-paced modules with content, activities, and examples. While no feedback is given throughout the modules, they can be used for self-evaluation.

  2. Access both instructor and student Canvas Support through these .

  3. Attend a Canvas Support Pop Up Event. Check our Event page for upcoming dates.

  4. Schedule a meeting with the Instructional Design team.