Course Design and Validation Policy

	Course Content Design, Development, Review and Validation Policy
Document Owner: Office of the Dean
Date of Creation: Feb 2024 Date of Next Review: Feb 2027	Members of the Review: John Clark Tom Mallinson Fenella Corrick
Document Type: Internal Regulations	Contact/Creator: Csaba Dioszeghy

Introduction and Purpose
This policy document outlines the standards and procedures for the design, development, validation, and review of course content material created for the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine. The aim is to ensure that all modules and educational content meet the highest educational standards, serves the purpose of declared educational objectives, responsive to the stakeholders’ needs and relevant and current to the field of remote and austere medicine.

The purpose of this policy is to:

• Ensure a structured approach to course content creation and continuous improvement.
• Engage relevant stakeholders in the development and review process to enhance course quality and relevance.
• Standardise the validation and review mechanisms for course content and delivery.

Scope
This policy applies to all educational modules offered by the College of Remote and Offshore Medicine. It includes guidelines for initial course design, development, ongoing validation, and periodic review.

Stakeholder Engagement

Internal Stakeholders

Senior Faculty: 

• Responsible for initial course design and content creation.
• Provide peer review. 

Module or Program Lead:

• Oversees the development process. 
• Organises peer review.
• Makes final recommendation regarding publication of new content.
• Ensures alignment with learning objectives of the module.
• Ensures alignment with the accredited standards.

Program Administrator or Program / Course Lead: 

• Oversees the development process. 
• Ensures alignment with the appropriate Program / Course objectives.
• Coordinates stakeholder engagement.

Academic Team: 

• Authorises the new course content publication based on the recommendation of the Module / Course Lead.
• Ensures the alignment of course content with the current academic accreditation(s).
• Updates / initiates / revises the accreditation processes as necessary for the new content.

Current Students and Alumni: 

• Provide feedback on course content and delivery based on their experiences.

External Stakeholders

External Experts and Specialists of the Course Content: 

• Contribute specialised knowledge to ensure content relevance and up-to-date practices.
• Provide peer review as requested by the College / Program Administration.

Accreditation Bodies: 

• Ensure courses meet specific standards and requirements for academic and professional recognition.

Industry Partners: 

• Offer insights into practical applications and emerging trends in the field.
• Ensures transparent Conflict of Interest declarations.

Course Development Process

Design

• Establish content objectives that align with the overall program goals and fits into the learning objectives of the module or course.
• Select appropriate delivery methods and technologies to enhance learning experiences. When appropriate, prefer online learning methods with interactive elements.
• Integrate feedback from previous course iterations and stakeholder input.

Development

• Develop content using evidence-based practices, current research results, and current national and international practice guidelines relevant to the content.
• Ensure that the sources of information and clinical practice guidelines are clearly identified, so updates can be followed.
• Collaborate with multimedia specialists to create engaging and interactive learning materials when appropriate.
• Conduct internal peer reviews by faculty and instructional design teams.

Validation and Quality Assurance

Pre-Launch Validation

• Engage external experts for content validation and relevance to current practices.
• Pilot test courses with a select group of students and revise based on their feedback. 
• The pilot of online content must be evaluated by both students and faculty, including the Program / Course Lead. The result of the Pilot will be reported to the Academic Team.

Ongoing Evaluation

• Implement a system for collecting continuous feedback from students and instructors.
• Use Moodle for a data-driven approach to assess online learner engagement and achievement of learning outcomes. 
• Classroom courses must document the learner engagement and achievement of learning outcomes in a standardised format and feed it into the College database, which will be evaluated annually, and results forwarded to the Program/Module/Course lead.

Course Review and Improvement

• Schedule regular course reviews at least every two years, or as needed, based on technological advancements and changes in the field. The Program Leader should set the revision periods according to the content.
• Include both internal and external stakeholders in the review process.
• Update course materials and delivery methods based on feedback and new developments in the field.
• Clinical practice guidelines must be monitored, and changes introduced within 6 weeks of publication to ensure that the educational material does not contain outdated clinical guidance.

The process for review can be outlined thus:

Documentation and Reporting

• Maintain comprehensive records of course development processes, stakeholder feedback, validation activities, and review outcomes.
• Report findings and any changes to the program administration and accreditation bodies as required.

Policy Review

Review and update this policy every three years or as necessary to reflect changes in educational standards and program requirements.