SME partnerships are an extremely valuable aspect to course design. When becoming a SME or selecting a SME, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the process is equitable, smooth, and collaborative.
- Existing Workload
- SMEs should plan for a 10 week design process, in this timeframe, SMEs can expect to spend about 4-5 hours per week designing the course, locating instructional materials, and meeting with their ID as well as other stakeholders involved in the process.
- The SME will be expected to return near the end of the initial run of the course for a debrief meeting to analyze how it went and make improvements for the future runs of the course.
- Existing Course Designs
- If the SME has already designed four courses for the Academic year, consider giving another instructor a chance to get involved in the process! With the content knowledge of the instructors and the expertise of the ID team, we will guide and train any SME on best practices to ensure a course build that meets the needs of the curriculum and the learners.
- SME Teaching the Course Upon Launch
- When the SME is able and willing to teach the course during the first run, they are able to get first hand experience working with students, observe their discussions, and analyze how effective the course design. This first hand experience will allow the SME to collect questions and feedback from the learners to improve future runs of the course.