Asynchronous Courses: From Design to Delivery
Fall 2026 Short Course
INTRO
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Asynchronous courses provide students with flexibility and greater access to learning. However, without live discussions and face-to-face interactions, these courses may feel less compelling than on-campus courses. Fortunately, asynchronous learning has a long track record of successful engagement, with many effective strategies for developing meaningful asynchronous experiences for both students and instructors. Developing an engaging, high-impact asynchronous course doesn’t happen by accident; it requires intentional design.
In this practical short course, you will apply a backward design framework to plan asynchronous online learning experiences. You will consider strategies for organizing your Canvas course site and discuss facilitation strategies to engage online learners. While this short course is brief, it is designed to be highly practical – everything you do can be applied directly to your own course. Throughout the short course, you will also experience many of the Canvas features that support student learning, making this an ideal opportunity to dig deeper into our learning management system.
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At the end of this four-week short course, you will have a plan for an assignment, module, or unit that is aligned with your learning goals and designed for an asynchronous online course. You will also learn effective facilitation strategies that increase instructor presence and build community within an online learning environment. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate, share expertise, and explore effective practices for designing and delivering asynchronous online courses.
Short Course Objectives
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After participating in this short course, you will be able to:
- Design an aligned online learning experience using backward design.
- Plan an organized and accessible online learning environment.
- Prepare to facilitate engaging and inclusive online learning experiences.
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The course will open on Monday, September 14, 2026, and close on Monday, October 12, 2026, with each of the four weeks launching on Monday mornings. You will complete 2-4 hours of work each week (including reading, watching videos, posting, and submitting drafts).
There are no synchronous meetings for this course. Instead, it follows an online, asynchronous model, meaning participants access materials on their own time while meeting deadlines.
Certificate of Completion
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To earn the certificate of completion for this course, you will need to:
- Prepare: Post and reply in the course introduction discussion thread by the end of Week 1.
- Participate: Participate in each required activity.
- Apply: Submit a final artifact that includes an aligned module/unit plan and a brief reflective statement by December 1, 2026.