Demystifying the Online Program Development Process: A Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia

Introduction

In response to a growing demand, the University of Florida (UF) developed a fully online graduate certificate program in dyslexia assessment and intervention. This five-course sequence is designed to prepare education professionals to provide effective assessments and interventions for students with dyslexia. The program, which is delivered using the Canvas learning management system (LMS), can be completed in one calendar year, but there are options for spacing out courses over two years. The certificate program was developed by a team that included faculty and doctoral students in special education, with substantial support and assistance from the distance learning professionals in the E-Learning Technology and Communications (ETC) office within the College of Education.

The UF graduate certificate program in dyslexia has received awards for its high-quality design and implementation. This chapter will (a) provide the rationale and describe the conceptual framework for professional learning used in the development of the program (Desimone, 2009); (b) chronicle the process for designing and developing the program, from inception through university approval, alignment with professional standards, development of course content, course design, and implementation; and (c) share lessons learned during the process. It will also present results from the program evaluation, which was based on Stufflebeam’s (2003) Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) model and UF’s adaptation of the Quality Matters Rubrics and Standards.