The Blackboard Exemplary Course Program was born with the goal of identifying and disseminating effective practices for designing engaging online courses. Using a rubric, instructors and course designers can evaluate how well their own course conforms to effective practices for Course Design, Interaction & Collaboration, Assessment and Learner Support.
Benefits to participating in the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
Participants in the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program and its peer review process have reported that the experience of evaluating their courses using the rubric improved their courses and made them stronger course designers. Learn more about exemplary courses and effective practices on the Exemplary Course Program wiki.
If you participate in the program you will:
- Learn course design best practices to improve the engagement, collaboration, assessment and learner support within your own courses
- Develop a fresh perspective by seeing how other instructors and designers from your discipline or area of interest are developing their courses
- Apply lessons learned from the Exemplary Course Rubric to your own courses or those you are helping to develop
- Receive detailed feedback on your own course development on the best practices you are employing or areas in which it can be improved
- Gain professional development experience and recognition for your accomplishments and participation in the program
How to Participate in the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
Blackboard welcomes your participation in the 2010 Exemplary Course Program as a Course Reviewer, Course Submitter, or both! Participating in the Exemplary Course Program is a valuable learning experience for even the most seasoned instructor or designer.
Course Reviewers receive training on the Blackboard Exemplary Course Rubric. Each Course Reviewer will be asked to review one, two or three courses. Courses can be reviewed by individuals or teams. Consider volunteering to review with your colleagues and participate as a team. Learn more about becoming a Course Reviewer or signup to volunteer.
Consider submitting your course for review in the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program. The benefits are two-fold. First, the submission form is a self-evaluation of your course. It allows you to reflect on the course design, content, and as you do, provide visual and anecdotal evidence to support your self-evaluation. Second, each course submitted is reviewed by Course Reviewers who volunteer their time and expertise to and provide you with detailed feedback about your course.
In addition, the Exemplary Course Program provides an avenue for instructors and course developers to gain recognition and reward at both an international and institutional level. Courses identified as Exemplary are awarded the Blackboard Catalyst Award for Exemplary Courses, presented at Blackboard’s annual users conference, BbWorld.
Download the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Submission Form 
Submit your course to the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
Download the Blackboard Exemplary Course Rubric
Volunteer to be a Course Reviewer for the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program