Creating a successful online course requires careful planning and academic revisions that are prepared according to an established calendar during the curriculum development stage. The new teaching and learning theories, multiculturalism, social networks, digital media, mobile devices, MOOC, and the higher education competitive market are some of the factors having a direct and indirect impact over this process, and should be considered and integrated by institutions of higher learning when developing online courses. The objective is to adapt to the needs of the students, who are already familiar with these new elements, all the while maintaining the highest quality level. These courses should focus on the learner, their engagement with the course, a meaningful learning, and lastly, the learning outcomes.
Diamond (2008) claims that creating a quality online course is difficult, time consuming, and challenging. The development of online courses requires thinking about the specific goals that are established for the students, the requirements of accrediting agencies, and the characteristics that the faculty should possess to facilitate the learning process, considering the needs of the virtual student. This conference describes the developmental process at large scale of the online courses of National University College-Online (NUCO), from its planning to its offering. By using two key instruments to develop successful online courses—the Program Planner (PP) and the Course Planner (CP)—the faculty and instructional designers have changed the conceptualization of academic activities and the practices of instructional design.