Online Course Development: What Does It Cost?

Link to article (By Judith V. Boettcher)
"Does it cost less to design and develop online teaching and learning today than it did a few years ago? Are the categories of cost different today from the past and from what the costs might be in the future? The costs of developing online programs are significant, yet there are few resources to help planners. Here, Judith Boettcher proposes a few guidelines for predicting the costs involved in the design and development of online instruction."

• Rule of Thumb #1: A Learning Management System Reduces Costs for Design, Development, and Delivery?Use an LMS
• Rule of Thumb #2: The More Hours of Instruction to be Designed and Developed, the Higher the Cost of Design and Development. Adopting a textbook for a course that has extensive online content for faculty and students saves design and development time.
• Rule of Thumb #3: Design and Development of Online Degree Programs Can Cost Up to $25,000 Per Credit Hour.
• Rule of Thumb #4: Instructional Costs Shift with Technology Developments and Models of Instruction."